travel

Important Travel Information

.....on What to bring

Clothing

Fleece jacket or sweater and a warm jacket for cooler days and the occasional slightly chilly evening
Swimwear
A hat and sunglasses
Long sleeved shirts and long pants (light) for the evenings (it is important to cover most of your body for protection against mosquitoes - including wearing socks and shoes).
Sandals /Comfortable walking shoes

Shorts, T-shirts, Sarongs, Summer dresses etc - the dress code in Mozambique is very relaxed.

Documents & Formalities

• Driver’s license & ID Books – VERY IMPORTANT
• Passport must be valid for 06 months after return
• Vehicle Registration papers
• The following DO NOT require a visa:

1) Nationals of Mozambique
2) Stays up to 90 days for nationals of Malawi
3) Stays up to 30 days for nationals of Mauritius, South Africa, Zambia & Zimbabwe

• 2 x Emergency Triangles
• Registration papers for trailers.
• Please keep all documents close, as you can be requested to show them at any time, but don’t hand them over to anyone.

Other Items

• Sunscreen
• Camera film and batteries (these are not easily found in Mozambique)
• Mosquito repellent (Tabard, Peaceful Sleep, citronella etc.)
• Mosquito coils to burn in your chalet
• Malaria precautions
• Torch & candles (citronella candles are good for the mozzies too!)
• Snorkel, mask, fins, – most places that have a scuba operation offer these for hire
• Small medical kit with basic items - Hydrogen peroxide is very effective for insect bites and scratches. Also an ointment for insect bites and other basic supplies
• Lavender Oil and pure alcohol to disinfect wounds or scratches
• Beach umbrella

Small Comforts

• Bring extra fruit juice (sodas are available at all shops & markets but fruit juice is scarce)
• Your favorite South African wines
• & dips / chips and other snack food

You are allowed to take meat and groceries to the value of $50 (+R350.00) per person. A rule of thumb is to take meat for every second night. Prawns, crayfish, crab, calamari and fish are available for the rest of the time. Fresh seafood can be bought from the locals who come around to the resort or from the fresh produce market in Inhambane.

A new butchery has opened in Maxixe. They stock good quality meat from South Africa, but they are expensive. Maxixe is 70 km from Inhambane by road but you can take a water taxi called a Dhow across the estuary. The distance by water is 4 km.

.....on Portuguese vocabulary

Here are just a few Portuguese Phrases to help you:
• Good morning - Bom dia
• Good afternoon - Boa tarde
• Good evening - Boa noite
• Hello - Hola
• Goodbye - Até logo
• How much - Cuanto custa
• I am from - Eu sou de ...
• Thank-you - obrigado
• Excuse me - Faz favour
• Friend - Amigo
• How are you? - Como esta?
• I am fine - Muito bem obrigado
• Toilets - casa da banho
• We want to go to - Queremos ir a ...
• When - Quando
• Where - Onde
• House - casa
• Beer - cerveja
• Mineral water - agua mineral
• Bread - pao
• Chicken - frango
• Milk - leite
• Steak roll - prego
• Meat - carne
• Hot chips - batata frita
• Salad - salada
• How much? - Quanto custa?
• Too expensive - Muito caro
• I want to buy - Quero comprar

.....on Money

The currency is the Meticais (pl. Meticais, pronounced meticash). Exchange rate is about R 1.00 = Mt 3.2 but can change from time to time.

Take Rands or US Dollars CASH – Credit cards are accepted almost nowhere in Mozambique, except at most expensive resorts. Although a lot of the resorts accept Rands, it is good to exchange for use in the markets, shops and petrol stations (You can pay in Rands at the petrol stations, but you may get a bad exchange rate).
Exchange money at banks (closed for siesta between 12H00 – 14H00), local shops, even the markets – ask around. Money can be changed on the border with the locals (at the last filling station or just before the border), but don’t change all your money, as you’ll get a better exchange rate on the markets in Inhambane.
There is also ATM at all the banks, for example Bank Austral and B.C.I. Bank, they only take Visa Cards. The Millennium Bank takes Master and Visa cards. You can draw 3000 meticais at a time.

…..Medical precautions

Malaria

Malaria is a very real threat in Mozambique. Please follow these basic guidelines and you should be okay.

Prophylaxis – Larium (Mefloquin) or a Paludrine / Daramal combination is often used. Because they are so harmful, we also recommend the homeopathic equivalents. Please consult your doctor when buying any Malaria medication, as there can be side effects.
Repellants – citronella, Tabard, Mosquito coils etc is good to take with.
Herbal – aqueous ream with a few drops of citronella, eucalyptus, and lemon grass essential oils make for a wonderful moisturizer and it wards off the insects too.
Homeopaths also recommend taking a Vitamin B complex, which makes the blood sour, as well as garlic tablets.

Most major towns have a hospital or clinic. These places are fine to treat small problems, such as stitching. There is a hospital in Inhambane as well as a pharmacy. They are excellent for things like Malaria tests – the equipment is sterile and you get the result in 15 minutes – Unlike in South Africa, where it can take up to 12 hours!

There are three troublesome insects in Mozambique, they are the following:

1. Mosquitoes:
There are not a lot of them at Barra Reef. The reason is because there is no open fresh water. The only time they breed is when it rains a lot and they breed in the palm trees. Please remember that they are the carriers of malaria. Please use an insect repellant, burn coils and sleep under your mosquito net.

2. Palm Flies:
They are also known as “white ash”. They are very small and look like drifting ash. Please use repellant and take precaution, and if you see them, move into the cottage. They do not come inside.

3. Sand Flees:
When you have been in the sand, wash you feet up to your knees.
Manta da Barra Lodge has an excellent fumigation system intact and the occurrence of insects are minimal. However, we do advise that tourists still take the necessary precautions.

Recommended Immunizations

Cholera*, diphtheria, polio, TB*, tetanus, typhoid, malaria, meningitis*, rabies, hepatitis A, hepatitis B*

* recommended in some circumstances, travelers making 3 or more visits per year, stays of more than 3 months in a rural area, high-risk occupational groups & backpackers staying more than 1 month.
“It’s not as bad as it sounds, but prevention is better than cure”.

.....on Emergencies

If you are detained by the authorities or become destitute due to circumstances beyond your control, contact the consular section of the SA High commission at 41 Eduardo Mondlane Ave, Maputo. Tel (01) 490059 / 491614 / 493030 / 490587 (office hours) or 450031 / 33 (after hours)

Medical Evacuation Insurance is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. If you do not already have a policy covering the area of Mozambique, please contact Travel insure Travel Insurance / 0861 467873 - www.travelinsure.co.za

This policy does NOT cover your actual medical bills, however it does cover the evacuation by plane or helicopter with a doctor and paramedic on board from the closest airstrip to your destination to a hospital of your choice in South Africa. A small price to pay in the event that anything should happen to you while visiting Mozambique!

.....Sleeping over

Sleeping over makes the trip easier. There are comfortable, good value for money guesthouses and the hotel, the Border Inn in Komatipoort, just before the border. However, we would suggest that you go through the border and sleep on the Mozambican side. The reason being that during the night the traffic piles up and when the border opens at 6 am, there is already a long queue of cars and trucks, which can hold you up for an hour or two. About 8 km from the border on the Mozambique side is a guesthouse called CAMPO DO CASA. The rooms are comfortable and there is a restaurant, which serves real Portuguese piri – piri chicken.

The owner is Colin Smith and his South African number is: +27 82 439 6531 and his Mozambique number is: +25 824 905 520. From the Swaziland side you can sleep at CASA LISA 36km past Maputo or HONEY POT 15km before Xai Xai.