"If you're looking for stunning beaches, a fascinating history and off-the-beaten-track adventure then Mozambique might just be the place for you."
If you're looking for stunning beaches, a fascinating history and off-the-beaten-track adventure then Mozambique might just be the place for you. Still largely undeveloped and with limited infrastructure, this intriguing country on Africa's southeast shore is emerging from years of conflict as one of the continent's most exciting up-and-coming destinations.
Mozambique is primarily known for its beautiful Indian Ocean coastline, with miles of glorious white sand. The crystal clear waters are criss-crossed by dhows and inhabited by all manner of colourful marine life, including the rare dugong, reputedly the inspiration for sailors' tales of mermaids and sirens. Cities such as the buzzing capital, Maputo, offer an appealing mix of African culture and Portuguese colonial architecture, while inland you'll find idyllic lakeside retreats and vast game parks where the wildlife population is rapidly recovering after decades of civil war.
The remote and idyllic Quirimbas Archipelago has beautiful beaches and spectacular reefs in abundance, and is home to some of Africa's most appealing beach resorts.
Lake Malawi is known as Lake Niassa in Mozambique, and the eastern shore is less developed, with some wonderful eco-lodges amongst the baobab trees and sandy beaches.
Maputo is one of Africa's most likeable capitals, a sunny seaside city of broad avenues and Portuguese colonial architecture with an almost Mediterranean feel.
Mozambique Island is like Zanzibar without the crowds, an intoxicating blend of European, African, Middle Eastern and Indian cultures where dhows bob just offshore and the streets are lined by crumbling colonial buildings.
Gorongosa National Park once rivalled the Serengeti as a wildlife hotspot, and animal populations are slowly recovering from the devastating effects of Mozambique's civil war, with growing numbers of hippos, crocodiles, elephants and lions.