By Lane Florsheim | Photography by Malick Bodian for WSJ. Magazine | Styling by IB Kamara
NINA FLOHR was following her father, Thomas Flohr, through Kenya and Tanzania, cheering him on as he sped across thousands of miles in a Porsche 911. It was 2011, and Thomas -- who, in addition to founding the private jet charter company VistaJet, is an amateur racing driver -- was competing in the East African Safari Classic Rally.
When Thomas rounded part of the course in Kenya, he ran into mechanical difficulties and heavy rain and decided to drop out of the race. "We have a few days left," Flohr remembers him saying. "Where would you like to go?"
They chose Mozambique. Nina fell so in love with the country -- the pristine beaches that make up its coastline, the music and culture -- that she decided to set up shop there. She spent more than three years developing an ultra-luxury resort, at one point sleeping in safari camps throughout the property's 750 acres to get a feel for the land.
In 2021, Flohr opened Kisawa Sanctuary on the southern tip of the country's Benguerra Island. She also married Prince Philippos of Greece and Denmark that October in a royal wedding in Athens, and is officially a princess. Describing the jam-packed year, she references a John Lennon song: "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans!"
The African continent is famous for safaris and stunning terrestrial landscapes. Flohr saw an opportunity to showcase the eastern coast as another point of pride. "You have equal, incredible marine biodiversity, but very little in terms of international tourism that takes you there," she says.
Guests are treated to the ultimate luxury: feeling far, far away. At Kisawa, 14 airy thatched-roof bungalows make up eight residences, each with its own private beach and infinity pool. Interiors are designed with natural fibers and colors inspired by the region, making the rooms feel softer and more welcoming, according to Flohr, who slept in every single bed in the resort to make sure each was up to standard.
Days can be filled with activities like kitesurfing in a turquoise archipelago or whale-watching from a unique vantage point -- up above the Indian Ocean in a helicopter. Guests dine on curries and spicy peri-peri chicken at three on-site restaurants; there are also multiple pop-up dining options, including a pizza tuk-tuk that pays tribute to one of the capital Maputo's most popular restaurants. In the evening, they can venture to one of the island's dunes to sip sunset cocktails.
Flohr, 38, says her favorite adventure is sailing on a traditional Mozambican dhow, or fishing boat, to a remote island nearby, where a picnic awaits. "The community is largely still based on fishing," Flohr says. "Most of the people working at the resort were fishermen previously."
Guests also may drive through the property on colorful, electric Mini Mokes. Having served as VistaJet's creative director for a decade, Flohr says, "I spent 10 years thinking about how to optimize getting people from A to B, and then I woke up one day and said, 'Now I'd like to think about what they're going to do when they get to B.' "
In Kisawa's case, getting to point B will cost you. The all-inclusive nightly rate, which covers dining, a massage and some of the activities, starts at $6,500 for two guests in a one-bedroom residence. After flying to the local airport, guests reach the sanctuary by either helicopter or boat; either can be arranged by the hotel for
$722 a person.
Should you visit, make a request for Residence 2.
"Half of it looks into the jungle landscape, so it's all green. And then if you turn around the other way, you're looking out to the ocean," Flohr says. "It's the only one that gives you both."
Header video directed by Malick Bodian; models, Micklate Macobola at Elite London, Achol Ayor at Supreme Management, Inosse Julião Macie and Alexandre Zivane.
Write to Lane Florsheim at lane.florsheim@wsj.com
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December 09, 2025 12:02 ET (17:02 GMT)
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