Images of war and floods are fast fading into the background, as reports of idyllic beaches, islands and a fascinating cultural melange take over the headlines about Mozambique.

Mozambique’s 2500-kilometer coastline is one long succession of unspoiled, spectacular beaches fringed by archipelagos. Much of its interior is featureless bush, though there are several lush and exceptionally bio-diverse highland areas, including the forested Chimanimani Mountains along the Zimbabwe border. Nampula boasts a profusion of towering granite outcrops or inselberts, while Lake Niassa dominates the northwest.

Swimming in Mozambique’s turquoise waters are dugongs, whale sharks, dolphins, sea turtles, seasonal humpback whales and a plethora of different kinds of colourful fish. On the terrestrial side, the rivers are filled with hippos and crocodiles. There are enough lions and elephants roaming around, especially in the north, to be the stuff of local lore, although the animals’ skittishness, challenging access and dense vegetation can make spotting them tricky.