Mercy me! The lovely Mercy at Avani Pemba Beach Hotel & Spa gave me the best back massage I’ve ever had – nice and firm, working those knots and leaving me wondering how I can transport Mercy to Cape Town, where I live. Afterwards I padded along to the jacuzzi where fellow journalists on this press trip were already drowning in cocktails. I was brought mint tea, which Mercy said I needed for my problematic digestion (how did she know?).

I was in the town of Pemba in far northern Mozambique, no so very far from the Tanzanian border, staying at what most Trip Advisor commentators say is the “best hotel in town”. Pemba Bay is one of the largest natural harbours in the world and there’s a lot of building going on due to increased business from a burgeoning oil and gas industry.  I reckon the AVANI Pemba Beach Hotel & Spa is going to stay at the top of the list for businessmen and tourists alike, who want every comfort in a rather gorgeous tropical seaside setting.

Think palm trees surrounding the swimming pools (of which there are 3), sea view hotel rooms or long-stay fully serviced apartments in recently-built blocks that merge seamlessly with the hotel. There’s a restaurant on the beach serving up gigantic lobsters, prawns, calamari and fish on seafood platters to make you weep when you can’t eat it all. The colonial ‘Bar Niassa’ has long-dead stuffed animals adorning the walls and a very Hemingway feel about it. The old lush would have appreciated the barman’s skill at making cocktails…..of which I sampled several (oh alright…many), with caipirinha achieving the most desired affect!

Afro-Arabian architecture featuring Moorish arches, reminds you that this coastline was home to Arab trading settlements for several centuries before Vasco da Gama mounted a Christian Crusade circa 1500 and took control on behalf of Portugal. He may have been able to change their language but not their minds, as the northern provinces of Mozambique remain to this day predominantly Muslim.