Money & Spending
Mozambique’s official currency is the Metical but if you’re travelling in southern Mozambique both the South African Rand and US Dollar are widely accepted. In Northern Mozambique, it’s best to carry dollars. Most hotels and lodges have credit card facilities but there are a couple of exceptions so be on the safe side and check with your Agent or lodge you will be staying at before you travel.
For accommodation visit: www.accommodationpontadoouro.co.za
What to Pack
Generally, casual comfortable clothing is suitable throughout the year for a Mozambique holiday. If you are visiting Mozambique for a beach holiday, pack plenty of light cotton tops and shorts, as well as a hat, sunglasses, beach sandals and a pair of comfortable walking shoes.
If you are planning on taking lots of photographs, be sure to pack extra memory cards and batteries for your camera as these are difficult to find in Mozambique and very expensive if you do manage to get hold of them.
For the evenings – or if you are going on safari in combination with Mozambique – pack long-sleeved clothing to protect against mosquitoes and a fleece or jacket for winter game drives
Flights & Getting Around
Maputo International Airport: the main gateway into Mozambique with direct flights from Portugal, Johannesburg or Cape Town, holiday-makers are usually on their way to one of the country’s smaller airports to access the Indian Ocean coast.
Vilanculos International Airport: fly from Maputo, Johannesburg, Cape Town or Kruger International for the gateway to the Bazaruto Archipelago. The Kruger connection means a great logistics solution for a Big 5 safari and beach holiday.
Pemba International Airport: gateway to the Quirimbas Archipelago, Pemba is accessed via Maputo, Johannesburg, Nairobi and Dar es Salaam – the latter two making for a great East Africa safari and beach holiday combination.
Once you’ve arrived on the coast, travelling onwards to the islands themselves means a boat, light aircraft or helicopter transfer. The islands are small enough to get around on foot though there will be plenty of opportunities for sailing and boating trips.
For accommodation visit: www.accommodationpontadoouro.co.za
Visa & Passport Requirements
All visitors to Mozambique must possess a passport valid for at least six months after their departure from the country. Visas are required by everyone except citizens of South Africa, Zambia, Botswana and Swaziland and can be bought at most borders for between US $35 and US $80 depending on your nationality. However, we strongly advise you to obtain your visas in advance from your nearest Mozambican Embassy
When crossing the Kosi Bay border
When crossing the border to access any of the lodges in Southern Mozambique you will require a 4×4 or 2×4 with diff lock. When crossing border, you will be driving on deep sand to Ponta Do Ouro, Ponta Malongane and Ponta Mamoli. HOWEVER, if you have a standard vehicle, there is a lock up point 100m just before the border on your left-hand side where you can park and leave your car, they do charge to lock up your vehicle per day. You can then from there arrange a border transfer and they will fetch you and drop you of at your destination, they do charge a per person rate. You can arrange again for them to fetch on your departure date.
For accommodation visit: www.accommodationpontadoouro.co.za