Mozambique Safari And Travel Planner | Country Information, Travel Guide And Map

GENERAL INFORMATION - MOZAMBIQUE

Bordered by Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Swaziland, Mozambique covers an area of almost 800 000 km² and is divided into 10 provinces. The 2 470 km Indian Ocean coastline is scattered with numerous islands and coves. Here visitors can enjoy excellent holiday resorts, an abundance of seafood, flat beaches and calm seas. The coastal resorts offer excellent opportunities for beach combing, fishing, yachting, board sailing and skiing. The clear waters are perfect for snorkelling and skin diving.
A deep sea fishing expedition always produces some good-sized fish. Kingfish abound and the record to date is a specimen of 40kg. Mako, wahoo, serra, yellowfin tunny and queenfish are caught regularly on Bazaruto Islands. Hiking trails have been established along the fresh water lakes, national park and marine reserve at Bazaruto north point, providing ideal conditions for underwater photography.
In the interior of the country one can sail on the lakes, or go fishing and hiking. Many of the game reserves are being rehabilitated. Large handcraft markets and roadside stalls offer quality and variety. Maputo has excellent hotels and restaurants and the many museums, markets, churches and the Victorian railway station provide opportunities for interesting excursions.

Maputo: Located near the very southern tip of the country, Maputo was once renowned as a beautiful city and rated by world travellers alongside Cape Town and Rio. But after almost 20 years of war and deprivation the capital is very rundown today, with crumbling buildings and dirty streets. Nevertheless, it's still an interesting place, with a very lively atmosphere. And the place slowly but surely improves. Old-timers say Maputo is already regaining some of its old charm.
The oldest historic site is the fort, where you can patrol the ramparts, look at the old cannons or just sit and rest in the grassy courtyard. A must-see is the train station, designed and built in the early 1900s by the same Eiffel who gave us the famous tower. Recently renovated, it looks more like a palace, with polished wood and marble decorations, topped by a gigantic copper dome.
Other highlights include the Botanic Gardens; the National Art Museum, which has a fine collection of Mozambique's best contemporary artists; and the lively Municipal Market, where fruit, vegetables, spices and basketwork are sold.

Bazaruto Archipelago (Marine National Park): Located about 10km (6mi) off the coast, the Archipelago is one of the most beautiful places on the continent, complete with azure waters, sandy beaches, palm trees, pristine coral reefs, plus tropical fish to goggle at and big game fish to catch. The whole area between the mainland and the 150 fathom mark is now protected as a world-class conservation area. If you stay at one of the posh lodges, transfer by speedboat is available for around US$100 return. Rather cheaper are dhows, which can be got at Vilankulo on the mainland.

Dugongs, lumbering sea grass eaters, are found living in shallow waters along the world's tropical coasts. Here in Bazaruto, however, they seem to have found the resources and protection they need to survive. The pristine sea grass beds of this extensive tropical archipelago are home to the largest remaining population in Eastern Africa, helping make this newly extended protected area a global marine conservation priority.

A ridge of large and picturesque sand dunes dominates the narrow chain of islands that make up the Bazaruto Archipelago. Extensive tidal flats and inland saline lakes support a wide variety of seabird species, including Palearctic waterbird migrants and 26 species of waders. The dunes and woodlands harbor such mammals as the samango monkey, lesser bushbaby, red duiker, and four-toed elephant shrew.

The real wealth of Bazaruto, however, lies in the full range of tropical marine ecosystems found within this varied seascape. Spectacular coral reefs and rich pelagic waters hold over 2,000 species of fish, 100 hard and 27 soft coral species, four whale and five dolphin species, and 20 species of crustaceans. The extensive sea grass beds support all five of the marine turtle species plying the waters of the Western Indian Ocean as well as the largest and only viable dugong population along the eastern African coast.

Pristine for most of this century, the five islands that make up the Bazaruto Archipelago are considered ecological gems. The islands, located within the Mozambique Channel 500 kilometers north of Maputo, received some measure of formal protection in 1971 when three were declared a national park. After years of active lobbying and technical assistance, on November 27 of last year, hope for permanent protection of this outstanding conservation area soared when the government gazetted an extension to the national park. This decision effectively doubled the area under protection to 1,400 square Kilometers and incorporated the remaining islands and surrounding waters. The park is now one of the largest in the Indian Ocean and represents a critical milestone in global marine conservation.