Kisawa Sanctuary
Benguerra Island, Mozambique
Location
Southern Benguerra Island
The sanctuary spreads across around 300 hectares of private forest, beach and dune on the southern tip of Benguerra Island in the Bazaruto Archipelago, with around 5 kilometres of coastline and each residence on its own roughly one-acre plot.
Transfer
A fly-in transfer
Fly in to Vilanculos, then a helicopter of around 7 minutes to the sanctuary — luggage is soft-bag and weight-limited, and the helicopter is a separate cost.
Villas
Around 12 residences
Around 12 residences in one-, two- and three-bedroom layouts, each on a roughly one-acre plot with a private beach, infinity pool and open-air kitchen, with wave-shaped roofs in the world's first 3D-printed resort and pan-African antiques and art.
Best For
Who it suits
Ultra-exclusive couples, honeymooners, families and exclusive-use buyers after the top of the Mozambique market — a private acre per residence, the world's first 3D-printed resort, a TCM and Ayurveda wellness centre and an ocean observatory — for the bush-and-beach finish.
Board Basis
All-inclusive
All-inclusive — across the dining venues and the beach club, on clean, fresh seafood including lobster and ceviche.
About the Resort
A private acre each on a 3D-printed island sanctuary
Kisawa Sanctuary is the top of the Mozambique market — an ultra-exclusive sanctuary across around 300 hectares of private forest, beach and dune on the southern tip of Benguerra Island, where each residence sits on its own roughly one-acre plot with a private beach, infinity pool and open-air kitchen. It is the world's first 3D-printed resort, built with patented 3D sand-cement, traditional sand-and-seaweed mortar and local craft, with wave-shaped roofs and pan-African antiques and art. Wellness is its own building: the Natural Wellness Center, a standalone thatched centre rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda, and there is a sister marine-research station, the Bazaruto Center for Scientific Studies — Africa's first permanent ocean observatory — that guests can engage with. Around 12 residences run one, two and three bedrooms, all-inclusive, with diving, dhow and horse riding in the Bazaruto marine reserve, where whales pass July to October and dugongs live. Reaching it means a fly-in to Vilanculos and a helicopter of around 7 minutes, and the coast is a malaria area, so antimalarial precautions are advised. It suits ultra-exclusive couples, families and exclusive-use buyers.
Accommodation
Residences
Around 12 residences in one-, two- and three-bedroom layouts, each on a roughly one-acre plot with a private beach, infinity pool and open-air kitchen, with wave-shaped roofs in the world's first 3D-printed resort and pan-African antiques and art.
Entry
One-Bedroom Residence
Sleeps two. A king on a roughly one-acre plot with a private beach, infinity pool and kitchen.
Private acreInfinity pool
Family
Two-Bedroom Residence
Sleeps four. Two bungalows with a shared infinity pool, over the beach.
Shared poolTwo-bedroom
Signature
Kisawa Residence
Sleeps six to nine. The flagship, with ocean and cove views, antiques and art — the signature.
FlagshipOcean & cove views
Food & Drink
Dining
Dining runs across the sanctuary's venues and the beach club, on clean, fresh seafood including lobster and ceviche.
Signature
The dining venues
The dining venues, across the sanctuary.
Beach
The beach club
The beach club.
Seafood
Lobster & ceviche
Clean, fresh seafood — lobster and ceviche.
Wellbeing
Natural Wellness Center
The Natural Wellness Center is a standalone, thatched centre rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda, with a private infinity pool on every residence and a main pool — and a sister ocean observatory, Africa's first.
Natural Wellness Center
The Natural Wellness Center — a standalone, thatched centre rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda.
Private infinity pools
A private infinity pool on every residence, with a large main pool.
The ocean observatory
The ocean observatory — Africa's first, a sister marine-research station guests can engage with.
Activities & Experiences
Signature Experiences
A private acre each, and a resort built by 3D printer. Live in total seclusion, explore the architecture and the wellness centre, and engage with the ocean observatory.
Private-acre seclusion
Private-acre seclusion — each residence on its own roughly one-acre plot, with a private beach and infinity pool.
The 3D-printed architecture
The world's first 3D-printed resort — built with patented 3D sand-cement, traditional sand-and-seaweed mortar and local craft.
The wellness centre
The Natural Wellness Center — Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda.
The ocean observatory
The Bazaruto Center for Scientific Studies — Africa's first permanent ocean observatory.
Diving & dhow
Diving, snorkelling, dhow and horse riding, in the Bazaruto marine reserve — whales July to October, dugongs.
Getting There
Location & transfers
By helicopter
From Vilanculos
Fly in to Vilanculos, then a helicopter of around 7 minutes.
On the island
Southern Benguerra
On the southern tip of Benguerra Island, across around 300 hectares.
Guest Reviews
What Our Clients Say
★★★★★
“The most extraordinary place I have ever stayed. Nothing prepares you for the depth of the silence, the beauty of the reef, or the sheer generosity of the experience.”
✓ Verified via feefo
★★★★★
“We’ve stayed here three times now. The house reef has no equal. The stargazing was, genuinely, one of the most moving experiences of my adult life.”
✓ Verified via feefo
★★★★★
“I had stayed at Four Seasons, One&Only and Velaa before visiting Kisawa Sanctuary. They are all magnificent. But this is different in a way that is hard to articulate.”
✓ Verified via feefo
Good to Know
Good to know
Board basis
- All-inclusive.
Getting there
- Fly in to Vilanculos, then a helicopter of around 7 minutes to the sanctuary on southern Benguerra — light-aircraft luggage is soft-bag and weight-limited, and the helicopter is a separate cost.
A malaria area
- The Mozambican coast is a malaria area, so antimalarial precautions are advised — speak to your GP or a travel clinic before you travel.
Made for couples
- An ultra-exclusive sanctuary for couples and honeymooners, with one-, two- and three-bedroom residences for families and exclusive-use buyers.
Book This Property
Start Planning Your Kisawa Sanctuary Stay
Your HighStreet specialist will respond within 2 hours with a personalised quote and the best available rates — guaranteed.
1
Your holiday
2
Your details
3
Review
Step 1 of 2
Tell us about your stay
Dates, party size, villa preference and budget.
Destination
Dates & party
Date flexibility
Adults
2
Children
0
Budget & accommodation
Budget per person (flights + hotel)
£4,500
£500£50,000+
Villa preference
Flights
You Might Also Consider
Other Mozambique hotels you might consider
Mozambique
Azura Benguerra Island
Azura Benguerra is the eco-luxury honeymoon retreat — Mozambique's first carbon-neutral resort, hand-built by the island community, around 20 beachfront villas in dune forest on a shop-free island made for seclusion. Each villa has its own pool, a beach sala and a dedicated Mozambican butler-host, with breakfast served at the water's edge and dinner under the stars. The Bazaruto marine life is on the doorstep — whales, dolphins and dugongs — with diving, snorkelling and dhow sailing, and an African spa for downtime. The eco and community story runs through everything. Romantic, barefoot and intimate, it is the honeymoon villa pick of the archipelago and a natural Indian-Ocean finish to a safari.
Mozambique
andBeyond Benguerra Island
andBeyond Benguerra is a premier Bazaruto island lodge — stone-and-thatch casinhas and cabanas in indigenous forest on the protected western shore of Benguerra, on a deep lagoon unaffected by tides, so you can swim off the beach all day. Around 15 units carry private decks with rim-flow or plunge pools and hanging-daybed salas, and a converted dhow serves as the beach bar. The setting is a protected marine reserve, home to Africa's only dugong population, pristine coral reefs and game fishing, with a PADI dive centre, sunset dhow cruises and horseback riding on the dunes. Barefoot luxury, reached by a scenic helicopter — the Indian-Ocean finish to a Kruger or Gorongosa safari.
Mozambique
Anantara Bazaruto Island Resort
Anantara Bazaruto is the larger, activity-rich island resort — 44 villas across five categories on the biggest island in the Bazaruto Archipelago, built for families and active travellers. The 100-metre dunes mean dune-boarding, the protected marine national park brings a PADI 5-Star dive centre, humpback whales from July to October, dolphins, whale sharks and dugongs, and there's tag-and-release big-game fishing, dhow sunset cruises and island-hopping. Rare for an island, it has a golf course and tennis courts, plus a full water-sports menu from waterskiing to SUP. An ocean-facing infinity pool, the Anantara Spa and an activity centre complete a resort that suits families and activity-lovers at a more accessible price within the archipelago's luxury set.