On the southern tip of the long Mozambican coastline you'll find pristine beaches, mouth-watering seafood, friendly locals and utter tranquillity.
Accommodation is mainly camping, but there are also a few small lodges, log cabins and self-catering chalets.
Because long weekends call for something special, crossing the Kosi Bay border post into Mozambique at the end of April seemed like a brilliant idea.
And, as it was my friend Candice's birthday, a chalet in Ponta Malongane was booked and passports were dug out and dusted off.
After lengthy discussions, numerous phone calls and crazy suggestions of hiding me under a blanket while crossing the border, I finally found a solution to my visa dilemma. The only holder of a non-South African passport I refused to pay the R600 fee the Mozambican consulate wanted to charge me and was delighted to discover that I could get a visa at the border for only R170.
Eager and raring to go, we left before the crack of dawn on Friday and squeezed surfboards, fishing rods, diving equipment and 10 people into a Land Rover and a Navara.
Snacking on blueberry and banana muffins, we drove past magnificent Lake Jozini and the beautiful, ever-changing shades of the craggy Lubombo Mountains.
The formalities at the border took only a few minutes and, after feeding our leftover muffins to skinny stray dogs and marvelling at the huge contrasts from one side of the border to the other, we set off into unknown territory - excited at the prospect of exploring something new.
I was a bit perturbed by the lack of wildlife. I saw only a few birds flutter past as we drove through an open savanna with tall grass swaying in the wind. Eventually, we reached a swampy lake, where an eerie silence enveloped us as we got out of the car and the engine died.
It looked like the perfect sanctuary for hippos and crocs, but I couldn't see any tell-tale bubbles or mysterious shapes lurking beneath the surface.
We were told the locals had killed anything that could crawl, fly or swim for food. Even though it's understandable, as they are desperately poor and need to feed their families, it's incredibly sad.
The Land Rover was a few minutes ahead of the Navara, and as we followed quaint hand-painted wooden signs towards Ponta Malongane, we smiled at children shouting for sweets or catching a free ride, hanging on for dear life at the back of the car.
Reaching a big gate with a sign saying Parque de Malongane, we assumed this had to be our destination. But we were not allowed to enter without a booking form and so parked under a shady tree to wait for the rest of our group - cracking open a few cold ones to kick off our holiday.
An hour later, bitten to pieces by relentless mosquitoes, we figured the other guys had to be lost and set out to look for them.
Asking everyone we passed if they had seen a silver Navara, we started to worry when we received only negative replies. So we headed back to Parque de Malongane to speak to an official who could let us in.
We soon realised that we were the ones who were lost. The official said the park had no private chalets, but there were some further on.
We found the "missing" silver Navara five minutes later - on its way to look for us.
Ryan's Beach House in Ponta Malongane was everything we dreamed about - one of a few privately owned cottages recently built in Ponta's indigenous coastal forest, with a huge sundeck overlooking pristine beaches as far as we could see.
Charming locals Moses and Thuli were part of the package, promising to look after us throughout our stay.
The beach was right on our doorstep, and a spectacular sight in the warm glow of the late afternoon sun. The boys brought out their toys, while the girls sipped cocktails and made friends with a stray dog we nicknamed Tripod.
The chalet owners said Tripod's left front paw had been caught in a snare when he was a puppy - which explained his unfortunate appearance. But he seems to enjoy greeting every visitor to his beach paradise.
We spent the next few days lazing on the beach, snorkelling in the beautifully clean water and being entertained by playful dolphins surfing the waves like pros. At night we sat outside under the starry sky, braaiing minty lamb chops and deliciously sweet mealies.
Unfortunately, not a single fish was caught all weekend. So we bought fresh tiger prawns from a local shack and sizzled them on the braai with garlic, chilli, lemon and butter- washed down with 2Ms, refreshingly tasty Mozambican beer.
The diverse coastal savanna of southern Mozambique is beautiful.
Long stretches of unspoilt white beaches, with lush coastal bush and sparkling blue sea, add to the magic.
Recent floods and 30 years of civil war have left the area with only the most basic infrastructure, but in Ponta Do Ouro, only 15km from the South African border and just down the road from Ponta Malongane, diving possibilities are endless.
October to March is the best time for whaleshark sightings, and sharks, dolphins, manta rays and huge bass are also seen regularly.
The coral reefs range from 10m to 30m deep, with visibility on average about 40m.
The reefs are dotted with caves and gullies with an unexpected variety of colour and life - a paradise for enthusiastic divers.
According to the website www.mozambiquehappenings.co.za, the biggest tagging programme for whalesharks operates from the Ponta Do Ouro area, and they have the most sightings worldwide.
But to us this holiday was all about recharging our batteries, so we didn't take advantage of any of the organised diving or fishing tours, but stayed close to our beach chalet and did as little as possible - apart from eating, drinking, tanning and swimming.
Monday morning arrived too soon and it was time to pack up and make room for the next group of holidaymakers.