Bayview Lodge

from TLE Business Magazine. Issue 1.

Norwich to Edinburgh in a Skoda Kodiaq VRS

BAYVIEW LODGE Beautiful Mozambican Bay views

A picturesque piece of land on the Barra Peninsula, Mozambique. Close enough to amenities to keep guests connected to the world while being only steps away from the beach, Bayview Lodge opened its doors in 2009 and has been a popular destination ever since.

Founded by John Bishop and Gunther Wilfinger, Bayview Lodge has a total of eighteen rooms and can accommodate up to thirty-nine guests at a time. Available are four one-bedroom units, three two-bedroom units and the Group House which consists of eight rooms. The overall design style can be described as ‘beachside simplicity’.

Interestingly, the furniture was manufactured on the premises and the soft furnishings, such as chair cushions, lamp shades etc., have been made by the local crafts people. This has given the benefit that each unit is individually furnished with its own unique flavour.

The thatched roofs keep the units cool during the day and all the bedrooms are air-conditioned making sleep easy in the sub-tropical climate that the region is known for.

INSPIRATIONAL DESIGN All the houses have been designed to face the beach and spaced apart to give each unit privacy. The houses also incorporate existing vegetation, particularly indigenous ilala palms which are slow growing. Care has been taken to protect the environment and this has encouraged birds as well as all kinds of small animal life to make their home here and are flourishing. At Bay View Lodge the aim is to work with nature, and therefore all garden refuse is composted while the bigger branches and palm leaves are used for dune stabilisation.

Bayview Lodge is a refuge, accessible by a single access road, away from traffic and crowds, surrounded by peace and quiet broken only by the sounds of ocean waves reaching up the endless sandy beach of the estuary behind the lodge. This is a place of natural beauty and serenity.

THE FOUNDERS As quintessentially African as the Lodge is, so are its founders. John is a building contractor who has been associated with Mozambique since the 1980’s and also built and operated Coral Island Lodge on Benguerra Island in 1992, which he sold a few years later. Gunther, an Austrian citizen, has travelled extensively through Africa in a Volkswagen Kombi in 1963/4. He is an electrical engineer and still running an electrical engineering company in South Africa.

What these gentlemen have in common is a love of Africa and a love of good hospitality. This is one of the many reasons why Bay View Lodge is a favoured destination for many safari tour providers such as Nomad Africa Adventure Tours. They elevate the African experience of anyone staying there.

THE EXPERIENCE The aim is to offer most of the amenities that a guest has at home combined with a beautiful setting. The decision was taken to not have television in the units, as they want families and friends talking to each other, playing games, enjoying the singular view from the patios and watching the stars at night with a drink in hand.

Free WIFI is available at the reception area and the onsite restaurant provides added luxury to folks

that do not want to self-cater. The restaurant, run by the aforementioned French husband and wife team is considered the Number 1 restaurant in Mozambique according to TripAdvisor - https:// www.tripadvisor.co.za/Restaurants-g293818- Mozambique.html

PARTNERSHIPS Since January 2015, Bay View Lodge Mozambique have worked with Nomad Africa Adventure Tours. Providing not only comfortable lodgings for tourists but the kind of hospitality that any country would be proud of.

‘These relationships are very important as they ensure guaranteed guests on a regular basis, forming the backbone of the lodge’s business.”

CUSTOMER SERVICE Building relationships is vital for the business. According to management, without relationships, a business is doomed to stagnate. Furthermore, building customer relationships requires knowing about a client’s needs and ‘likes-to-have’s’. Once these are known it is easier to satisfy expectations even if it means going out of your way to do so.

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND This is a mild malaria area. This means that for stays less of two weeks no malaria tablets are needed but precautions are advised. This includes wearing light cotton long sleeve blouses/shirts and pants when sitting outside in the evening and using insect repellent during the day and evenings. All beds have proper mosquito nets.

POST COVID 19 PRECAUTIONS All units and reception area are properly sanitized daily during and after stays and all staff wear

masks when on duty. With units being spacious and spaced well apart from each other there is no need for guests to wear masks while on the lodge premises. The restaurant is also properly sanitized daily and only accepts guests through bookings. Once things improves, they will start to accept walk-ins but until then safety is most important. Currently everybody needs to wear a mask when in public places such as towns, shops and markets.