Thatched beachfront bungalows overlook the Indian Ocean from this hotel named Kisawa Sanctuary in Mozambique, which was built in tandem with a marine conservation centre.
The Kisawa Sanctuary occupies 300 hectares of forest, dunes and beachfront on the southern tip of Benguerra Island, which lies 14 kilometres from the Mozambique mainland.
The Kisawa Sanctuary sits at the southern tip of Benguerra Island
It is the first hospitality project created by entrepreneur Nina Flohr, whose studio NJF Design collaborated with skilled local weavers, thatchers and carpenters to realise the project.
Opened in November 2021, the hotel comprises 22 suites in 12 thatch-topped villas arranged within the dunes.
The residences were built along the beach and in the dunes "Some lie on the calmer cove side, others shelter in the dunes on the ocean side, yet all are carefully positioned within their own secluded plot; providing maximum privacy and optimum appreciation of the natural environment," said the hotel's team.
Built without the use of heavy machinery, the wooden structures across the site are thatched and clad in a variety of styles based on the regional vernacular.
The bungalows feature woven doors that slide to open up the rooms
Guest bungalows are shaped like long villas and covered with wavy patterned roofs, echoing the form of waves.
Inside they have mottled plaster walls and wooden floors covered with large rugs. Colourfully printed textiles add warmth and variety to the...