Inhambane 'The Land of Good People'
Tofo is a small friendly beach town situated in the province of Inhambane, a southeastern region of Mozambique.
Timezone - 2 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+2)
Capital - Maputo
Language - Portuguese and English
Climate - Tropical
Wet season Oct - Mar
Dry season Apr - Sept
Average temperature ranges in Maputo are from 13 to 24 °C (55.4 to 75.2 °F) in July to 22 to 31 °C (71.6 to 87.8 °F) in February.
History
Historically a small fishing village, Tofo sits on the Indian Ocean and is now a famous diving and tourist destination catering for budget travellers to 5 star. Mozambique is a friendly and vibrant country with a history of many different cultures bordering with Malawi, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia, South Africa and Swaziland.
Food
The food served in Mozambique, and Tofo is excellent, and the seafood is superb. Mozambican beer is popular, as are South African wines and beers. The local cuisine is mainly Portuguese, with Far Eastern influences. Specialities include Piri-piri chicken (chicken with spicy chilli sauce), Shellfish and Delagoa prawns with piri-piri sauce, rice with matapa (ground peanut and cassava leave sauce), and wuza (maize porridge).
Visa requirements
A waiver of the requirement for a visa for entry into Mozambique covering 29 countries took effect 1.5.2023. The nationals of those countries are authorised to travel to the Republic of Mozambique without prior registration and must, upon entry, pay a fee equivalent to 650 meticais [€9.20] and submit the three documents usually requested. These are a passport or equivalent document valid for at least six months, a round-trip flight ticket (for those travelling by air) and proof of the place of accommodation are required.
The countries covered are: Portugal, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Belgium, Canada, China, South Korea, Ivory Coast, Denmark, United Arab Emirates, Spain, United States of America, Finland, France, Ghana, Indonesia, Ireland , Israel, Italy, Japan, Norway, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Russia, Senegal, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland and Ukraine.
The other visitors still require a visa to enter Mozambique. Currently it is possible to obtain 1 on arrival at Maputo or Vilanculos airport, but please check what the latest information is before you set off. Tourist Visas are 30 days, and only Visas obtained in advance can be extended by another 30 days in nearby Maxixe. Those visas on arrival will only have a validity of 30 days.
Getting Here
Main airports include Maputo and Johannesburg. The closest airport is Inhambane, flying with LAM and is a 30 minute drive from Tofo. You can also fly to Vilanculos and we can organize transfers to Tofo. There are buses from Maputo with Etrago which takes approximately 10 hours and costs around €20. We are able organise private transfers from Maputo and the prices start from €500 return trip. For more details please get in touch.
Car rentals are available from Maputo and Johannesburg. The roads are suitable for long distance and generally safe. A 4x4 vehicle is not necessary but could be recommended if you wanted to explore more remote areas outside of Tofo.
Please note 29.9.2023! Mozambique’s flag carrier LAM will be linking Johannesburg, South Africa, to Inhambane. The company operates the flights on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
What else to do in Mozambique?
Mozambique has a vast 1,430 miles of palm lined coastline. As the country is relatively off most travellers radar, it attracts a certain laid back traveller that's ready for adventure and experiences!
Inhambane is the closet town and airport to Tofo. It's home to a number of traditional and western restaurants and has a large African market. It's faded architecture is its most redeeming feature with remnants of the countries Arabic, Africa and Indian influences.
To the north of Tofo is the fishing town of Vilanculous. From here you can take a boat tour to the beautiful Bazaruto Archipelago: islands of white sand dunes and turquoise coral rich waters.
Gorongosa is the closest national park, however it is still in rehabilitation after the civil war and doesn't compare to the abundance of wildlife in the neighbouring South African parks such as Kruger. Sanctuaries and the reintroduction of the larger mammals has begun. It is still an incredible landscape of savannah, forest and wood plains home to much birdlife.
Maputo, the country's capital is a lively and culturally vibrant city, with some of the best architecture in Mozambique. A large selection of restaurants, live music events and art exhibitions make this a place worth visiting.
Ponta D'Ouro is a colonial-era town south of Maputo, and is also home to many of the Megafauna found here in Tofo. Be careful to time your stay here as it is a popular destination with South African tourists and accommodation can be booked up fast.
If you need help planning your trip, we'd be happy to help!