Tips on Namibia

F.A.Q'S

MOZAMBIQUE

Currency & Money:
Currency = Metica
Mozambique has a very weak currency so you'll find yourself paying thousands of meticas for a cooldrink. Generally people drop the thousands, so if you are asked to pay "250", it means "250 000". The money is old and dirty and rather smelly!
Cash is king in Mozambique and you can change money just about everywhere. Many people or establishments will take US dollars or Rand. We were changing money at an average rate of 3 250 Meticas to the Rand in June 2005. Shop around for the best rate.

Visas:
South Africans no longer require visas, but many other nationalities do, so check up first. On arrival you will be given a 30 day permit to visit Mozambique which is extendable in theory, but we never found a way to do it.

Language:
Portuguese and local languages are spoken by everyone. English is spoken by most people in the tourism industry, but not by everyone. Some customs and immigration officials speak little to no English, which makes entering and departing the country.... interesting?

Climate:
The weather is generally temperate. The coast offers warm to hot weather year-round. With global warming messing up the weather patterns, you can get rain at any time, but Mozambique is predominantly a summer rainfall area.

Accommodation:
Backpackers and campers are reasonably well catered for, although there is sometimes not much choice. A number of up-market hotels and lodges can be found in the cities and at tourist spots.

Tourism Information and bookings:
There are many tour operators based in South Africa who specialise in Mozambique, such as...
Mozambique Tours - www.mozambiquetravel.co.za
Mozambique Connection - www.mozcon.com
Mozaic Travel - www.mozaictravel.com

Things to consider:
Road Usage Permit: Vehicles with a mass in excess of 3 500kgs have to pay a road toll. The entire system is corrupt, but without the necessary piece of paper you will not get out of the country; rather pay the toll than a bribe as you will get caught at the border. ONLY pay the toll if your vehicle registration papers state your mass exceeds 3 500kg.

Road Blocks: There are many, many road blocks. There is a standard fine of 1 million meticas for most offences. They will check road worthiness, lights, indicators, carrying of triangles, spare tyres etc. They are generally entirely corrupt and will ask for a lower amount, without a receipt, as an option.

Price of Fuel: Fuel is more expensive than in South Africa or Malawi. There are also availability problems - particularly for unleaded petrol. Fill up whenever you can at a fuel station. Fuel is often tampered with by the addition of paraffin etc. so be careful!

Road conditions: The main roads from Maputo to Beira are all under construction. Some parts have already been completed, but there are long stretches of roadworks and detours. There are also long stretches of horrendous roads with large potholes. In particular, the section between Maxixe and Vilancoulos is particularly bad.

Visas: Make sure your passport is stamped at your point of entry and the visa you are issued is for more time than you intend staying in the country. If you have a breakdown you don't need your visa expiring to add to your problems. You also need a "visa" for your vehicle; make sure it is also for the required time period.

Third-party: You are required to either buy Third-party insurance at your point of entry. This is also your vehicle "visa", which is valid for a certain period of time only. Be sure that the time period is sufficient for your visit.

Places we stayed:

Place Comments Cost

Palmeiras Complexmo,
Bilene Bilene used to be very popular destination for holiday makers, but today it has an air of neglect. The campsite is situated on a lagoon and the purchase of prawns and fish is easy and relatively inexpensive. The sites are behind the primary dune, under large trees and on a white sandy beach. There is electricity and hot showers in reasonably clean ablutions. US$5.00 per person per night

Guinjata Bay Resort,
Guinjata Bay Situated on the top of the primary dunes, the views of the sea are spectacular from Guinjata Bay Resort. The campsites include "barracas", which are slabs covered with a grass roof. Each is private and has an electricity point. In quiet periods they will sometimes offer a "casa" at reduced rates. The staff and management were friendly and helpful and the dive centre is very professional.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Website: www.guinjata.com US$7.50 per person per night

Barra Lodge,
south of Inhambane There are two camping options only along the Barra coast; 4x4 Lighthouse Campsite and White Sands. As we stayed at Barra Lodge the last time we visited Mozambique we returned there for sentimental reasons. As they do not offer camping we booked into the bunkhouse and then stayed in our vehicle. The Saturday and Wednesday Beach Buffet with local entertainment is fun.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Website: www.barralodge.co.za US$10.00 per person per night in the bunkhouse

Pomene Lodge,
Pomene Pomene is a stretch of paradise. With the ocean on one side and a flamingo-filled estuary on the other, Pomene is a beautiful place to visit. The fishing and the diving are good (when the conditions are favourable that is!) There are clean ablutions and hot showers, and many of the sites have electricity. The only downside of Pomene is the road to get there; it can take up to three hours to do the 63kms depending on the conditions and is hard on trailers. It's worth the ride once you get there!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Website: www.pomene.co.za US$12.00 per person per night

Camp Msika,
Between Chimoio and the Zimbabwe border This campsite has so much potential but there is probably too little trade for it to ever develop. The setting is beautiful and the restaurant offers good food at very reasonable prices. The campsite is just a stretch of ground with little shade and very basic bathrooms. Be sure to stoke the donkey if you want hot water. US$1.00 per person per night

Jesus de Bom,
Tete This is the best place to stay in Tete for quiet and privacy. The campsite is owned by a local church and is set in a residential area on the banks of the Zambezi River. The toilets and showers are very basic, but they are clean. The manager is friendly and will do all he can to assist you with whatever you need. Be sure to lock everything away at night and use lots of "anti-bug" repellant. US$3.00 per person per night

Mozambique is an amazing place with so much potential. The people are friendly and helpful, although you may find communication a challenge. The people are generally very poor, with the poorest seemingly in the north of the country. We enjoyed our time in Mozambique and will definitely return there in the future.

Go to Home Page

Contact Us

Important Note:
No attachments on emails please!