Guludo is situated in the north of the Quirimbas National Park, squeezed between the exquisite Quirimbas Archipelago, an eight-mile-long deserted, palm fringed white beach and the wild bush. With elephants coming right up to the beach, it’s possible to dive in some of the riches coral reefs in East Africa and see one of the largest sea mammals – the humpback whale – during the day and watch the largest land mammal in the evening.

Although Guludo is situated in an incredible and unique environment, it is the local staff that who give Guludo Beach Lodge its charm. Guludo has been designed by award-winning architects developing on local styles, constructed using local materials and built exclusively by local artisans. Guludo is a small and exclusive camp with 18 beds, excellent restaurant and PADI dive centre.

Guludo Beach Lodge is the first lodge of a new Fair Trade Tourism company dedicated to using tourism as a vehicle for sustainable development by setting up fair trade / eco resorts in areas of extreme poverty, maximizing all possible benefits to host communities and environments while providing an exceptional holiday experience and giving a growing percentage of both accommodation fees and company profits to local communities through a UK registered charity SERF (Social & Environmental Regeneration Fund).

ACCOMMODATION:
Accommodation consists of nine custom-designed, fully furnished makuti thatched “tents,” offering a maximum capacity of 18 guests. Each double tented-bedroom sits on a raised, marbled base under an expansive palm thatched roof with an open-air en-suite shower. With mosquito-net walls, the tented bedroom gives a feel of being outside but inside allowing spectacular panoramic sunrises over the Indian Ocean with a constant fresh sea breeze. Each “tent” shares an “enviro loo” with one other “tent.”

ACTIVITIES:
Diving. Guludo's calm, sandy bay is the perfect location to learn how to dive. Our highly experienced PADI dive instructors with take you step by step through a PADI Open Water course to certify you as a PADI diver. Once you're ready, take your first dive off a small deserted island in a coral garden, bursting with colour and life. For more experienced divers, around the Quirimbas Archipelago, dramatic underwater topography creates numerous challenging dive sites. These reefs, some of the richest coral reefs in East Africa, are regularly visited by huge game fish, turtles, humpbacks and other cetaceans. With vast diving diversity they offer a range of diving from sheltered tranquil coral gardens to huge drop-offs with strong currents.

Local fishing. Join a local fisherman as he goes out in his dugout canoe or dhow to collect his catch of the day. Experience how people in this area have been fishing for centuries.

Village tours. Take a walk around Guludo village with a local villager. Visit the tiny school, the black smith, the small kiosks, a typical home, the village water supply, the mosque and a family farm. Meet and play with the children and get a glimpse into life in Guludo. Get involved in the current SERF projects, including various community and conservation projects.

Island tours. Take a short boat ride over to Historic Ibo Island, once an important trading port for slaves and ivory. The eerie wide streets are flanked with grand, dilapidated Portuguese style villas. Guludo offers day trips by boat to this former centre of East African trade. Alternatively, visit Rolas Island – a stunning island with a beautiful sandy spit with great snorkelling and home to the legendary coconut crabs.

Elephant tracking. It is only really possible to get close to these shy animals once the sun has started to set and they head back inland to drink from the community water holes and feed in the villagers' family farms. Under the light of the moon, our experienced trackers will lead you on foot into the surrounding bush to follow the elephant tracks along their traditional routes.

COMMUNITY PROGRAMS:
The founders of Guludo Beach Lodge have also established the UK registered charity SERF to work in the Guludo region. SERF’s first major project is to build a primary school and community centre in Guludo village. The school is due to be started this year and will encompass a government primary school and adult learning centres for health, environmental conservation & agriculture and enterprise development.

There are also smaller projects due to start this year, including a football / AIDS education program and working with the park to combat the conflict between the people and elephants.

CONSERVATION:
During 2006, SERF has started collecting base-line data on coral reefs, elephants and humpback whales. Guests are able to assist in collecting this data.

Independently, Guludo is putting commercial pressure on local fishermen to use the more sustainable fishing methods and be selective about their catch.

RATES:
Guludo Beach Lodge’s 2007 prices include all taxes and meals:
Standard Rates:
$205 per person

Peak Rates: (16 Dec to 09 Jan):
$255 per person

5% of this rate goes directly to SERF (Social & Environmental Regeneration Fund) for community development and conservation projects in Guludo community and the Park.

Special Offers (2006):
·Peak rates charged at standard rates
·No single supplements
·20% discount for Mozambican residents

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