Ibo island is a little paradise, old Portuguese colony, hidden in the mangrove of the archipelago and national park of the Quirimbas. It can be reached from the town of Pemba or from the Tanzanian border. Ibo is the main hub for discovering the Quirimbas and offer a wide range of activities including sailing trips (Baobibo has its own traditional dhow), diving, trekking (highlight being walking to island south of Ibo on low tide), historical tours, kayak, bicycle, etc... Baobibo is a small guesthouse, set in a large garden overlooking the entrance of the bay (and the best sunsets). It consists of: - 2 double bungalows (each with 1 queen size bed) - 1 family/friend bungalow (1 queensize bed & 3 single beds) - 1 double budget room (1 queensize bed) - 1 triple budget room (3 single beds) All bungalows/rooms have their own bathroom and a private outside space/veranda with sea or garden views. Our bungalows have complimentary coffee/tea with a kettle. Baobibo offers large breakfasts (included in room price), has a trust fridge with water, beer, coke and juice, and nibbles, and serves delicious lunches and dinners on request. Baobibo is ECO-labelled and we try to be as environmentally friendly as possible. Because the future availability of clear water on Ibo is a burning issue on ibo with the increasing tourism, we have opted for rain-water collection in a large underground tank. But it does not cover the dry season so we have to carry water from a central well manually. The showers are traditional (stylish basins) and our toilets flush manually. We do ask our guests to be careful with their water consumption (don’t let the tap run, don’t put soap into your water basins, don’t do laundry but hand it for central washing, etc..). Baobibo has decided to leave zero waste on Ibo so all the garbage is incinerated, and the remaining taken to Pemba. We do not sell nor allow aluminium-can drinks at Baobibo and recommend you take your own water bottle to get cheap refills at baobibo from our water-filters (especially for those who are used to drinking tap water around Africa 😉 ). Baobibo common spaces include a kitchen (available for self-catering when no meals are ordered) and a large covered outdoor lounge where meals are served and where you can relax on comfy benches, with games & book-exchange. The perfect place to watch the world go by, overlooking the bay and the gorgeous sunset. We sometimes have the visit from guests from other places for a breakfast or for a drink at sunset but our compound remains mainly private for guests. Baobibo is the only place on Ibo offering self-catering. If you intend to cook, we would however recommend you to some basics, veggies & fruits and dairy products with you as they are rare/not available on Ibo (tomatoes, cucumbers, cheese, jogurts, butter, apples, jams, cereals, snacks, etc...). You can do a quick shopping at Shoprite in Pemba (2km from airport) before you leave to Ibo. On ibo, you can find rice, oil, UHT milk, pasta, tomato paste, oignons, garlic, juice and great seafood (fish, octopus, calamari, crab and shrimps (seasonal)). There isnt any market for seafood so the easiest is to ask Ancha to order it for you or buy from our freezer :-) I have recently moved to Portugal and only come back to Mozambique a few weeks a year, working mainly from remote control the rest of the time 😊. So I while I will be personally answering your emails and assisting you in all questions prior to and during your trip (Whatsapp), you will be welcomed and pampered by Baobibo's national team. Ancha, my right arm, will be welcoming you and show you around. She will also make sure that either Albai or Benjamin are here, both part of the wider Baobibo staff. They will be available to assist you in organising your stay. In addition to helping out, they are also professional guides and I highly recommend them for any type of activities (kayaking, trek to Quirimba or on Ibo island, bicycle tour. They are also the official guides accompanying Baobibo’s 2 days dhow safaris, in addition to the boat crew. In addition to Ancha, there is a team of 4 taking turns in taking care of cooking/cleaning (Zura) and gardening/guarding (Mussa, Momade, Rambo). So there is a presence at Baobibo (24h/24h). They are all Portuguese speaking but are keen learners and with a bit of patience, hand-language and laughter, you can easily get what you want :-) We also work closely with 2 additional local guides, Salimo and Raul who do speak English and call be called on request. There is also plenty of documentation available in English (activities, restaurants, maps, contact list, tide tables, etc ) in the open space. Do take time to chat with Albai/Benjamin the day of your arrival to discuss the options as it is important to plan the activities in advance (nothing can be organised the same day) and most of them depends on tides & weather forecast (except for walking around town and historical visit). Please also keep in mind that the meals on Ibo must be booked at least half a day in advance. We do HIGHLY recommend you try local food (@Benjamin and @Nassir) and Ancha’s cooking at Baobibo. Ancha can help you book any option. Ibo is an old Portuguese colony, and one of the 12 islands included in the National Park of the Quirimbas (more recently recognised as UNESCO biosphere), 120 km north of Pemba, its closest town and international airport (POL). It can also be reached from the Tanzanian border. It is the main hub for discovering the Quirimbas and offer a wide range of activities including sailing trips (Baobibo has its own traditional dhow), diving, trekking (highlight being walking to island south of Ibo on low tide), historical tours, kayak, bicycle, etc... Ibo is a PARADISE for those who look for an active holidays in a beautiful authentic setting. It is a peaceful little island, not recommended for those looking to partying extensively. Our guests are normally nature lovers, interested in discovering the quirimbas (most activities involve an early departure) or just to sit down and let the world goes by and read books. Ibo is NOT a white-sand beach and coconut island, but we have an incredible sandbank and 2 paradise islands close by (between 1/2 hour to 2 hours by boat). The place in front of Baobibo is the only place to swim on high tide. It is very calm (facing the continent), and is surrounded by mangrove, making it a unique swimming-pool (less than 1.5 meters deep) of clear and warm water. Check on tide schedule when you arrive to find out the best times to swim. In-between spring-tides, the water never quite is enough for a good swim (but perfect for kids) but the water is higher at the jetty, where most kids go swim. Kindly check Baobibo website for more information on how to get there and dont hesitate to contact me by email. Because Ibo can only be reached on high tide, you must count a whole day to reach Ibo from Pemba and another to go back to Pemba. Due to the time and efforts it takes to reach our little paradise and to the many activities/sightseeing available, we do recommend stays of than 4 nights (3 full days). It is an incredible out-of-time experience and you will feel very frustrated if you only have two days to spend on Ibo after such a long trip. It is always hard to leave and most of our guests enjoy 5-7 nights. Once you are on Ibo, everything becomes very easy :-) -. All restaurants and hotels are within 15-minutes walk, and for those who cannot walk or to shorten a long trek, small red tricycles can be rented (i.e. from/to airport). We recommend the one from Abibo, which can be arranged through our staff. Most activities need to be done with a guide (highly recommended to avoid being stranded or never make it to the actual site). Benjamin (Quirimba trek, Kayak, walks on Ibo), Albai (Quirimba trek, bicycle tour, kayak, walks on Ibo), Salimo (Quirimba trek, walks on Ibo) and Raul (Historical and bicycle tours, walks on Ibo), are the only four guides recommended by Baobibo. A lot of teenagers around will offer you their services but the experience will be extremely different (last minute cancellation or late arrival, shorter days, not shown highlights, boat with no security, etc...). Baobibo has its own traditional boat (dhow) and organise 1-day or 2-day sailing trip to the dolphins, the sandbank, to our own camp in Matemo island (overnight) and up to the incredible island or Rolas. For more information kindly check Baobibo website and contact me by email should you want to make a reservation (cancelled in case the weather is not good). Baobibo also has 2 bikes and 3 kayaks for rent. Please check with Ancha or Bina. We do recommend a few routes and Benjamin/Albai would be happy to guide you. On Ibo, the visitors and the local population of 5’-6’000 all share about 2 square kilometres. The population is friendly and it is very easy to interact with a few words, a few smiles, etc…. There are more and more community tourism available through a local NGO such as learning how to cook, how to apply the traditional mask, etc.. and more and more cultural happenings. There must be about 10 cars/tractors on the island, and most tourists walk, bicycle, or rent the little red tricycle to move around. All hotels/restaurants are within walking distance from each other (max. 15 minutes). Ibo has not experienced any security problems and it is quite safe to walk the streets both day and during the night, which makes it the perfect destination for families or single travellers. Kindly note that Ibo’s community is Muslim. While the population is quite tolerant and welcomes tourism, it is important to be respectful of their dressing code whilst in public to avoid offending the more conservative (longer shorts/t-shirt, also valid for men). Avoid walking in swimsuits anywhere, including on the jetty and the sea-walk (only ok on the beach).