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 | | | THE GUARDIAN - Chilled out at Thirtysomething degrees | |
| | | | Nick Maes succumbs to the lust for laziness on a group of islands where time grinds to a tropical halt ....
...I break Ibo's spell by cadging a lift on a fishing boat going to the mainland. The dhow creaks gently as it cuts through a sleepy sea freshly splashed out of a six-year-old's paintbox. It took two and a half sun-drenched hours to reach my destination. Guludo Base Camp is charming, a resort that's kicking the norm: it's eco and ethical and bang-on. Wedged between the endless bush and sea, it seems to be on the edge of the world. Large tents are simply furnished with a bed, clothes stand, desk and laundry basket - you need nothing more. My shower is behind a curved bamboo screen; an alfresco spout that gushes from an old can into a marble heart-shaped drain.
Guludo village is about a mile away - and is central to the success of the Base Camp. Home to 1,500 people, it's an archetypal African community, spotlessly clean and blindingly optimistic. A lizard a yard long nonchalantly marched out of theundergrowth and slid into the village waterhole. None of the women or children washing took any notice of the visitor.
The beach in front of Guludo Base Camp is 12km long, made of pure white coral sand and utterly deserted apart from me and one or two fishermen. Life here is ineffably lazy; nothing happens quickly. Food might be served when you eventually remember you're hungry; a drink will arrive with a story; and a smile is absolutely guaranteed. Who could want for more? It is impossible to get any more chilled, nor any more wound down. Time grinds to a wonderful, tropical halt...
By Nick Maes
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THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW - Paradise Found > 07/2005
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THE TIMES - Travel Awards > 11/11/2006
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