Mozambique is the quintessential luxury destination, where the classic ingredients of a tropical paradise can also be served with a generous helping of history.
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, a fascinating cultural mix and vast tracts of bush.
Discovering these attractions is not always easy, but it is unfailingly rewarding: Mozambique is a much more complex holiday destination than you may at first think.
A country with 2000km of white sand beaches and glorious marine rich Indian Ocean. From the southern edge to the northern tip the coastline changes dramatically. Much of the southern half of the country from Ponta do Ouro through Maputo, Tofo Beach and up to Vilanculos are regular holiday destinations for South African tourists who drive up the coast for the laidback atmosphere, fantastic beaches, excellent fishing and some of the world’s best scuba diving sites.
MOZAMBIQUE SAFARI PARKS
Gorongosa National Park is among 28 Best Places to visit in 2019, accordingly to National Geographic Traveler’s Editors and Explorers, and the jewel in Mozambique’s safari crown.
The national park was once one of Africa’s finest safari parks. It has been through some tough times due to Mozambique’s civil war and years of poaching, but it remains a staggeringly beautiful wilderness area loved by safari connoisseurs and considered one of the best destinations for walking holidays. Couple this with a surge of recent investment in the park, and the future looks bright for Gorongosa.
Niassa Game Reserve
The Niassa Game Reserve in northern Mozambique is one of the last true wilderness areas left undeveloped in Africa, and although difficult to access the experience once there is indescribable.Niassa is on the Mozambiquan side of the Selous Game Reserve in southern Tanzania. This vast reserve is one of the last truly wild parts of Africa – a place to which very few people indeed opt to travel.Famous for its elephant populations and a healthy diversity of other game, Niassa is a great park for safari enthusiasts.Niassa is located in northern Mozambique by the Tanzanian border. Logistically difficult to combine with the majority of trips to Mozambique, Niassa is a destination for safari enthusiasts only. Visitors find an absolutely vast reserve that is three times the size of the Serengeti and twice as large as the Kruger – a pristine area of true wilderness that is exceptionally rare to find nowadays.
BEST BEACHES IN MOZAMBIQUE
By far Mozambique is home to some of the best beaches such as the Quirimbas Archipelago of which is regarded by many as the finest beach destination in Africa. The lodges here are superb. Flying the flag is the exceptional Vamizi Island Lodge, a luxurious Robinson Crusoe-style beach lodge with its own 7 km of beach. The incredible properties of Azura at Quilalea is well worth considering offering a fine private island experience. This rugged and remote island is surrounded by coral reef and the beauty of the area will constantly amaze you. Many of the islands offer total exclusivity, here you can truly avoid the crowds. Fresh fish and catch of the day are genuinely caught today! With 2000km of coastline, this is a year round destination and the perfect end to any Safari or just as a stand alone beach break.
SOUTHERN MOZAMBIQUE BEACHES
Back on the mainland and farther south, is Ponta Mamoli, one of the best beaches in Africa:
With its pristine powder-soft sands and sparkling sapphire waters, Ponta Mamoli is a delightful destination for travellers looking to relax and unwind and just perfect for combining with safari and brilliant as a standalone beach break.
Ponta do Ouro also sprawls in the far south. Its name translates as ‘tip of gold’, acknowledging the splendour of a cape in the extreme south region. Just north of the border with South Africa, reclining in the Mozambique Channel, Ponta do Ouro is famous for its wonderful white-sand beaches and watersports galore.
