The 10 best Things to do in Unique Mozambique
What to do in Mozambique?
I have already written a lot about how beautiful Mozambique is, why it’s unique, and my Top 10 most beautiful places in Mozambique to visit. If you follow me a on social media, I’ve also revealed many unique accommodations.
Mozambique is best known for its beautiful untouched beaches, romantic island getaways, a warm, dazzling turquoise Indian Ocean, swaying coconut palms, and its fresh fish, lobster and shrimp.
It is an elongated country with a coastline of no less than 2,500 kilometers, but from east to west it is not that big as the crow flies. So yes, the ocean and coast define life in Mozambique. Already centuries ago, people migrated from the interior to the coast to trade and to fish. As a result, Mozambique has fantastic boat builders, for example.
Mozambique is so much more than just beach
But Mozambique is so much more than just a beach destination. In short, what can you do in Mozambique? Here are some of my personal favourites.
1. Scuba Diving and Snorkeling with Whale Sharks and Manta Rays
Mozambique is an incredible place for scuba diving and snorkeling. We ourselves came to Mozambique in 2008 to dive in the north near Pemba. The protected Bazaruto Archipelago – the first marine National Park in Mozambique – with its wondrous underwater world, almost extinct Dugongs and innumerable manta rays, is a paradise for scuba divers. The more unknown Morrungulo, about two hours south of Vilanculos, is also spectacular.
Tofo Beach is very popular among scuba divers because of the close proximity of many different reefs to the coast and lots of different sightings.
The far south of Mozambique – Ponta d’Ouro (near the border with South Africa) offers great opportunities for shark diving.
Mozambique is not as well-renowned for safaris and wildlife as other nearby countries. This is not surprising as the long civil war in Mozambique (1976 – 1992) left the national parks literally empty.
However, in the seventies the now rehabilitated Gorongosa National Park was the ‘Serengeti of the South’ and one of the most popular and spectacular wildlife parks in Africa. Many celebrities and stars visited this park back then, including John Wayne and Joan Crawford.
Twenty years of wildlife restoration and nature conservation efforts have brought back the wildlife haven it once was – an unprecedented success. The African wild dog – an extremely endangered mammal – lives in the park and it is fantastic to spot these animals here in the wild. The highly endangered and nearly extinct pangolin is also protected here.
Zinave National Park is Mozambique’s only Big Five park and was established in 1973. Since the end of the civil war in Mozambique, tremendous efforts have been made to restore Mozambique’s national parks. And with huge success!!! Zinave National Park became the first Big 5 park in Mozambique and is now a safe haven for the highly endangered black and white rhinos.
Watch my words, just 200 kms from the international airport in Vilanculos – gateway to the Bazaruto Archipelago, Zinave National Park will be the new star of Mozambique. We have visited Zinave several times by now and it is truly amazing. This is Africa at its best, with comfortable camping along the majestic Save River filled with hippos and crocodiles. Visiting a park which few people know about, is an unforgettable experience. Get in touch with me about a trip here.
A dhow is a traditional Arab sailing ship that is still widely used in daily life in Mozambique. Every the morning we see dhows slowly gliding by from our porch here in Vilanculos, while in the evening, their dark sails stick out against the sky like triangles as the fishermen return with their catch.
In Vilanculos many trips to the islands of the idyllic Bazaruto Archipelago are now organized by fast speedboat, which is great fun, but a sailing trip by traditional dhow is a very unique and relaxing thing to experience, a truly slow travel voyage.
You can visit one of the islands of the archipelago, or support the wonderful grassroots organization ParCo and search for the endangered tiny seahorses by the coast of Vilanculos, all by dhow.
On UNESCO World Heritage Site Mozambique Island (Ilha de Moçambique in Portuguese) you can sail around the island and see the UNESCO protected buildings by traditional dhow. An unforgettable experience.
5. Buy your dinner fresh from the beach - seafood and lobster-
Here in Mozambique, the beach is still mainly used for daily life, such as repairing the fishing nets and as a departure and arrival point for the local fishing dhows. Life is determined by the tides, the wind and by the weather conditions. How unique it is to buy a super fresh fish or lobster from the local fishermen which you can then grill on your barbeque. You won’t get it fresher and more local! A beach dinner by the fire on the Indian Ocean and under the stars, while enjoying a cold beer and with freshly caught fish is super fun to do. I’ll arrange it for you!
Many people don’t know that Mozambique has its own Stone Town. On UNESCO World Heritage listed Ilha de Moçambique (Portuguese for Mozambique Island), the first place where the explorer Vasco da Gama set foot on land in Mozambique, is bursting with unique activities to do.
A place where past and present intertwine, you will feel like you have arrived into another world, far away from modern life. Walk in the footsteps of the Arab traders and sleep in a Mozambican riad, one of the unique accommodations on the island, with a courtyard garden.
Take a walking tour of Stone Town and imagine yourself in a distant past, when the island was teeming with Arab, Swahili and Portuguese traders. Visit the fort (Fortaleza de São Sebastião), the fascinating museum and the Governor’s House and marvel at this fascinating island.
7. Visit the historic working-class neighbourhoud of Mafalala - the 'township of Maputo
The urban district of Mafalala (most probably derived from a form of dance in the northern Macua language called ‘M ‘falala) was built in Portuguese colonial times as a segregated area for Mozambican workers who were not allowed in the city center. The area attracted workers from far and wide from all sorts of regions, cultures and countries – from the Islamic north of Mozambique, the Comoros Islands and Zanzibar to Madagascar, India and Goa.
The neighborhood thus became a melting pot of many cultures and ideas and a breeding ground for artists, writers, poets and musicians. It became a place where artists, intellectuals, students and activists came together and political activism against colonial rule flourished. Mozambique’s first president Samora Machel, President Joaquim Chissano, soccer player Eusébio and other prominent figures in Mozambique lived in this neighborhood.
A must do tour in Maputo!
8. Visit the beautiful train station of Maputo and other sights
The imposing and impressive train station in Maputo (Estação de Caminhos de Ferro de Maputo) is a must see in the capital of Mozambique. A guided city tour that includes a visit to the station, the cathedral, City Hall, and the Iron House built by Gustaf Eiffel is a fun activity to do in Maputo. The botanical gardens are a wonderful and relaxing place to stroll around.
It was American John Kabat Zinn who brought mindfulness meditation to the west and showed how it could help with stress, sleeping problems, anxiety and depression. Apart from this, mindfulness can help you better understand your mind and help you find the stillness and peace we all have within ourselves but overlook it in our busy lives.
On vacation in a beautiful tropical destination like Mozambique, it is not so hard to relax. But what about when you get back home and quickly fall back into old patterns? Learn more about mindfulness meditation during your holiday in Mozambique and bring back some of these tools to your daily life.
Book a private session with Gerry, currently the only MA qualified Mindfulness teacher in Mozambique and join him for a truly unique meditation session on a stunning sandbank off the coast of Vilanculos.
Or how about a wellbeing retreat amongst the Big Five? In October we run a very special Bush Beach and Being Men’s Retreat in Zinave National Park & Vilanculos.
10. Marlin and Sport fishing in Mozambique
The Bazaruto Archipelago is not just a paradise for divers, snorkelers and beach and ocean lovers, but also for fishing enthusiasts from around the world. Sports fishing is a hugely popular activity here in Mozambique, and the Bazaruto Archipelago is a prime location to fish for black and blue marlin, sailfish, dorado, wahoo, tuna, king mackerel, and sharks amongst many others.
To be honest, before we moved to Vilanculos I had never heard of a marlin. When we became friends with Duarte Rato here, I learned about these giants which are closely related to swordfish and sailfish. They can weigh over 800 kg! People come here from all over the world to go fishing and to go marlin fishing with Duarte, one of the best marlin fishermen in the world.
Last November we had a guest in our guest room, who went fishing with Duarte for a few days. At nights he came back with all sorts of fish he happily shared, grilled to perfection on the BBQ. We love these guests!
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