While queueing at the Mozambique border post near Komatipoort, fending off the “runners” who were offering to speed our passage through the red tape in return for a healthy tip, I pondered what it is about Mozambique that makes me keep going back there.
After all, you can drive from Joburg to any number of KwaZulu-Natal coastal destinations in under seven hours, without dealing with the hassles of border-crossings or taking malaria tablets.
But our eastern neighbour has a certain untamed appeal and rat race-escaping allure. It’s a place for those seeking holiday reverie of a quieter sort, far from crowded KZN beaches with their wall-to-wall umbrellas and humanity jostling for elbow room, and pop music blaring from a sound stage.
There are places in Mozambique where you can stand on a sand dune and gaze from one horizon to the other without seeing another human being, but with some quality resorts and lodges dotted along the coastline it’s a wildness you can experience in comfort.
In December my family and I made the trek to a place called Rio Azul, a lodge about an hour north of a coastal town called Inhassoro accessible by either a 19-hour drive or a roughly two-hour flight from Joburg.
Flying is the effortless way to go, with the lodge arranging transfers to and from nearby Vilanculos Airport for a fee.
But the air tickets are expensive (about R5 000-R8 000 a person return, depending on dates) and if you’re on a budget the drive, whilst long, is pretty straightforward.
The main road along the Mozambique coastline is tarred and in very good condition for the most part, with only short sections that are rough and potholed. You’ll need a 4x4 though, to tackle the final 30km to Rio Azul which is accessible only by beach (for which you’ll need to buy a permit).
Rio Azul, meaning “blue river” in Portuguese, is a sun-licked, azure-watered oasis.
The four-star lodge is on a peninsula between the Indian Ocean and the Guvoru River estuary.
The lodge is situated right on the shores of the estuary with its thatched chalets overlooking it, while the ocean beach is behind just a 10-minute walk away.
There are six twin chalets, and two luxury villas which sleep six adults and six children and have their own swimming pool.
There’s no air conditioning but all the chalets have fans and an elevated deck from which you can watch the sunset over the estuary while sipping a 2M or Laurentina (Mozambican beers, to the uninformed). The stargazing’s spectacular too, thanks to Rio Azul’s remoteness, and at night you can lie on the deck and count the shooting stars zooming across the Milky Way.
It’s a luxurious lodge with upmarket trimmings and personalised service for more discerning travellers, but what I like about it is its lack of formality. It’s a barefoot paradise where you can chill out in your cossie without feeling obliged to dress up for supper, and it’s very family-friendly with a raft of amusements to keep parents and kids busy.
Activities included in the rate include non-motorised watersports like windsurfing and kayaking, while there are “tinnies” (aluminium boats with 15hp engines) available for guests to go fishing, snorkelling, exploring the estuary’s mangrove forests, and looking for pansy shells on the sand bars that appear in the estuary at low tide. Children also use the tinnies for wakeboarding, while a more powerful motorboat is available for towing the heavier adults.
Rio Azul specialises in fishing, and owner John van der Bijl is an experienced angler and boat skipper who’s been fishing Mozambique’s waters for more than two decades. This is an ideal place for anglers who can indulge in a variety of fishing techniques from fly-fishing, to light tackle lure fishing, surf fishing and deep-sea fishing.
Full- and half-day deep sea fishing excursions are offered for respectively R2 800 and R3 500 a person, with all the tackle and bait provided.
Or you can book an excursion to nearby Paradise Island (of South African Celebrity Survivor fame). Although Gigi’s not there anymore, the snorkelling is excellent.
Staying at Rio Azul costs R1 850 a person but out-of-season specials are available (check the website www.rioazul-lodge.com for details). Three meals a day are included (drinks cost extra) and it’s mostly buffet-style eating. The food’s fairly simple – don’t expect nouvelle cuisine – but it’s well prepared and of a good standard. If I have a criticism it is that there wasn’t much of a choice.
With a maximum occupancy of around 30 guests, Rio Azul never feels crowded. You can hang out with other guests in the communal area with its swimming pool, dining room and pub if you’re feeling sociable, but you can walk two minutes along the estuary and not see another person, building, or beach umbrella.
Remote, peaceful, and comfortably wild. - Saturday Star
If You Go...
l FLYING: Kulula, Federal Air and LAM airlines all offer flights to Vilanculos from either OR Tambo or Kruger Mpumalanga Airport in Nelspruit.
l DRIVING: From Joburg, drive along the N4 through Nelspruit and to the Lebombo border post at Komatipoort. At the petrol station just before the border there are agents exchanging money (the current rate is around 3.1 meticais per rand) and also selling the compulsory ZA stickers, travel insurance, two warning triangles and reflective jacket you need for your vehicle in Mozambique. Once past the border follow the road east and then in Maputo turn left (north) on to the EN1 towards Xai Xai. It takes 11 or 12 hours to reach Xai Xai from Joburg so it’s advisable to book overnight accommodation there, and then drive a further six hours to Inhassoro the following day.
l For more information contact [email protected]