Beyond borders - Travel Mozambique

 


Inhaca Island, Maputo

I cannot remember a time I did not have a passport.  My first out of South Africa trip was in 1998, a road trip to Zambia with my folks.  Once I had made my maiden voyage, I was in love with the African continent what a beautiful and diverse place.

Now whilst Zambia is a bit far out to do over the festive season that’s if you only have a week off. Mozambique though is right on our doorstep and a fantastic choice for New Years. From Jo’burg it’s a 5 hour trip depending on the amount of congestion on the roads on bus it’s an 8 hour trip.

The first time we decided that we would visit Mozambique (Moz) we were at coffee bay, after a day of learning how to surf we decided that we were brave enough to head to Mozambique to celebrate New Year’s.  We sealed the deal with excited giggles and a toast to our new found Freedom.  

With no prior experience about planning an out of South Africa trip, we took to the internet, nothing cousin Google cannot help with.

Tasked with planning the trip, finally she could rest and let her hair down.

Planning the trip: 

We decided one person would be solely responsible for the planning of the trip. This is a lot of responsibility and you need to plan ahead if you are travelling with people as not everyone lives on the wild side. Communication is key as you have to be clear on the budget, expectation and reality of where you are going.

#RoadtripTravelTip: Make sure that each person is responsible for something from the having a medical kit to road snacks.  Everyone has a role to play.

Transport:  Getting out of South Africa was very easy we decided that we would take a Greyhound to Maputo.  This meant that we didn’t have to worry about car insurance and the additional safety requirements required by the Mozambican road officials.  The trip was safe and very festive the passenger’s where 95% Mozambican and a lot of chit-chat takes place, therefore if you  have any high hopes of getting some peaceful sleep on the bus forget it.

#RoadTripTravelTip: The bus does not always leave on time we were 2hours behind schedule, we intern missed our transfer to the backpackers. When you hit the border buy a starter-pack and airtime if you do not have roaming. It will at least allow you to call ahead and let them know you are running late. 

Cost of Greyhound Bus Currently: R700- R800 return trip

Getting around in Moz

Maputo was a great city to walk around in we, we walked everywhere in fact we covered 25 000 foot steps on average per day.  We were staying at Fatima’s backpackers in Julius Nyere street, a central location.

They also have zippy tuk-tuks if you are not up to walking, these are generally cheap and a good way to get around. After a long lazy lunch this was the best option to get back to our lodge.

#MozTravelTip:  knowing some Portuguese is an added benefit when you want to purchase take-away’s, negotiate prices at the market.

Paradise, no cellphone,just palm trees, coconuts and lots of goodness.

Accommodation

If you are not looking for any fuss and frills then backpackers are a great option. We booked a whole room for ourselves so we were not sharing with anyone else. We had no en-suite only communal bathrooms if you find this uncomfortable best you book into a hotel.

#MozTravelTip:  It gets hot, keep hydrated and try out the Laurentina, a local beer that really does a good job of quenching one’s thirst.

We also found out that we were only allowed 1 bath a day due to water restrictions at the time so if you cannot live without bathing twice a day you might find yourself in a rather sticky situation.

#BackpackersLooTip: Carry you own sanitizing wet wipes to wipe the toilet seat and some air freshener goes a long way if you are afraid of others knowing your business.

Communal Bathrooms

There is no set standard for communal bathrooms, some are awesome and some are just down right special and that’s putting it mildly. In Moz they were clean and sufficient but depending on the other travellers and how tidy they are you can encounter some interesting scenarios.  This I why there really should be a guide for all travellers on a basic standard of behaviour for communal toilets and bathrooms.  I had a really crazy encounter when we stayed at an Island resort; they had these outside showers that had a tiny latch and a shower curtain to keep the rest of the world out.  I was butt naked, covered in soap suds as I stepped in to the water I turned to look towards the door, only to find a large burly man standing in the doorway staring at me.  I had not closed my shower curtain only latched the outer door which clearly was not enough as I found myself starring into this strangers eyes.

I let out a scream but he just stood there staring.  I have never in my life felt as exposed as I felt at that moment.  What do you hide? What do you do?  When he finally came out of his daze he slammed the door shut and disappeared.  To this day I cannot tell you what his face looked like because shock will do that to you, all I know was that he was big, white and just as surprised as I was.

Nothing like a coconut cocktail - drinks island style

What to do in Mozambique

-          Rent a bout out for the day and visit one of the islands the rubber ducks are generally cheap to rent out and get the job done.

-          Go snorkeling; there are some amazing things to see under the water.

-          Meet people, the locals can be lots of fun.

-     learn how to Kizomba a sensual dance that definitely turns the heat up.

-          Eat lots and lots of Seafood.

-          I had some of the best caprinha’s I have ever had.

-          Have fun you are in a place where no one knows you let your hair down and have some fun.

Travel outside of your Comfort zone its possible.