​Expert Reviews – Mozambique

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Expert
Lizzie Williams   –  
South Africa ZA
Visited: Multiple times

Lizzie is a reputed guidebook writer and author of the Footprint guides to South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

1 person found this review helpful.

Bordered by the Indian Ocean Which Is Dotted With Tropical Islands Offering Beach Holidays and Burgeoning Game-Viewing
Overall rating
4/5

Mozambique’s 2,500-km-long sunny coastline features stunning white-sand beaches backed by swaying palms, and world-class coral reefs primed for swimming, diving, snorkelling and sunset sailing on traditional white-sailed dhows. It’s also well known for its super-friendly people and delicious food – think succulent prawns, piri-piri chicken, soft Portuguese rolls, and fresh cashew nuts and fruit straight from the trees.

Highlights include two clusters of postcard-perfect islands with their exclusive resorts – the six-island Bazaruto Archipelago off the coastal town of Vilankulo, and the 32-island Quirimbas Archipelago near the Tanzanian border. Then there’s the cheaper Inhambane region, loved by South African families, fishers and campers; here Tofo and Barra beaches are my favourites, where humpback whales, dolphins and nesting turtles might become potential company. I also recommend mangrove-covered Ibo Island and the coral-rock Island of Mozambique (Ilha de Moçambique) for their atmospheric, crumbling Portuguese colonial-era architecture, and there are excellent restaurants and good-standard hotels in the fast-developing capital Maputo.

Despite the coastline owning the spotlight, Mozambique’s national parks are rebounding thanks to greater protection and conservation initiatives like the restocking of large mammals. The two most accessible are: the beautiful Gorongosa, which is now home to elephant, lion, hippo, buffalo, crocodile, and numerous antelope (it’s famous for its big herds of waterbuck and sable); and Maputo National Park, with elephant, crocodile and hippo, and it’s also been restocked with zebra, giraffe and antelope such as impala and kudu, which have mostly come from Eswatini (formerly Swaziland).

Mozambique is one of my most-liked African countries and I’ve visited many, many times, both as a tour leader and on self-drive trips – the most epic being several weeks largely following the coast from Vilankulo all the way north into Tanzania. I’ve also crossed from Kruger National Park into Limpopo National Park. But you don’t have to be that adventurous, with flights landing at Maputo, Vilankulo, Inhambane and Pemba. Resorts can easily be combined with South Africa’s Kruger or reserves in KwaZulu-Natal, and hopefully as its parks improve further, a bush-and-beach safari will become viable in just Mozambique.

Average Expert Rating

  • 3.8/5
  • Wildlife
  • Scenery
  • Bush Vibe
  • Birding

Rating Breakdown

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