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Voykit

Draft data. Times, fares and step counts are desk estimates awaiting field checks. Unknown times stay unknown. How we verify

country

MozambiqueMoçambique

Pick one stretch of coast: fly to Vilankulo for the Bazaruto Archipelago (4–5 nights), or spend 2 nights in Maputo and 4–5 on the southern beaches (Tofo or Ponta do Ouro); do not try to drive the coast.

Not field-verified

Mozambique's coast runs for about 2,500 km and trips break when they try to cover it by road: highways are slow, police checkpoints are frequent and driving after dark is unsafe. Governments advise against travel to parts of the far north (Cabo Delgado) because of an insurgency. The rules that apply everywhere: pick one coastal base, fly domestic for long legs, carry your documents at all times, and drive only in daylight.

All regions, cities and parks in Mozambique (Atlas) →

Regions

Maputo and the Deep Southplanned

Maputo city; Ponta do Ouro and Maputo National Park

2–4 nights

Inhambane Coastplanned

Tofo and Barra for diving; Vilankulo and the Bazaruto Archipelago

4–6 nights

Nampula and Ilha de Moçambiqueplanned

Historic island town; check advice for the provinces further north

2–3 nights

Arrive

MPM

Maputo International

Capital; connections to Johannesburg and domestic flights up the coast

VNX

Vilankulo

Gateway to the Bazaruto Archipelago

Time math

5 days
Maputo 1 + Ponta do Ouro 4
7 days
Maputo 2 + Tofo 5 (fly to Inhambane or drive in daylight)
10 days
Maputo 2 + Tofo 3 + Vilankulo and Bazaruto 5

Country rules

Inherited by every page below
  • Check visa and entry rules for your passport on official Mozambican government sources; rules for some nationalities have changed recently.
  • Carry your passport or a certified copy at all times; police document checks are common.
  • Governments advise against travel to parts of Cabo Delgado province in the north; check your own government's advice for the exact areas.

Etiquette

  • Portuguese is the official language; a greeting in Portuguese ("bom dia") helps.
  • Ask before photographing people, and do not photograph police, the military or government buildings.
  • Dress modestly away from the beach.
Cyclone and rainy season (about Jan–Mar)
Storms can close roads and cancel boats and flights on the coast.
South African school holidays (Dec–Jan, Easter)
Southern beaches and border crossings fill with regional visitors.

Money & passes

Cash necessity: 4/5

  • Currency is the Mozambican metical (MZN, MT). Cards work in Maputo and larger lodges; markets, small restaurants and transport are cash.
  • South African rand and US dollars are sometimes accepted near the South African border and at lodges; ask before you rely on them.

Before you fly: eSIM before you fly · Visas and entry

Safety

  • No driving after dark; roads have potholes, livestock and unlit vehicles, and checkpoints are harder to handle at night.
  • At police checkpoints stay calm and polite and keep documents ready.
  • Maputo: use a known taxi at night and keep phones out of sight in the street.
  • Emergency numbers vary: save your lodge's and your insurer's numbers before you go.
  • Health: see a travel clinic well before you fly about vaccinations and malaria prevention, and check whether a yellow-fever vaccination certificate is required for your passport and route, including transits.

Mozambique pairs with Kruger (South Africa) and Eswatini by road in the south, with Johannesburg as the air hub.

Open Africa

Sources