Randoms from Mozambique

It’s been now four years since my travel to Mozambique and is still a very much alive memory of a beautiful Indian Ocean coastline, graceful Mozambicans, Portuguese colonial architecture, pristine islands and gorgeous marine life. I had one month in between jobs and decided to go to Mozambique as one of the African destinations much less present in mass media. These are my random snapshots taken with a point and shoot camera; experience of authenticity and simplicity of the coastal life.

This travel was a quiet journey, I stayed most of the time in Tofo beach, a beautiful 8 km long strech of  white sand. Tofo is known for the whale sharks and migrations of humpback whales. Although it is a popular diving spot (and lately a kitesurfing spot), it stays a simple place with a few restaurants, a local market, a couple of shops and chickens and goats scratching  in the sand between huts. There are a few campsites near the beach and a few guesthouses. I stayed at Turtle Cove for a beautiful Yoga retreat with wonderful South African yoga teacher Elize Taljaard. Turtle Cove is only 10 minutes walk to the main beach, and only few minutes to Tofino beach, where all the surfers go. 

Later I traveled to the north, to Vilanculo and Bazaruto Archipelago. These are stunningly beautiful coral islands; main islands are Bazaruto, Benguerra and Magaruque,. Surrounding the archipelago lie the reefs, while deeper channels between the islands are home to dolphins, whales, turtles and a bountiful array of other marine life. To get to the islands you can take a dhow; this sailing boat has changed little since it first sailed the waters of the Indian Ocean more than 1,000 years ago. Island-ocean safaris on a dhow are popular and there are a few providers from Vilanculo to Benquerra and Bazaruto.

Itinerary: Maputo (capital of Mozambique) - Tofo - Inhambane - Vilanculo - Bazaruto Archipelago National Park - return flight from Vilanculo back to Maputo (it is 700 km distance), internal flight worked out perfectly well.