Coconuts and cashews: A Mozambique road trip in photos

Sarah Duff
By: Sarah Duff
4 December 2012

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I set out to explore southern Mozambique on a road trip from Joburg in a Mini Countryman to prove that there’s a lot you can do without needing a big 4×4. Three thousand kilometres later, I discovered some special off-the-beaten-track spots and deserted beaches. I swam in a lagoon that looks like a piece of jewellery, communed with schools of raver-coloured tropical fish on offshore reefs, ate a lot of peri peri prawns and ended off each sun-filled day with cold 2Ms.

These were my Mozambique highlights:    

Maputo

Sultry, sexy and sweltering: Maputo was a fiery 38 degrees when we arrived and felt as steamy as a Bikram yoga class. It’s an African Miami with pink and turquoise art deco buildings, music playing everywhere, European-style cafes and an exotic Latin flavour that you don’t get anywhere else in Africa. The air smells of grilling prawns, salty sea, ripening mangoes and a hint of coconut cocktails. See more photos of Maputo here

 

Chidenguele

Hikes to the deserted beach, kayaking on the calm Chidenguele lagoon, birdwatching from our tented room, feasting on prawns and calamari and tropical fruit, lazing in a hammock in the heat of the day and drinking G&Ts at sunset: it was a hard two days at Naara Lodge in Chidenguele.

Quissico

Turquoise lakes shimmer below the sleepy town of Quissico, which is yet to become a blip on the tourist map. LaGoa Eco Village, a sandy drive from town down to the lagoon, is a laidback rustic backpacker’s set in a lush garden with the bath-water warm lagoon as its giant swimming pool.

 

Guinjata Bay

Normally a fishing haven for South Africans, Guinjata Bay was practically deserted. We had a massive stretch of beach to ourselves, and went to sleep with a soundtrack of rustling coconut palm leaves.

Inhambane

This sleepy little town is often overlooked in favour of nearby coastal spots of Barra and Tofo. While Inhambane doesn’t have a beach or resorts, it’s a lovely town that’s worth exploring. Check out the market and the 18th century Catholic church and mosque, and wander its laidback streets lined with buildings the colour of Steri Stumpies.

 

Tofo

Tofo is where backpackers come for a week and stay for a year or three, and it’s easy to see why. A long curving stretch of sand lined with backpackers, cottages, bars and restaurants fringes a bay of gentle waves. In this one little laidback town you can go diving with manta rays and hammerhead sharks, snorkelling with whale sharks, do surfing lessons (according to local surf rats this is one of the best places in southern African to learn to get up on your board), yoga classes, horse riding, or just drink 2M beer and soak up the chilled vibes.

Benguerra Island

White sand, still sea as transparent as glass, reefs teeming with fish, dhow traffic at sunset and sunsets that seem made for beach cocktail drinking: Benguerra Island in the Bazaruto Archipelago is the tropical island paradise that holiday brochures are made of. With private sun loungers, a villa the size of my flat back home and a perfect beach steps away from my bed, Marlin Lodge was rather a nice place to spend a few days.

Marlin Lodge, Benguerra Island

Vilanculos

We escaped the bustle and dust of Vilanculos on the mainland and trekked out into the bundus – thick bush, thick sand and a lot of cassava plants. An hour’s drive north of town, Marimba Secret Gardens is one of those backpacker gems that’s still relatively undiscovered (as in, it hasn’t been in Lonely Planet). There are cosy huts on stilts, friendly dogs, even friendlier owners (a Swiss couple), great food (guacamole and cassava chips, marinated kingfish with coconut rice and dhal, veggie burgers and home-made hummus sandwiches), a deserted stretch of beach, dhow trips to the islands in the Bazaruto Archipelago and kite surfing lessons, all at budget-friendly prices.




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14 Responses to “Coconuts and cashews: A Mozambique road trip in photos”facebook

  1. Bronson says:
    December 4, 2012 at 11:32 am

    These photos remind me of someof the spots I’ve been to in Latin America, specifically the coastal regions of Guanacaste and San Juan del Sur in nicaragua

    Reply
  2. Richard says:
    December 4, 2012 at 11:38 am

    Brilliant, we have always enjoyed out visits to Mozambique…

    Reply
  3. phumelele says:
    December 4, 2012 at 12:06 pm

    aah man, I’ve just come back from a holiday at Benguerra Island. It was amazing. I love these pictures, they are taking me back.

    Reply
  4. David Parry says:
    December 4, 2012 at 2:55 pm

    I’ve had several holidays at Paradise Island in the old days and enjoyed every minute. I have also lived in Lourenco Marques and Beira for six months. Mocambique is a great place. I also drove by car from Beira to Malawi and then to Sena Sugar Estates – they probably don’t exist any more , but I had a fabulous trip to Mopea and Luabo. I also had a trip on the Imperio of the CCN (Companie Colonial de Navegacao to Porto Amelia ( Probably called some other name now) Also went from Cape Town to LM and Beira in the Infante Dom Henrique. The Mocambique coastline is really lovely and I only wish I could do it again. Now I am retired and live in a retirement centre at Cle du Cap in the Constantia valley in Cape Town

    Reply
  5. Patsy Kreel says:
    December 8, 2012 at 6:07 pm

    I am so glad to see the lovely vegetables and fruit available in Inhambane

    Reply
  6. Michele says:
    January 4, 2013 at 10:34 am

    How long did this trip take you? What’s the minimum time you would recommend for a similar self-drive trip?

    Reply
    • Sarah Duff says:
      January 9, 2013 at 10:00 am

      Hi Michele, this trip took us 10 days, driving from Joburg up the coast and back. It takes around 8 hours to get from Joburg to Maputo (including border crossing time) and then about 5 or 6 hours up to Tofo. It takes 4 hours from Tofo to Vilanculos. Depending on how much time you have for the trip, you could stick to southern Mozam (Maputo, Bilene, Quissico and Tofo) and if you have a bit longer you can head up to Vilanculos. The longer you have the more time you’ll get to chill on the beach!

      Reply
  7. Andy Herbst says:
    January 5, 2013 at 4:49 am

    Fantastic foto’s, and i liked the commentaries. I lived all my life in Zim and South Africa, and have never been to Mozambique. We are presently living temporarily in Australia, but can’t wait to get back and explore this place. Would never have seen these pics were it not for your input and computers. Thanx a zillion!

    Reply
  8. Dana says:
    April 18, 2013 at 4:28 am

    Hi Sarah,

    thanks so much for your blog, it looks like you had an awesome trip. I was wondering if you had any advice for doing a similar trip? My girlfriend and I are will be heading there for a month in 10 days, and I am just wondering if the police were an issue while driving? Also, did you feel fairly safe?

    We will be doing some filming on our trip, and want to create a video similar to our last trip through Chile…you can see our video here: https://vimeo.com/36519586 …and I just would like to hear any thoughts you may have for traveling with camera gear…or any places we should avoid. Thanks so much for any advice you may have…I really appreciate it.

    Reply
    • Sarah says:
      April 18, 2013 at 11:42 am

      Hi Dana,

      I’m happy to help with advice. The best thing to do would be to email me an idea of your itinerary and your budget (and what car you’ll be driving) and I can give you some tips. My email address is sarduff (at) gmail.com.

      Cheers,

      Sarah

      Reply
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