Anantara Bazaruto Island Resort

I want to start by saying I don't write reviews lightly, and I've stayed at genuinely excellent resorts across Africa and beyond. This review is not that. Anantara Bazaruto Island Resort was, without exaggeration, one of the most disappointing luxury travel experiences I've had, and I feel a responsibility to warn other travellers before they spend the money we did. The photos are not the property. Whatever marketing team is running the Trip Advisor listing and the resort website has done an extraordinary job of photographing around the reality of this place. What greets you on arrival bears little resemblance to those images. Large parts of the property looked and felt like an active construction site, not a working luxury resort. Pathways, common areas, and facilities were unfinished, under repair, or simply left to decay. This isn't a case of "the odd building undergoing renovation", it set the tone for the entire stay. Grounds that should be lush were overgrown and neglected. For a resort trading on its tropical island setting, the landscaping and upkeep were shockingly poor. Rather than manicured tropical gardens, we found overgrown, unmaintained vegetation throughout, the kind of thing that suggests a maintenance budget that simply isn't being spent. Facilities: a fraction of what's advertised, working. Of the pools promoted as part of the resort experience, only one was actually usable during our stay. We ended up abandoning our activity plans entirely and camping out at that single pool for the bulk of the trip, because everything else on offer was so poorly executed it wasn't worth pursuing. Paid activities were, frankly, dangerous-feeling in their neglect. This is the part that concerns me most. The water sports and excursion equipment we paid extra for was old, worn, and in some cases visibly broken. This isn't a five-star inclusion, it's a liability. Guests paying premium resort rates should not be handed equipment that looks like it was retired years ago. Service did not match the price point. Across the stay, service fell well short of what you'd expect at this tier, slow, inattentive, and lacking any of the polish a resort in this price bracket should deliver as standard. The bottom line: This resort is being marketed and priced as a premium tropical escape. What you actually get is closer to a rundown, under-maintained property coasting on old photography and a good location. If you're considering Bazaruto Island, I'd strongly encourage you to look elsewhere, or at minimum go in with your expectations reset entirely, and don't take the website or Trip Advisor gallery at face value.

What a unique experience! From the moment the helicopter departs Vilanculos airport the world is transformed into breathtaking vistas of blue ocean, shallow sandbanks and tropical island paradises. From the helicopter alone we saw dugongs, dolphins, turtles and rays. The hotel itself is comfortable and ideally located. The gardens are lush and full of birds. The staff are wonderful, very obliging and incredibly friendly. Food is abundant and seafood is exceptional. The rooms are a bit tired but everything works and the views are gorgeous. But what really makes this is getting out and about the island. Visiting the village, seeing the crocodiles and many unique birds including the Mozambique bee-eater was a highlight. But that was exceeded by the endless and massive dunes on which we hiked and sand-boarded. The reefs are pristine and the life on them amazing. We saw a single dugong from the boat and dolphins swam with the boat for many minutes. A day on the reef was topped off by an incredible beach BBQ. If you want super luxury and brand new, this is not for you. But if you want immersion into land and landscape with adequate comfort and a wonderful staff; this resort delivers.

Lovely chilled vibe. Almost everything was excellent. Only negative might be the variety of wine choice. Also only certain cocktails were included in the All inclusive package but there was plenty of choice . A wonderful staff and special mentions to Orlando, Tom, Aventina at front of house and Henrique, Ricardo, Julie, Monica and Manelda in the restaurant. Many other lovely staff too numerous to mention

Let me start by expressing my gratitude for the staff. They were all exceptionally great, friendly and accommodating. From the moment we arrived, we felt cared for. That said, the resort, while nice, does not feature the amenities of a five star property. It could use a substantial refresh to warrant a five star status. This has nothing to do with the staff, and more to do with the Minor Hotel chain of properties.

Stayed here June 2026. While the staff was friendly and food good, the property is very run down and is in desperate need of extreme updating. It definitely feels like they are hurting financially, and confused by the number of 5 star reviews. Hard to admit that we felt ripped off for the high price paid for our stay, and it’s not unreasonable to say we expected a better experience. Many of their room furnishings and furniture are broken and need replacing, decking boards are broken and warped with screws and nails sticking up (don’t walk barefoot!). And very weirdly there are only a limited number of drinks that are included in the cost, many drinks (such as a margarita for example) are available at a premium price. Only 2 different beers, 2 red wines, and 2 white wines are available to guests, which is unacceptable for a “all inclusive resort”. For the high cost to stay here, would strongly suggest giving this less than 5 star property (closer to 2) some serious thought before paying the premium price to stay here. Reluctantly giving it 3 stars, just because of the location, staff, and food. Buyer beware!