Beach bumming Mozambique

[sidetrack]

So Bots cutlines, Koakoland, Moz beaches or Lesotho rocks - if you had to choose your favourite ?

That is easy - all of them, why do I need to chose?

Just for a bit of fun if one had to choose one must do trip. My dad used to go on family trips when he was a boy from Pta to Xai Xai in an old Ford. Must have been quite an adventure for them.

 

[ButtSlider]

This is epic. Well done and thanks for sharing.  :thumleft: :sip:

 

[ROOI]

Really enjoying the report thanks  :thumleft: :thumleft:

 

[Slaaiblaar]

What n nice RR and sure it was epic. I love Mozambique and a trip like that is on my bucket list

Your pic of the old hotels just past Xai-Xai made me think of these pics

Extreme  Fridge buying

 

[wilfwalk]

Hi Xpat, thanks again for a super trip report and equally great photos. Never having been to Moz before, having been put off by the numerous reports of intolerable treatment by officials and police, I find myself thinking of getting to these resorts by means other than travelling by road.  Perhaps the Dept of Tourism and the police and border officials need to sit down and plan how to encourage tourism, rather than the opposite, but that's for them to figure out.
Do you submit your trip data to Tracks4Africa ? The single track parts would not help the 4x4 community, but the rest would surely be appreciated.

Thanks for taking the time and trouble - appreciated.

 

[ClimbingTurtle]

Hi Xpat, thanks again for a super trip report and equally great photos. Never having been to Moz before, having been put off by the numerous reports of intolerable treatment by officials and police, I find myself thinking of getting to these resorts by means other than travelling by road.  Perhaps the Dept of Tourism and the police and border officials need to sit down and plan how to encourage tourism, rather than the opposite, but that's for them to figure out.
Do you submit your trip data to Tracks4Africa ? The single track parts would not help the 4x4 community, but the rest would surely be appreciated.

Thanks for taking the time and trouble - appreciated.

If you want a trip, go via north Kruger Park (no bikes in the KNP, but arrange a lift), cross at Pafuri border post and drive to Vilanculos - I did this a while back - brilliant drive!! The border is easy too!

 

[wilfwalk]

If you want a trip, go via north Kruger Park (no bikes in the KNP, but arrange a lift), cross at Pafuri border post and drive to Vilanculos - I did this a while back - brilliant drive!! The border is easy too!

Thanks, that sure is a consideration ! Would be good to add some time into the trip and visit KNP as well. Thanks !

 

[Swazi Phil]

In future you can use the Siteki / Goba border post, its open 24hrs and is a lot smaller than the border you used, its usually hassle free.

Great trip, thanks for sharing.

 

[RobLH]

Hi Xpat, thanks again for a super trip report and equally great photos. Never having been to Moz before, having been put off by the numerous reports of intolerable treatment by officials and police, I find myself thinking of getting to these resorts by means other than travelling by road.  Perhaps the Dept of Tourism and the police and border officials need to sit down and plan how to encourage tourism, rather than the opposite, but that's for them to figure out.
Do you submit your trip data to Tracks4Africa ? The single track parts would not help the 4x4 community, but the rest would surely be appreciated.

Thanks for taking the time and trouble - appreciated.

Had zero hassles with the cops over December / January en route to Malawi and back.

 

[sidetrack]

In future you can use the Siteki / Goba border post, its open 24hrs and is a lot smaller than the border you used, its usually hassle free.

Great trip, thanks for sharing.

Good one thanks, quite small and one would guess a lot less scammers around but then you need more paperwork for Swaziland as well ?

 

[RobLH]

Nope, Swazi very easy to get in and out of. No forms to fill out, they scan your passport and you pay 50 ront road tax 

Sorry Xpat, hijack off. Carry on the good work  :thumleft:

 

[alanB]

If you want a trip, go via north Kruger Park (no bikes in the KNP, but arrange a lift), cross at Pafuri border post and drive to Vilanculos - I did this a while back - brilliant drive!! The border is easy too!

Thanks, that sure is a consideration ! Would be good to add some time into the trip and visit KNP as well. Thanks !

I've done that trip in my Daihatsu Rocky a few times, its one of my favourite trips because its so quiet and rugged, until you get close to the coast.

Need to camp in the bushes though one night on the way in (although that's at least what we did).

 

[alanB]

Really nice rider report Martin  :thumleft:

Your bike looks great! Very well set up for this type of thing. Really must plan to get a 500 and do the same thing!

You are becoming an authority on this type of harder core travelling IMO  O0

 

[ClimbingTurtle]

If you want a trip, go via north Kruger Park (no bikes in the KNP, but arrange a lift), cross at Pafuri border post and drive to Vilanculos - I did this a while back - brilliant drive!! The border is easy too!

Thanks, that sure is a consideration ! Would be good to add some time into the trip and visit KNP as well. Thanks !

I've done that trip in my Daihatsu Rocky a few times, its one of my favourite trips because its so quiet and rugged, until you get close to the coast.

Need to camp in the bushes though one night on the way in (although that's at least what we did).

We camped 2 nights actually - in 2006 the road was pretty rough as far as Mapai - took us 2.1/2 days to drive the 450km to the coast in 2 x Raider 4x4's - camped first night in a clearing next to the Limpopo and next night at a place we called "Iron Bridge" - fantastic trip - inspite that there were still MANY Danger - Landmine signs right next to the road, maening you dont dare step off the road....

 

[Brucet]

If you want a trip, go via north Kruger Park (no bikes in the KNP, but arrange a lift), cross at Pafuri border post and drive to Vilanculos - I did this a while back - brilliant drive!! The border is easy too!

Thanks, that sure is a consideration ! Would be good to add some time into the trip and visit KNP as well. Thanks !

I've done that trip in my Daihatsu Rocky a few times, its one of my favourite trips because its so quiet and rugged, until you get close to the coast.

Need to camp in the bushes though one night on the way in (although that's at least what we did).

We camped 2 nights actually - in 2006 the road was pretty rough as far as Mapai - took us 2.1/2 days to drive the 450km to the coast in 2 x Raider 4x4's - camped first night in a clearing next to the Limpopo and next night at a place we called "Iron Bridge" - fantastic trip - inspite that there were still MANY Danger - Landmine signs right next to the road, maening you dont dare step off the road....

Agreed really nice trip. On one of the trips, we were cut off between two flooded rivers between Mapai and Pafuri which caused us to set up camp for two days. When we eventually got back to Pafuri we found that the whole of the Northern parts of Kruger had been evacuated due to flooding. They were shocked to see us. One of the best trips ever.
Just after you cross the limpopo at Mapai there is an old army base that you can visit also. Just dont drive off the roads as that place is full of landmines. In teresting also that in 1978 (i think or 79) Mapai was the site of a big shoot out invovling Freelemo, Renamo, Zim (Rhodesia) and SA. Over 2000 people were killed there.
Did you visit the "Zimbabwe de manyekeni (excuse spelling) open air museum? Aparently one of the trading posts related to the Great Zimbabwe ruins.

 

[Xpat]

Day 6 - Zavora beach to Tofo beach

I was lucky to wake up next morning albeit with slightly distorted vision. I'm no builder, but who the f@#k tars their cottages???? Unlike ClimbingTurtle, I'm not a fan of this establishment I have been here twice before and it just gets more and more dilapidated every time - and not in a charming kind of way...

I stumbled half blind out of that death trap and after about 20 minutes of fresh ocean air I got enough of my vital body functions re-established to be able to pack up and bugger off.

Objective for the day was Tofo beach only about 110 km away on relatively easy tracks that I have done twice before already on heavier bikes:

So I took it easy and soaked up the morning scenery with people just waking up and going about their daily business. Here locals hiding behind tall grall doing their laundry in the lake:

The tracks were the variation of the prior day's riding - little footpaths that in placed turned into jeep tracks running through palm tree alleys, dense tropical vegetation and over rolling sandy dunes:

 

[Xpat]

About half way through I came to Legogo - small town with the charm of wild west town on Mexican border in a midday heat:

Local school:

After the Legogo it was more or less the same track until I came to the dune field where I took detour across the dunes to a resort on the beach I have visited last time I was here. If I remember correctly I haven't fallen yet on this trip (at least in Moz - I have dropped the bike once in Swaziland trying to jump over fallen palm tree), so I had a lot of catching up to do. Which I did in the bloody dune field which dropped me on 15 or so km going probably 3 times.

When I arrived at the beach resort, the place seemed basically abandoned. The bar and restaurant were closed and there was no one to be seen - quite sad sight really as the location is great:

Eventually the owner - an middle aged Saffer living for a long time in Moz showed up with a friend and invited me for a tea to their house where their respective wifes were hairdressing each other (hope that isn't a code word for something kinky). I got my tea and we had nice chat about the life. The resort indeed wasn't prospering and if my memory serves me right they were looking either into selling the place. It is a shame as it is a nice place bot for some reason that now elludes me they were able to get enough customers in. They blamed to an extent government and some of their policies that were according to them scaring away tourists, such as the whole Renamo conflict and things like hassle on the border I have experienced.

Anyway, they were nice hospitable people and I hope the situation turns for better for them. After I finished my tea I thanked them and moved on. I crossed the dunes back and hit the trail heading north towards Tofo beach, which was still about 20 - 30 km away.

Taking break just as I got out of the dunes (and buying few plots on the way):

The rest of the way was combination of the trademark Moz red sand roads and more of the little footpaths running along the coast, until I hit the tar road from Inhambane and took that for the remaining few km to Tofo beach:

I arrived at Tofo shortly after noon. Since my favourite place in Tofo - or rather outside of Tofeo, Bamboozi lodge has been shat down for few years now, I headed to the next place I knew - Casa Barry sitting slap bang in the middle of the town right on top of the main beach. It is expensive, but conveniently positioned with its restaurant and bar overlooking the main beach. A good place to rest a day or two after 6 solid days of riding, so I booked a thatched hut for a two nights and moved in:

I have spent the rest of the day on the beach and gorging myself in the restaurant & bar.

 

[Sheepman]

Love the report and pics a helluva lot.....the only thing I still simply cannot get my head around is the solo tripping  ( know you aint afraid of your own company etc. etc.....but still )

 

[Xpat]

Day 7 & 8 - Tofo beach, rest days


The originaly planned rest day turned into two when I run into some problems with my credit card on the day I arrived. I have basicaly tried to pay in the restaurant and it got declined with the slip saying so, tried again with the same result, and then repeated the whole process in reception in an attempt to pay for the accommodation. So far so good (I had cash reserve), but then I received confirmation SMS from my bank that all the payments went through. The receptionist tried to validate with their bank and they said the transactions went through. As a former bank employee with good idea of internal bank operations I dived into the call center people with gusto, but to no avail. The helpfull lodge manager found out somewhere that some kind of interbank payment interface went down in the whole of Moz and said it hopefully will be resolved next day. So I was into a waiting game.

Main objective next day - the first rest day - and one of the main objectives of the whole trip was to go and swim with a whale shark. I have tried and failed on my prior two visits here due to no shark on the first trip and bad swell on the other, so I was very keen to settle that score. I went first to the nearby diving shop, but they were fully booked for the day - not a good sign.

At least I have scored some malaria treatment pills from their doctor - I was feeling funny few days back in Bilene (no I wasn't taking any prophylaxis - though I had the pills on me  eepwall and it did remind me a bit of malaria symptoms - I had malaria 12 years ago in nortnern Mozambique of all places, so had personal experience. But it went away, so I just assumed it was just normal flu from getting soaked on the ride from Macaneta to Bilene. But I mentioned it to the Saffers with the lodge south of Tofo (the one they are selling), and they said I should rather get malaria treatment course which isn't expensive and take it anyway - it is not going to harm even if I don't have malaria. So that was the plan and now I had those pills to execute later on.

With that sorted I moved to the other diving shop across the town and there I got lucky - they had place available for their afternoon 'Ocean safari' tour and I booked it. Here some pictures of Tofo town to break the long text:

 

[Xpat]

I have spent the rest of the morning lazing about the beach getting more and more grumpy. I have a confession to make - I am not a beach bum at all. I can tolerate it for a day, but I get bored very quickly and the forced tranquility and cool leisuredness and joviality of the cats and kittens on the beach gets to my nerves. Yes, I am turning into old grumpy man. But after the exquisite riding that filled all my prior days, this felt like a letdown and waste of time.

Anyway, I distracted myself my taking pictures. I got particularly interested in what looked like surfing school for local kids - that looked pretty cool:

Finally the time has com to go and see the shark, so I grabed whatever I needed for that and headed to the dive shop still in foul mood. The dive shop was a hive of activity, they had plenty of people coming for the ride, most of them Euro backpacker types, many of them exprienced beach hoppers by the look of it (with their own fins and gopros strapped to their bodies and shit). We got the briefing, I got my fins, snorkle and googles from the shop and we walked to the beach, where we launched a boat and jump in. We have been riding (do you ride a boat?) around for a long time without so much as a glimpse of shark, dolphin or manta and in my mind I started to reconcile myself with the fact that this is going to be another failure.

But then other boats pointed us to a whale shark and the whole boat turned from tense searching to hive of excited preparation. When we got to position and got the go ahead we jumped into water and I got lost straight away. Clearly there were some pro shark swimmers who set-off at the speed of torpedo, while I was trying to figure out how the frigging snorkle works. It's been also long time since I have swam with fins (probably 12 - 13 years) so I was flailing hopelessly around, and of course I had water in my google. Neithless to say - I saw fuck-all. Some of the other managed to follow the shark for a while, but I just bailed and got back to the boat by now reconciled with the failure.

Luckily the tour guys, once everybody was back at the boat, took us for another turn getting ahead of the shark in the boat. This time I was slightly more successfull and sighted for a brief moment big shadow diving into the depths as one of the other tourists must have got too close. Not great, but better than nothing - especially as I was trying to leary how to use this whole snorkle/google contraption in the process.

Again - kudos to the tour company, they took us for third turn. This time I smartened up and left the stupid googles and snorkle. I also misuderstood the guide and heard her sceam 'wait' already flying over the side of the boat. That turned out to be an advantage as I was first in the water, and within seconds found myself face to face on colision course with moerse big fish. I flailed out of its way and to the side and succeeded in not freaking it out and turned around and tried desperately to swim with the shark for the next minute or so, which wasn't easy as that thing had some kind of turbines under its fins. I couldn't see them, but the sharks tail fin was almost motionless, and yet the thing was moving through the water at the warp speed. What also doesn't help was that as I had to turn now I was last in the row of overexcited tourists getting kicking in my face along the way.

But all that couldn't dampen the experience. I had a goose-bumps and all the grumpiness and foul mood were gone in an instant. I tried my best to keep up but eventually lost the animal, but I was completely satisfied and contentedly swam back to the boat with big smile on the face. That German guide chick probably haven't seen such pleasant eastern european yet (well if they saw the shark she might have). I have done the white shark cage dive about 4 times and been in most national parks in Africa and seen all the big 5 and stuff, but I have to say this was special.

Unfortunatelly I didn't have camerat that I can use under water so I asked an English guy who was on honeymoon and had some kind of cheapo casio camera on him if he could send me some footage and he kindly obliged. It is not great, but better than nothing:

And a little shaky video:

[youtube]https://youtu.be/zSy9XF--FOI[/youtube]​

The rest of the day I spent in the lodge restaurant in perfect contentment. I even almost started to like the beach. When the lodge manager informed me appologetically that the credit card snafu hasn't been resolved, I said no worries, I will wait one more day. And that is how I ended up with the second rest day in Tofo.