Readers of Travel Weekly's Luxury Africa supplement, due in May, were to be treated to a profile of Mozambique as a beach add-on to a safari.
But no sooner had I finalised the arrangements for the research trip than Cyclone Favio ripped along the country's southern coast, causing huge damage to the Bazaruto archipelago and Vilunculos, entry point to the islands.
Within a few of hours this email arrived from Benguerra Lodge: "Due to the effects of Tropical Cyclone Favio, which hit the Bazaruto Archipelago on Thursday 22nd February at 11am, we are closing the Lodge for the month of March.
"We are very grateful that nobody has been hurt - and we will be assisting the community in the re-building effort."
Neighbouring Indigo Bay (Rani Resorts, pictured right) had just completed a huge and costly refurbishment - and they have been forced to close for three months.
"At least the hotel has insurance," a spokesperson told me. "What about the poor people who live in the islands?"
Mozambique was already recovering from last month's floods and those eight years before them.
Tour operators I have spoken to rave about Mozambique, and many were expanding their presence in the country. South African Airways sister airline SA Airlink launches a direct flight from Johannesburg to Pemba next month. Editorial about the country's stunning luxury tourism product could only have helped its recovery.
So sadly you won't be reading about Mozambique in May's Luxury Africa supplement. But watch this space.
Emily Bamber, supplements editor
shame on you, Travel Weekly. You are supposed to publish facts, not conjecture.
I visited Mozambique and there is no damage whatsoever to any of the resorts you have managed, due to flood or cyclone.
Therefore, you should run your Mozambique special and give the country the publicity it deserves.
Thanks for your comments, anon.
Everything Emily says regarding the closure of the two resorts came from the resorts themselves, and the general damage done by the storm was documented by the BBC in pictures and news reports (see link in post) - so to describe any of this as 'conjecture' seems unfair.
Were you visiting in the immediate aftermath, or more recently?