Living La Vilanculos

Living La Vilanculos

It’s rather chilly and still dark in Cape Town as I head to the airport. The cold makes it difficult to imagine that, in just a matter of hours, I’ll be whipping out my SPF50 and swapping my jeans for shorts at Azura Benguerra Island in Mozambique, where the Marie Claire team will be producing three fashion editorials over three days.

The sun is up by the time we’ve changed planes in Johannesburg and Nelspruit, and soon we’re presented with the most incredible view of the unspoiled white sand and clear, blue waters of the Mozambique coast.

An Azura representative drives us from the airport through the coastal town of Vilanculos to the beach. Most of us are in long pants from the flight, but are more than happy to get them wet as we wade through knee-deep water and clamber into the boat that will take us to our final destination.

Benguerra is the second-largest island in the Bazaruto Archipelago. It’s 25 minutes off the coast of Vilanculos (provided you don’t stop for dolphin spotting), so the WhatsApp group we’ve been using to co-ordinate details for the shoot is aptly named ‘Living la Vilanculos’.

I’m in complete awe as we arrive – the pictures I’ve seen don’t do this island justice. We hop off the boat and receive palm-leaf leis and a warm welcome from the staff, including Faizel, who seems to know all of our names even before we introduce ourselves. We’re led out of the scorching sun and into a bar cooled by the ocean breeze. While sipping on Azura’s signature iced tea we are introduced to Raul and Pedro, our designated hosts.

Since we have only three days to complete three shoots, we get right down to it. Faizel talks us through a list of possible locations then, while the rest of the crew settles in, a few of us go on a recce before sunset.