From Egypt to Mozambique: Mokambo’s Pan-African Narrative ⭐️
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Design Mastery) | Pan-African Luxury Resort | L$2500–4000/night | ✅ HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
QUICK FACTS
Price: L$2000–L$4000/night depending on accommodation
Adult-rated: Yes
Bookings: asharhia.com/book-a-room
Best For: Visitors seeking detailed decor, RP dining, or cultural themes
Key Features: Multiple villas, two restaurants, pools, decorative statues, large-scale landscaping
Designer: AshaRhia (asharhia.com)
OVERVIEW
Mokambo was one of the last major builds created by designer AshaRhia before her recent break from Second Life. We reviewed the original version early this year, when the venue was built primarily around a club with a few rentals and public areas.
Since then, AshaRhia came back to rebuild the entire destination, with the club being the main structure that remains unchanged.
The new Mokambo is significantly larger and now spans multiple connected regions.
Each zone draws inspiration from different parts of Africa, including Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, and Mozambique.
The layout doesn’t follow a hotel-style format but instead feels more like a curated open-world experience. Visitors can expect a wide mix of cultural references, decorative landmarks, and immersive spaces that evolve as they explore.
The design references both ancient and modern elements from across the African continent.
Large statues, ornamental walls, and sculptural forms are present throughout, serving as strong visual markers. Decorative motifs include hieroglyphs, patterned tiles, and carved textures. Elephant and Anubis figures feature prominently in several zones.
The lighting and colour schemes vary from area to area, helping to give each region its own identity. The build leans more toward stylised interpretation than realism, but there’s a clear sense of visual consistency. The attention to detail is noticeable, with lighting, materials, and landscaping all thoughtfully arranged.
While the build is rich in visuals, it avoids being overly cluttered, spaces are dramatic in tone but measured in execution.
TWO RESTAURANTS, TWO EXPERIENCES
Mokambo offers two restaurant venues, each suited to different visitor styles:
The Smaller Restaurant
We visited this space with friends for an RP dinner and found it to be a well-managed experience. There were no menus; instead, the host (Jamiean) guided us through the meal in conversation. The setting is low-lit and informal, which creates a relaxed and personable atmosphere. This venue feels ideal for couples or small groups.The Grand Restaurant
Architecturally, this is one of Mokambo’s most striking features. The approach includes a lotus-lined walkway and green-and-gold accents. Inside, decorative walls and columns create a large space designed to impress. While it feels more formal and less intimate, it would work well for events, photography, or larger gatherings.
ECHOES OF BADU EGYPT
Visitors familiar with AshaRhia’s past work may notice some returning design elements. Several key features, such as the Egyptian-style pool and the hippodrome, originally appeared in her earlier build, Badu Egypt, which to me was possibly her best work from her previous projects. These have been updated and repositioned as part of Mokambo’s expanded layout.
Where they once served as central features in a tightly themed resort, they now contribute to a broader aesthetic mix. Rather than being copied directly, they have been adapted to suit a more varied environment. The result is a sense of continuity between past and present projects.
VILLAS & INTERIORS
The available rentals cover a range of styles and sizes. These include:
The Pharaoh House includes two separate suites and an indoor pool.
The Tunisia Villa features whitewashed walls and soft blue tones, with a layout reminiscent of a Mediterranean holiday home.
The Mozambique Villa uses tropical planting, a king-sized bed, and African artwork to create a relaxed coastal vibe.
Decor across the rentals is consistent. Lighting is warm, and furnishings include a mix of modular and sculptural pieces. Twelve, a brand also used in Lume Morocco (another resort we highly recommend), features prominently, and there's even an in-world shop for it on-site. Some villas include extras like saunas or hot tubs.
Rental signs suggest that while bookings can be made via the Mokambo website or by contacting the manager directly, many of the villas also have rental boxes onsite, so it’s possible to arrive and book without prior contact.
THE TUNISIA SECTION: MEDITERRANEAN VIBES
One area of the resort is themed around Tunisia, but the styling leans more toward a general Mediterranean beach aesthetic. The architecture includes blue-and-white buildings and open courtyards, reminiscent of places like Santorini or parts of coastal Morocco. In fact, the inspiration was the Tunisian beach town of Sidi Bou Said.
While this section is attractive and well-landscaped, it feels slightly different in tone from the rest of Mokambo, less immersive and more resort-style.
We also noticed a large hotel-style building in the North African-themed areas. It’s quite a prominent structure, but when camming inside, it appears that only the ground floor is furnished and accessible. The upper floors are decorative façades. Perhaps this is a separate project that will be further developed in future.
(Update - Asha told me that there is a penthouse at the top, so indeed only the ground and top floors are active)
CONCLUSION
Mokambo is less a hotel in the traditional sense and more of a curated destination. It blends multiple stylistic references into a single landscape, borrowing elements from previous builds while introducing new ideas.
Parts of it still look to be work in progress, but even so, the scale, coherence, and decorative quality make it highly recommended. The level of RP on offer is good, yet this is also a resort you can explore on your own.
In summary, then, the scale and thematic coherence make this a rewarding visit. For those who value thoughtful decor, subtle storytelling, and cultural references, this destination stands out.
