Mozambique

Understand

Geography Mozambique stretches for 1,535 mi (2,470 km) along Africa's southeast coast. It is nearly twice the size of California. Tanzania is to the north; Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe to the west; and South Africa and Eswatini to the south. The country is generally a low-lying plateau broken up by 25 sizable rivers that flow into the Indian Ocean. The largest is the Zambezi, which provides access to central Africa. In the interior, several chains of mountains form the backbone of the country.

History

Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama reached Mozambique in 1498, as a waypoint on the Cape Route to India. In 1500, the Portuguese established a string of forts and posts up and down the coast, starting with present day Ilha de Moçambique or Mozambique Island (at that time simply known as Mozambique and where the country gets its modern name), where the Portuguese plied the spice and slave routes from Mozambique up until 1891. After World War I, Portuguese investment in commercial, industrial, agricultural, educational, transportation, and health care infrastructure for the indigenous population started providing for better social and economic possibilities and these continued to gain pace up until independence in 1975. In 1962, several anti-colonial political groups formed the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO), which initiated an armed campaign against Portuguese colonial rule. Mozambique became independent after ten years of sporadic warfare on June 25, 1975. FRELIMO took complete control of the territory after a transition period and within a year of independence, almost all the Portuguese colonists had left Mozambique – some expelled by the new government of Mozambique, some fleeing in fear. Upon independence, Mozambique had fewer than 5 engineers in

See

Ilha de Mozambique, i.e. Mozambique Island is the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mozambique. The island boasts colonial architecture including probably the oldest European building in the Southern Hemisphere and beaches. The historic town of Inhambane. Sites from the civil war all over the country and the Museum of Revolution in Maputo to learn more about recent events in the country's history Wildlife and nature in Gorongosa National Park.

Do

Dive, see Diving in Mozambique for details. Tours and Safaris, a number of tour operators can help you reach Mozambique's highlights. The most reputable as per guide books Lonely Planet and Bradt are Mozaic Travel [1] and Dana Tours in the south, and Kaskazini in the north.

Buy

Money

The currency of Mozambique is the new metical (plural meticais, pronoun

Getting there

As it is impossible to exchange meticais outside of Mozambique it is advisable to change a small amount of currency if arriving at a land border in mid to late afternoon to cover taxis and meals for the first night, currency exchanges generally close at 18:00 and due to sporadic ATM failures access to currency is by no means guaranteed out of hours. When accepted by merchants foreign currency has an extremely poor exchange rate.

Visas and border fees

All visitors (except citizens of Angola, Eswatini, South Africa, Tanzania, Botswana, Malawi, Mauritius, Zambia and Zimbabwe) require a visa, which can now be obtained on arrival at most major entry points including Maputo Airport, the Port of Maputo, Ressano Garcia, Goba, Ponto D'ouro, Giriyondo, Vilanculos Airport, Inhambane Airport, Beira Airport, Pemba Airport, Nampula Airport and Forbes Border (land border close to Mutare). Since 2023, Mozambique has implemented a visa exemption for 29 nationalities, allowing their citizens to enter without a visa, subject to a simple administrative fee of 650 Meticais (approximately 9€ / USD10) to be paid upon arrival. These nationalities can stay up to 30 days, provided they comply with conditions for tourist or business travel. The list of the 29 countries covered by this visa exemption is: Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Norway, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and United States. Travelers from these countries need only to present a passport valid for at least 6 months, and a PRINTED round-trip ticket, and proof of accommodation upon arrival in Mozambique. You do not need to

Getting around

By car Traffic is left-handed, cars are often in poor condition, and drivers may not know or respect traffic rules. Driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs is common, especially at night and on weekends. Driving after dark outside the city is not recommended. Keep car windows closed and doors locked, especially when stopping at intersections. Driving can lead to being stopped by the police for bribes. There have also been cases of carjacking. It is not a good idea to pick up strangers. The EN1 runs the length of the country generally staying close to the coast from Maputo up. Roads throughout the country are generally in poor condition, especially when compared to South Africa, although the stretch of the EN1 between Maputo and Inchope is in decent condition with the exception of the 120 km directly north of Vilankulo and the last 100 km south of Inchope which are still in decrepit condition and pose a serious challenge to any driver in a low clearance vehicle. The EN1 from Mocuba to Nampula and further to Ilha de Moçambique is in good condition. The EN6 between the Machipanda border crossing with Zimbabwe and Inchope is in good condition, but deteriorates considerably between Inchope and Beira, becoming almost impassable at points. North of Vilankulo service stations are scarce - motorists may go 150 km between service stations so fill up at every opportunity. South African company Bushlore rents 4x4 vehicles and campers and will facilitate cross-border trips with flexible pick-ups and drop-offs.

Chapas and buses Buses and chapas leave early in Mozambique: 04:00 is not unusual, particularly as you go further north. Chapas take the form of both mini & midi buses but often pick up trucks and cargo trucks will offer a ride for the same fare as a chapa. Gove