Overland in Mozambique. A country bordering 5 neighbouring countries of South Africa to Tanzania. With a coastline of about 2500 kilometers on the Indian Ocean. Many lagoons and archipelagos with white beaches make the coastline an interesting tourist destination. We want to use the possibilities that the coast offers but also certainly the deeper inland to get to know the population and their customs. As you are used to from us, you start by watching the video.
Mozambique was colonized by the Portuguese in the 16th century. It was an important country for ivory, gold and later also slaves. Much later, in 1964, the struggle for independence began. In 1975, the original population won and Mozambique became an independent country.
Recently, in October 2024, elections took place, not without a fight. A number of demonstrators were killed. The opposition distrusts the outcome.
Furthermore, rebels are active in the northern part of Mozambique and it is not entirely safe there. In addition, the country has to deal with widespread poverty and corruption.
Most people speak Portuguese and the currency is Metical. 100 metical = €1,50
The border crossing
At the Ressano Garcia border crossing we notice the enormous line of trucks. Mostly ore trucks on their way to Mozambique. But apparently they can't get in. At the border itself everything is friendly and easy-going. We quickly get all the necessary papers and stamps. But then at the last checkpoint a customs officer tells us that we can't get through before 16.00:XNUMX. The road to the capital Maputo is said to be barricaded.
We can best go back to South Africa and wait until 16.00:XNUMX. In the meantime we find out that the closed roads are still related to the election results of October. The opposition disputes the election results and here and there some unrest is the result.
We stamp in again in South Africa and spend the time on the South African side of the border in a cafe with air conditioning (45 degrees outside). At 16.00:XNUMX we make a second attempt.
We stamp out again at the South African customs. And at 17.00:XNUMX we can enter Mozambique together with a row of taxis and vans. The otherwise peaceful road closure is a regularly recurring protest action by demonstrators. We only encounter a few whistling, flag-carrying youths and some smoldering fires.
Maput
In a suburb of Maputo we spend the night in a B&B. After all that heat in the Kruger Park we look forward to a night's sleep in air conditioning. The extremely friendly owner of the B&B, Henrique, tells us enthusiastically all about Mozambique. About interesting places but also about the political situation and the roadblocks that are currently going on.
In the evening we walk to a restaurant and see that poor houses and larger, modern houses are together in one neighborhood. The roads are sandy and dusty. The little asphalt we see is torn up. The people on the street hardly notice us and it strikes us that after 48 hours we have not seen a single white person.
The next morning we leave, after Henrique has checked if the route we want to take is safe and without roadblocks. He proposes us another route because a part is closed by protesters.
We also take a look at the enormous bridge (longest suspension bridge in Africa) that connects Maputo with the district of Katembe. The 3-kilometer long bridge was opened in 2018 and was built and financed by the Chinese.
Then we leave the city via the N1, a busy road where you can feast your eyes. Left and right vendors, market stalls, a lot of people and traffic. One chaotic mess that reminds us of West African cities.
To the coast
The N1 is also the main traffic artery to the north. We will use this road more often. But now we take several exits to the east, a wide coastal strip. The dirt roads are challenging here, often only to be conquered by 4x4. The landscape here is beautiful, untouched and sometimes very remote. We pass a lot of sugar cane, groves, lagoons and villages. Along the coastline of the Indian Ocean we see a wide dune area.
The beaches are white, endless and completely deserted. The water is crystal clear. Yet here and there you will find a resort where often there are also a few camping spots. It is a popular holiday area for white South Africans.
wild camping
Wild camping is -if possible- our preference. But in South Africa we didn't do it enough. Here we try to pick it up again. For example, we find an exceptionally beautiful spot at a lagoon. There is a stream with crystal clear water, which meanders through the reeds and then ends in the lagoon. The camper fits exactly on the edge of it. In fact, we dive straight from the camper into the stream.
The water is wonderfully warm and later four boys appear who show us the way through the reeds. As a reward we give them a biscuit and a can of coke and we have four new friends.
A little later a car with a South African stops. After a short conversation he invites us to his swimming pool at his holiday home a little further. Together with his family we drink a beer in the pool. What luck we have had again.
Further along the east coast
The east coast is known for its fantastic blue, crystal clear water and endless white and often deserted beaches. Here and there you see a resort and sometimes even a village largely built on tourism. Often run by white South Africans with the local residents as employees. South Africans are actually the largest target group. They have no less than 4 weeks of vacation around Christmas and New Year. And they often spend it on the Mozambican coast. But not this year. The unrest following the election results is still palpable here. People are waiting for December 23, the date on which the election results will be officially announced.
South Africans are not reassured and so we find a coast with here and there large luxury resorts/diving schools/street vendors and other shops where literally no one is to be seen. It reminds us of the COVID period. A sad sight! That's how we arrived at Praia da Barra, a tourist resort where it should be bustling now...not a single holidaymaker to be seen.
Cor is even lucky enough to be the only diver at a diving school twice.
Diving and snorkeling
Cor dives and Grietje snorkels. And that is no punishment here along the coasts of the Indian Ocean. The water is nice and warm and usually crystal clear. As a diver you see just a little bit more because you go deeper but can also get closer to all the beauty.
We dive and snorkel at two locations near Tofo and Zavora. It is very quiet at both diving schools. We can dive the next day. We go out to sea from the beach. The boat is pushed out to sea from a trailer with a tractor. Most (coral) reefs are a few kilometers out to sea.
So a bit of a boat ride. But it's worth it, when diving Cor sees large schools of fish with the most beautiful colors and shapes. But stingrays and enormous sea turtles are also fairly easy to find. The coral is really beautiful, so many colors and shapes and if you then also see a predatory fish darting away behind a rock in search of prey, the dive is perfect.
Vilanculos
It is now December 23rd and on social media everyone is inciting each other. We have joined some groups to keep an eye on the situation in the country. The FB groups are mainly dominated by South Africans who are at each other's throats about whether or not it is wise to travel to Mozambique. After all, it is their holiday of the year!
The discussions remind us of the Covid period in which extreme proponents and opponents outdid each other. We go our own way, don't worry and let locals inform us.
In Vilanculos we settled on the grounds of a lodge, a beautiful place to be around Christmas. Far from all the unrest and close to Bazaruto NP.
Bazaruto NP
Bazaruto NP is a spectacular archipelago of five islands off the coast near Vilanculos, famous for its beautiful beaches and crystal clear waters and rich underwater world.
The five islands of Benguerra, Magaruque, Bangue, Bazaruta and Santa Carolina (Paradise island, by locals) have been protected as a National Park since 1971. The two largest islands are inhabited and the population lives from fishing, small-scale agriculture and tourism. The area lends itself to many activities, such as manatee spotting, diving and snorkeling, sandboarding from high sand dunes or just relaxing on the beach.
We enjoy a Sunset tour in an original Dhow sailing boat and let ourselves be pampered for a day on a private tour to the furthest island…Paradise Island.
The Dhow sunset tour
It sounds quite touristy and it is partly, but at the same time a must-do if you have not done something like this before, a sailing trip on an original Dhow. We had no idea what to expect and so we first read up a bit.
A Dhow is a traditional wooden sailing ship that excels in simplicity when you look at the mast construction. Two wooden tree trunks, some rope and a sail is enough to make the boat sail. Despite the fact that motorboats are also available here, the fishing industry chooses to use the dhows, simply because they do not guzzle expensive petrol.
We take a trip and are looked after by no less than three crew members. We tack out to sea and get a beautiful view of the coastline. The reasonably English speaking crew tells us about the traditions surrounding the dhows. In the meantime we get a cool drink and the sun sinks further and further.
A sunset never to be forgotten.
Paradise Island
Santa Carolina's nickname lives up to its name. This time we get on a speedboat for a one and a half hour trip to the island with a surface of 59 hectares. That is about 600 by 700 meters!
We roll over the waves at a considerable pace, but arrive in calmer waters just before the island. Here we see countless large sea turtles. They are clearly visible in the clear water and swim around the boat. We make a game of photographing them when they come up for air. But that is not easy... the animals can stay under water longer than we can.
Then we moor on the beach. We explore on foot. In the meantime, the speedboat sails to the other side of the island where the accompanying cook prepares our lunch. We take a look around and walk under the palm trees to the other side where the ruins of an old hotel are located. The remaining concrete remains show how luxurious it must have been in the past. The place is phenomenal, with a view over the azure blue ocean.
We walk back to the place where we meet the skipper again and go around the island in the boat in search of dolphins. And yes, in somewhat deeper waters we see a school of dolphins. The beautiful animals swim around the boat and regularly come out for a while. What an experience!
A little further on is a good snorkeling spot. Here we see schools of fish and beautiful coral.
Then we go back to the place where the cook has prepared our lunch. They have set up a tent, a table, two chairs and a delicious meal with lots of fish, rice, salad and various sauces. Thumbs up for the cook!
We go back into the water to digest and cool down. Around a rock formation we go snorkeling again and see large schools of fish and a few stingrays.
What a day!
Back inland
After all the beautiful coasts and beautiful nature, it is time to look for real life again. Moreover, the stories about unrest in the country are becoming increasingly intense. Our route still takes us via a small part on the N1, the main artery through the country. A toll station that we come across is completely vandalized, the legacy of a day of riots. The journey continues through almost untouched terrain, far from the modern world. Along the way we see traditional houses, often made of clay and reed. The people live simply, but many are well dressed. In contrast to many other poorer areas in Africa, the use of a mobile phone has hardly penetrated.
The people mostly live from selling charcoal and cashew nuts. The charcoal is already ready in big bags along the road. Sometimes we see a big truck taking the bags of charcoal.
Communication with the population is difficult. They are often somewhat reserved, while later they cautiously become somewhat curious. They speak their local languages and a little Portuguese, which we still do not succeed in.
We spend the night in “the middle of nowhere” at a lake. We thought we were alone, but no, a man comes out of the bushes. You are never alone here. He actually speaks a little English and after a nice conversation he thinks we should pay something because we are in “his” country. We give him a few cents and he is as rich as a king.
In the evening we enjoy the clear starry sky, stretched out on our lounge chairs. Thousands of stars… sometimes they move, or they are satellites, UFOs, space stations, shooting stars or just airplanes.
While fantasizing, our eyes close.
The journey through the bush-bush takes three days before we reach the border with Zimbabwe. No sign of any unrest in the country along the way!
Our conclusion
We experienced Mozambique for about 17 days, from Maputo, to (normally) busier coastal regions to a piece of traditional inland.
In general we found people a bit reserved, they look at you in surprise and sometimes take a step back. If you wave, they wave back. Of course, language is also a barrier.
Maputo is a big city like many other African cities, a fairly vibrant centre with here and there some modern architectural highlights. People complain about the government, which has these highlights built by the Chinese.
Along the coast, in sometimes remote places, there are beautiful resorts, often owned and occupied by South Africans. The local population also profits. Here you can fully enjoy the white beaches, azure waters and beautiful lagoons.
During our drive through the interior we could clearly see how traditionally people live here, people have no means of transport, hardly any mobile phones and live from what nature brings them.
