Mozambique

VIBEY, ALLURING AND BURSTING WITH OPPORTUNITY  Mozambique beckons with its coastline and swaying palms, its traditions, its cultures, its vibe and – most of all – its opportunities for adventure.

This enigmatic southeast African country is well off most travellers’ maps, but it has much to offer those who venture here: long, dune-fringed beaches, turquoise waters abounding in shoals of colourful fish, well preserved corals, remote archipelagos in the north, pounding surf in the south and graceful dhows with billowing sails. Add to this colonial style architecture, pulsating nightlife, an endlessly fascinating cultural mix and vast tracks of bush populated with elephants, lions and birds galore. Discovering these attractions is not always easy, but it is unfailingly rewarding. Bring along some patience, a tolerance for long bus rides and a sense of adventure, and jump in for the journey of a lifetime.

If southern Mozambique’s lures are the accessible beaches and relaxing resorts, in the north it’s the paradisiacal coastal panoramas, the sense of space and the sheer adventure of travel. This is one of Africa’s last frontiers, wild, beautiful and untamed. Inland are vast expanses of bush where enough lions and elephants still roam to be the stuff of local lore and wreak havoc on villages. Along the coast is an almost endless succession of unspoiled beaches and islands, including Mozambique Island, one of southern Africa’s most alluring destinations.

In many respects, the north (the provinces of Nampula, Niassa and Cabo Delgado) might as well be a separate country. It’s divided from the rest of Mozambique by several major rivers and hundreds of kilometres of road. And, although home to one-third of Mozambique’s population, it accounts for only one-fifth of the gross national product, has the lowest adult literacy rates and often seems to drop out of sight for the southern oriented government.