Mozambique and the string of small islands dotted around it including Bazaruto and Benguerra are about as postcard-perfect a holiday destination as you can get. Think crystal blue waters, wide white sand beaches and swaying coconut palms. This string of small islands forms a Marine National Park, its coral reefs are teeming with tropical fish, making these islands a huge magnet for scuba divers and snorkellers.

Excellent hotels, restaurants, and a nightlife which thump with a heady Latino beat are the highlights of Maputo, once reckoned among the most fashionable in Africa. Its Portuguese colonial past adds to the unique Euro-Afro vibe.