Mozambique

*Driving the sandy beach roads of Mozambique. (Note the tilt in the camper down to the left, this will become a later issue)*

We entered Mozambique from Eswatini with some trepidation. We knew there was ongoing civil unrest in the north of the country and heard of travelers struggling with police corruption. But after traveling the coast of West Africa, we had learned to take many of these stories with a grain of salt. People are still living, working, raising families and going to school in countries which are rumored to be “unsafe” for travelers. We had a great time in Mozambique and, once again, it made us question our information sources and the inherent bias that goes into outsiders making these evaluations.

Despite our complete lack of Portuguese (back to our limited obrigado and bom dia) we were warmly welcomed everywhere we went, received friendly waves at police stops and enjoyed exploring endless miles of white sandy beaches and rugged forest and mountain scenery.

Overall we saw scores of police speed checks (more than we have ever seen in any country) and general police check points. We were scrupulous about sticking to posted speed limits and were only actually stopped five times. Four of those were highly professional, asking where we were going, sometimes a passport check. One time we accidentally were going 68kph in a 60 zone (looking ahead to that nearby 100kph sign), but were let off without a ticket and well wishes to enjoy our time in Mozambique. The only place we were asked for a bribe was the military stop at Save River Bridge. They were pretty persistent but so were we (lots of smiles and us saying sorry, no gift today) and eventually we were waved on with a smile .

Especially at the southern end of the country, infrastructure has been developed to accommodate holiday makers from South Africa. Roads are good and restaurants, campsites and tourist attractions abound. We easily received our visas on arrival at the border by providing proof of a booking (the immigration officer was kind enough to give us a hotspot so that we could screenshot him a copy of our campground reservation since we had not been around a printer in a while). Customs also issued a Temporary Import Permit for our truck on the spot for a $28. Total time at the Goba border, less than an hour. (It would have been only a few minutes but we got behind a busload of Eswatini soccer fans on their way to support their team in Maputo).

*First roads over the border, good gravel.*

Our first stop was Ponta do Ouro where we happily planned a layover day in a campground on the outside of town. We took long walks on the beach, explored the sleepy town and rested.

*Whimsically decorated lunch spot in Ponta do Ouro*

*We were off season for South African holidays so no one around*

Fully refreshed from a few days of showers and relaxing walks we made our way to the capital city Maputo to learn more about the history and culture of the country.

It is no surprise that Mozambique’s history is similar to most of colonialized Africa. In the early days, nomadic tribes populated the area. Gradually other tribes made their way from the west and a variety of small kingdoms reigned. In the 8th century the Arabian traders arrived. Relations went well, people intermarried and the local Swahili language started to blend in Arabic words and terms. In the late 15th century, the Portuguese arrived and began setting up trading posts and forts along the coast. In the 1880’s when the European colonizers sat down to carve up control of Africa, Portuguese formalized their rule of the region.

In the early 1900’s Portuguese rulers insitututed their own version of apartheid with the population being divided into the “Portuguese” with full citizenship rights and the “indigenous” who were forced to work, pay taxes and had daily restrictions put on their lives. A gradual sense of unhappiness and increased nationalism led to the fight for independence which launched in 1962 under the leadership of the Frelimo party. In 1975, after years of a scorched earth policy, Portugal finally handed over independence and the Frelimo party leaders came into control. Samora Machel was appointed the first president. (in an interesting fact, there is one woman who was married to two African presidents, Graca Machel, who was first married to Nelson Mandela and then to Samora Machel).

Casa de Ferro (Iron House) in Maputo, reportedly designed by Gustave Eiffel, built in Belgium and brought by the Portuguese to serve as a Governor’s Mansion. But the iron proved to be too hot to be habitable.

Frelimo came into power and embarked on a program of radical reform based on socialism which unfortunately failed. By the 1980’s the country was bankrupt and struggling. An opposition party, Renamo was formed with support from South Africa and Rhodesia to combat the Soviet backed Frelimo. The country fell into civil war which like many regional conflicts in Africa in the late 20th century was exacerbated by the ongoing Cold War and competing east-west idealogies. After one million Mozambiquens were killed in the war and five million more people were displaced, the war finally ended in 1992 with the official end of the South African support of Frelimo and Soviet support for Renamo.

*Our two week route through Mozambique - this map only shows the southern half of the long, skinny country.*

Although the civil war is officially over, Renamo insurgents continue to fight in the far northern section of the country and have a reputation for violence, kidnapping and extortion. Some of the Mozambiquens we spoke with said it was really a war over control of the lucrative gold and gas resourcs in the north.

*Maputo Cathedral - Catholic church built by the Portuguese in the 1930’s. A Rome-based Catholic lay community played a key role in brokering the peace agreement ending the civil war in Mozambique.*

In general, Maputo felt prosperous. Infrstructure appeared to be in good shape. The downtown area was walkable with cafes, restaurants and nightclubs. Although 2/3 of the population of the country live in rural areas and depend on subsistence agriculture, Maputo is an international and economic driver. With neighboring countries being landlocked, Mozambique ports play a key role in importing and exploring to the region.

*Walking history tour with local guide, Hendy. Highly recommend!*

*Central market in downtown Maputo, filled with spices and grains*

As fascinating as Maputo was, we still don’t love cities, so made our way back to the coast. We found more remote white sandy beach at Chidenguele where we camped for the night.

*Walking the beach at Chidenguele, camped at Sunset Beach Resort*

*We will never get over our amazement and respect for African women carrying loads balanced on their heads*

Not being highly social or party people, we skipped the famous Tofo beach area and headed out to Barra at the tip of the peninsula. More camping and beach walks!

*Andy always has to catch the wildlife. Then he puts it back.*

Driving throughout Africa, we are always fascinated by what people are selling by the side of the road. And by the beautiful designs the vendors create out of what they are selling.

*Plastic bag tree donating the sale of cashews. They dot the roadways of Mozambique, with extra bags always tied up high in a cheerful design.*

*Thatch for sale, organized into sleek pyramids.*

*There was some strong branding at play, every village had a store or bar painted to match the logo and design of the national beer.*

*It had been a few months but we got to cross the Tropic of Capricorn again, this time heading north.*

*These beautiful young girls wanted us to take their picture, we were happy to.*

On our next beachside stop we got to meet up with fellow overlanders, share a meal, stories and recommendations - always a good time to be with like minded travelers.

We have been on the road with Maarten and Renske for months, switching off who is ahead and who is behind. They drove an electric car from the Netherlands down to South Africa and up to Kenya. They are shipping home soon, we will miss seeing them!

Another lay over day - how did we get so relaxed? Had a super time walking around Vilankulos - and more youth requested photos!

*Bridge connecting the community across a swamp*

*And a beautiful Boabab tree along the way*

We finally and reluctantly left the coast (it is going to be a long time, maybe Kenya, before we see the ocean again). We decided to visit the Gorongosa National Park, a great Africa restoration story. With significant international and local investment, the park is being re-populated and re-invigorated with the hopes of once again being a tourism destination.

*Along the way we stayed in a local community campground -Ndzou.*

The park and wildlife was decimated during the civil war (similar story to Quicama National Park in Angola). But park management is turning it around. Unfortunately, self driving is not possible due to the elephant’s aggressiveness as a result of their experiences during the civil war. So we paid for a guided drive, and it was well worth it.

*We were the only ones on the tour, it felt like a remote adventure*

*Morning coffee break - as part of the investment in the park we were driven in a brand new safari truck*

*And our astute guides Stanley and Clement saw vultures, went searching and found a lion on a kill that we were able to watch.*

*Sacred tree in the park, ceremonies still carried out annually*

*And our final night! Camped at Gorongosa Adventures, enjoying an evening fire.*

We really appreciate the emails, messages and encouragement from those of you out there reading our blog. We have fun writing it so that we have a record of our travels, but also want to be useful to others. We would love feedback on what is helpful. We have tried a “highlights” section (which somehow went by the wayside) and an “adventures with the truck” section (same story). Below we are trying something new - a “trip report” which is common on overlander forums to give other’s basic logistics guidance. Any feedback is appreciated and above all else, thank you for reading and coming along with us.

Trip Report - Logistics Mozambique: 13 days

Route: Eswatini/ Goba border, Ponta do Ouro, Maputo, Barra, Vilankulos, Gorongosa National Park, exit to Zimbabwe at Machipanda.

Traveling in an obvious tourist car- pickup with camper and US plates. We have 4x4 and only needed it to get out to the tip of Barra.

Entry at Goba was easy and fast, no visa needed for US or EU citizens now. Paid cash rands 240 each immigration fee and 100 rand road tax, receipts for both.

We were never searched and treated with warmth and welcome by everyone we met. Only once asked for a bribe which we did not pay.

The section of N1 north of Vilankulos had some of the worst pot holes we have seen in Africa. Slow going! Plus playing dodge car with local buses and container trucks.

Trip times:

Goba to Ponta do Ouro (camped at Gala Gala)2.5 hrs decent roads, one gravel section
Ponta do Ouro to Chidenguele (camped at Sunset Beach Lodge) 4 hours
Chidenguele to Barra (camped at Barra Dica) 4 hours
Barra to Vilankulos (camped at Ocean Pearl)4 hours
Vilankulos to Buffalo Camp on N1 5 hours (worst road condition day)
Buffalo Camp to Ndzou Camp south of Sussendenga 4.5 hours (still pretty bad at first and then we chose a longer route on a corrugated dirt road - the cut off from Chimbalo to avoid some of the N1)
Ndzou Camp to Gorongosa (camped at Gorongosa Adventures) 3 hours, again really rough on the N1

We would recommend all the places we camped, lovely beaches, forests and mountains. It's been a great experience.

Zimbabwe

South Africa,Lesotho and Eswatini