SEABELL’S GUIDE TO MOZAMBICAN BEACHES
Expect Beauty________________________
Besides beautiful, unspoiled nature, you can expect anything from a Mozambican beach. So then, be prepared: expect the unexpected! The success of a beach experience in Mozambique depends a lot of information, organization and your willingness to understand differences, relax and enjoy the ride.
_____________________________Organize
A very important aspect of organizing is accessibility. You must gather all the answers you can master, mainly: which are the best means to get there, having in mind comfort, safety and costs? After picking the right one for you, try to obtain more specific information about it in order to be prepared for the existing conditions. If you are supposed to travel by road, for instance, knowing can be the difference between having holidays or serious headaches. Is there gas and food availability during the trajectory? If you are supposed to follow a dirty road with sandy tracks, have you previously made sure the tyres are not hard so you won’t have troubles along the way?
Inform Yourself______________________
You won’t say salve to Thomas Edison unless you have to live without electricity. This can happen to you if you are not well informed about the lodge where you are planning to stay. Facing no electricity at all or strict hours of power are both upsetting, especially if you don’t like surprises. On the contrary, if you are a gambler, you can try your luck. In the end you will learn that you can survive without Edison’s favor and maybe enjoy it too.
___________________Do Your Homework
You must also consider the possibility of having to carry a few odd things with you, from bed linen to pillows, from a decent mug to a sharp knife. It’s evident that I’m not referring to luxury resorts, but basic lodges – most of the times the only ones existing in the most spectacular, remote beaches. For instance, for Morrungulo, one of the wildest diving beaches in Inhambane, we had to book and pay through South Africa, a high price for Mozambican standards, and at the last instance we were informed of a list of stuff we should bring along with us. Let’s say it was the best advice ever given to us, in terms of holidays. Without it we wouldn’t stand one day up there. Instead, we had a nice, comfortable one-week stay. I guess you understand how important is doing your homework first.
Pay Fair_____________________________
In general, costs in Mozambique are more or less the same as in South Africa, since South Africans own a great percentage of resorts. The only thing to keep in mind is that in Mozambique money is not a guarantee of quality, especially in service terms. We have been in affordable places and left amply satisfied and we have been in expensive hotels and lodges to where we don’t want to return. Mozambicans have a very clear way of showing any labor complain by neglecting the clientele. It’s very unpleasant! So the wise move here has to be the equation cost/quality.
_____________________Know in Advance
Another important piece of information is the modality of holidays you are paying for, meaning: what has the resort to offer in terms of activities and entertainment? If it’s good for diving, it would be a shame not being equipped for that. By knowing in advance, at least you are going to be psychologically motivated for specific activities, being it snorkeling, walking, surfing, fishing, canoeing and so many more.
Remember Malaria____________________
It’s difficult to think unpleasant when planning holidays, but in Mozambique you do have to remember malaria. And though some areas are mosquitoes free, the wisest approach is carrying with you the preventive stuff (sprays, creams, nets…) and also the cure medicine – just in case.
____________________Don’t Miss the Fun
Remember to include in your must have list: sunglasses, hat, sun block and a good after sun lotion. If you are absent minded and forget about sun protection, you are going to miss most of the fun.
Order Right__________________________
Don’t expect sophisticate restaurants or elaborated menus. However, few places in the world offer the same possibility of eating fresh fish and tasty prawns like in here. That’s what you should order. And wine or a nice Mozanbican beer to go with it… A few memorable meals of a lifetime happen to happen in Mozambique. Sophistication: zero! Taste and freshness of products: top score! Sometimes we forget what eating unpolluted is until we eat again.
_______________________Think Comfort
Accommodation is still scarce, expensive and sometimes of very questionable quality. You should require at least a few pre-conditions. I mean cleanness, no cockroaches, etc. Things like air conditioner can be regarded as a luxury elsewhere, not in Mozambique. If you ask the right questions to the right person, you’ll have a fair description of the place where you intend to stay.
Ten is a Crowd_______________________
Except for cities like Maputo or Beira, beaches are very clean, unpolluted and deserted. Ponta do Ouro is an exception during holidays, when it becomes really crowded with South African tourists. As for the rest, you can spend a morning without seeing a single soul or face the possible worst: a sudden invasion of a holidaying group, usually no more than ten people. After hours enjoying the feeling that you are the only one on the planet, any group of people may seem a menace to your privacy.
______________________Enjoy and Relax
If you are not into sand and water, don’t worry. There’s plenty of other things to do! Why not just relax and enjoy what you usually like, as reading or listening to your favorite tunes? You’ll experience a completely different way of enjoying your day-to-day moments.
Be Nice______________________________
If you want to know a bit more about local people, the first thing that you will notice is how poor they look. The second is how nice, relaxed and unaffected they are. My suggestion is: be nice and careful as you should be with anyone you don’t really know. Unpleasant things may happen if you are permissive or aggressive.
___________________________Be Careful
Once you arrive there, you are on your own. Knowing that there are no coast signs, no lifeguards or any other health support to count on, carefulness is the main issue of this list.
Be Active____________________________
If you picked a resort you will have access to the activities they offer, usually no more than 3 or 4 options like diving and fishing expeditions, boat rides or local tours. You always have the chance to organize other nice activities by yourself, such as: walking, reading, listening to your favorite tunes, etcetera.
___________________________Buy Local
Besides children and fishermen, the third element in terms of human landscape on local beaches is ambulant sellers. Unless the beach is very remote, you will be asked to buy all you can imagine, from bed pillows to electronic equipment. If the beach is far from any village, the offer decreases substantially to fish, fruit and crafts.
Best Friends__________________________
Stray dogs are part of the beach landscape too. They are usually very friendly. For quite sometime I worried with the idea they could have no one to take care of them, but now I believe they belong to local fishermen or even resorts along the coast. Beach dogs are great company for walking and running.
_______________________Save the World
If you think Mozambican beaches are beggar free, guess what? You are wrong. Some are protected, but for the most you surely will be asked to solve a few people’s immediate needs. If you give money to one, soon you will have a begging army around you. The right move is to have boiled eggs or cookies. That shall be enough to make sure the ones approaching need real food. You will be surprised how much more grateful they are, especially children. By giving food you solve a specific situation. Money usually ends up in the hands of older boys or a family member. Maybe it’s going to be drunk or used some other wrong way.
Collect What’s Wrong_________________
If you are not the sitting until you look like a brownie type, you will find a lot to entertain you. Why not picking shells or taking pictures? Sometimes I even collect rubbish when I am feeling particularly energetic. In 2km of beach you can find 5 to 10 items spoiling the scenery. When you leave you feel like you left behind a better place. It’s sort of a contribution for a day well spent.
________________________Think Sharks
Sharks exist in Mozambican waters and there are no safety nets around beaches. You have to think sharks before you go swimming. Encounters are rare, but they happen from time to time and usually with dramatic results.
A Warm Swim_______________________
Sea water all long the extensive coast is warm, depending on the season and latitude. From my own experience, water can be either hot like a soup or perfect for a swim.
__________________The World on a Bike
Country roads in Mozambique are full of people who seem committed to carry the world from somewhere to anywhere. Usually women transport heavy containers over their heads, executing a sort of dance-walk with notorious lightness and equilibrium. Men’s favorite transportation system is by bike, where they carry anything from wife to goats or mattress.
Blue Bath___________________________
Blue and green. In fact, plenty more blue than green. Prepare yourself for a blue bath in any Mozambican beach. Hope you like the color and enjoy it to the last consequences. Besides deep blue, you can still (last hour negativity) expect the purest air to breath. You start to feel your brain working perfectly and soon you will find yourself making plans for life. Wanting to change yourself. Or the whole world.
__________________________Speed Kills
Road blocks are not so frequent as they used to be – frequent and understandable upsetting in a country with a past history of decades of war. These days there are only the usual traffic control blocks, mainly in the vicinity of villages where speed limits are easily forgotten. You should speak with someone wise before venturing Mozambican roads. Though, my immediate suggestion is be nice. Unless you have done a really bad mistake, you will be able to talk the situation through.
Be Sophisticated______________________
If there’s a thing to learn with Mozambicans is sophistication. Even in the poorest remote communities you will find women and men concerned with their image. Fishermen wives work hard but they still take care of themselves. Homemade face creams, colorful nails and complicated hair styles are common. It’s really a good surprise witnessing their colorful vanity. So don’t be afraid to be sophisticated too. That’s something local people are going to understand and appreciate.
_________________________Be Prepared
When I travel through Mozambique I try to be prepared for the better and the worse. Usually it’s the best I step into but sometimes we have bad experiences too. I remember discovering children drunken during the traditional drinking period. People drink fermented maize and sometimes children are authorized to participate. It’s a really sad sight. Tradition and isolation force us to face aspects completely opposite to our social and cultural background. How difficult it might be to witness, I don’t think wise to interfere. Important changes in a society have to come from within, through education and better standards of living.
