At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, with travel restrictions in place worldwide, The New York Times launched a new series — The World Through a Lens — in which photojournalists help to transport readers, virtually, to some of our planet’s most compelling places. This week, Claire Thomas, British photographer and photojournalist, shared a collection of images from Mozambique.

Mandy Retzlaff and her husband, Pat Retzlaff, are the Founders of Mozambique Horse Safari, a family-run horseback safari company that took Thomas on a horseback outing to Mozambique’s Bazaruto Archipelago.

“Riding side by side atop spirited and exceptionally well-trained horses, we thundered over the white sand, pausing to give the horses a break before cantering up the steep red dune. From the top of the dune, a palette of bright blue hues stretched over the peeping sandbars toward the five islands of the Bazaruto Archipelago,” Thomas wrote of the experience. “Traditional dhow boats dotted the seascape. We watched as fishermen pulled in their nets and local women carried their catch ashore.”

Mozambique Horse Safari offers spectacular horseback riding adventures, attracting tourists and travellers who are eager to explore one of the world’s most beautiful coastal regions.