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Guiding you from the border post to

Manta da Barra Lodge

Driving from Pretoria or Johannesburg, it is approximately 4 – 5 hours drive to the Komatiepoort border. Manta Da Barra Lodge is approximately another 480 kilometers (6-7 hours drive) from Maputo.

At the border post
Border times:

• Komatipoort (Ressano Garcia) - open every day of the year between 07h00 – 22h00. During the busy December period (generally from 20 December to 03rd January) this border stays open 24-hours.
• Oshoek/Ngwenya (South Africa / Swaziland) – opens at 07h00, closes at 20h00.
• Kosi Bay/Ponta d’ Ouro (Faranzela ) – opens at 08h00, closes at 17h00.
• Namaacha/Lomaacha (Swaziland/Mozambique) – opens at 07h00, closes at 18h00.

Entry procedures:

South African side (Komatiepoort) - First fill in your vehicle / goods export form, in which you fill in the particulars of the vehicle you are driving. There is also space for trailers, boats, camera’s, fridges, generators etc. List all the items you want to bring back to South Africa, in order to prevent any problems at departure and entry. You must also enter the amount of days you want to spent in Mozambique on this form. Put a couple of extra days for anything unforeseen, like a breakdown. You will be fined 500 meticais per day for days exceeding the days indicated on the Import Document. After going through this procedure, get a gate pass and then get your passport stamped.

• Mozambique side (Ressano Garcia) - Get your passport stamped - You have to pay R15.00 / person; take out the compulsory 3rd party insurance (R 150.00 / vehicle); buy the compulsory temporary import permit for all vehicles - including boat trailers (payable in meticais Mt 30 000 (approx. R15.00) – There is a bank at the border should you not have meticais or else there are always people selling meticais at the Border on the SA side – it is safe safe to buy from them. Make sure that you get the right amount of money for what you are exchanging – ask them what exchange they are offering – at the moment it is about 3.2 Meticais to R1.00. You can work on a 3.2 to 1 ratio, but this may vary from time to time.

• Attach the insurance form, the registration form of you car and the temporary import form. If you are stopped in a roadblock they will ask you for
these forms.

Now you are really on your way!

The road from the Border to Maputo is a new tollgate road and you can pay with meticais or rands. When you reach MAPUTO, drive until you reach the first robot and turn left on the double road. There is another tollgate on this road. Here you can only pay with meticais. A few km’s after the tollgate you will get a slipway to the left with ‘n signboard indicating the route to Xia Xia. Turn left and keep on this road, it will take you to Xia Xia and Inhambane. It is on this road, after approximately 36 km’s that you will find Casa Lisa and Blue Anchor Bay on your left hand side.

The first big town you will find is MASIA. Next to the BP Service Station is a thatched roof restaurant where tourists can grab a bite to eat for breakfast. The service is quick and efficient. If you want to buy cashew nuts, this is the place. There are plenty at a cheap price. Please inspect them for quality before buying.

When you reach XIA XIA you must fill up with fuel. This will see you through to Inhambane, which is 260 km away. The first 80 km from Xia Xia to Inhambane is the only bad piece of road left. Please drive slowly and carefully because you can easily lose a tyre in a pothole. After 80 km, the road has been rebuild and is in good condition.

The first big town after XIA XIA is QUISICO. There is a beautiful picnic spot with a view over the lake and the sea. Fuel is also available in this town.

The next big town is INHARIME. There is a petrol station 1 km out of town on the left side of the road. You are now about 100 km from Inhambane.

From there it is about 60 – 70 km to s small town called LINDELA. The road splits here, with the left-hand split taking you on to MAXIXE and BEIRA. Here you must turn right to Inhambane. Watch out for the turn off as you can easily miss it. From here it is approximately 40 km’s to Inhambane. As you reach INHAMBANE, please be on the lookout - there are speed humps that are not clearly marked and this can damage your car or trailer. Carry on straight with this road, go past the hospital and the graveyard. The estuary is on your left side. Carry on till you get the harbour and the jetty on the left, on the opposite side is a double road (Broad Road – DA Independecia).

Turn right here. Follow the road, which passes the Petromoc Service Station. If you need to fill up, do it now or other wise continue to the elongated circle and turn right (going around the back of the circle). This is the road to Tofo and Barra. Cross over a derelict railway line and continue with this road which will eventually bear right (Inhambane airport will be sign-posted straight-ahead). Continue with this road for approximately 20kms until you reach the Bar Babalaza Restaurant on your right. The road splits here, with the tar road to the right leading to Tofo and the dirt road to Barra. Continue straight ahead with the hard sand road (approximately 5-7kms) and turn right at the Manta Da Barra Lodge sign-board, which is situated with various other signboards on the right-hand side of road.

We recommend that you deflate your tyres to approximately 1 bar at this point, as the road to Manta Da Barra Lodge is very sandy – suitable for 4x4 or all-wheel drive vehicles which have sufficient road clearance. Passenger vehicles will get stuck!

Follow the road (Lighthouse Road) for approximately 1,2 km’s. Manta Da Barra Lodge is situated Just before the Vodacom aerial to the left, and the entrance is marked with a signboard.

You have reached your destination…..Welcome to Manta da Barra Lodge!