Custom travel to Mozambique

Mozambique is one of the Indian Ocean's best-kept secrets: a coastal country of 801,590 km², 1.5 times the size of France, home to 33 million people, a former Portuguese colony independent since 1975. Nicknamed the pearl of the Indian Ocean for its 2,700 km of preserved coastline and year-round 26-29 °C waters, it holds more than thirty archipelagos with turquoise lagoons. Highlights include the Bazaruto Archipelago with exceptional lodges such as Anantara or Kisawa Sanctuary, the Quirimbas Archipelago, one of the world's most preserved marine ecosystems, UNESCO-listed Mozambique Island, and Maputo, the capital with art deco architecture unique in Africa. Allow 10 to 14 days for Bazaruto and Maputo, or 14 to 18 days for the Quirimbas.

Highlights

• Bazaruto Archipelago (Marine Park, dugongs)
• Quirimbas Archipelago (32 preserved islands)
• UNESCO Mozambique Island (16th-century Portuguese capital)
• 2,700 km of coastline and preserved beaches
• Maputo (colonial art deco architecture)
• World-top snorkeling and diving

Sample itineraries

When to go

May-November is the best period (dry season, pleasant temperatures 22-30 °C, calm sea, perfect diving). JUNE-OCTOBER: HUMPBACK WHALE observation (Bazaruto, Quirimbas). NOVEMBER-MARCH: WHALE SHARKS (Tofo Beach), marlin sport fishing (October-March). Avoid December-March (rainy season, possible tropical cyclones January-March on northern coast).

• Cool dry season (ideal) (May – August), All sites accessible, turquoise sea
• Humpback whale peak (September – October), Humpback whales at max, crystalline waters
• Hot dry season (November), Marlin fishing, whale sharks (Tofo)
• Rainy season (cyclones) (December – April), Possible lodge closures January-March

Practical information

Safe in tourist areas (Bazaruto and Quirimbas archipelagos, Maputo). CAUTION: AVOID CABO DELGADO (northern province, 2020+ instability with Daesh-affiliated activity, some northern coastal areas affected). Visa on arrival for French citizens ($50, 30 days). Mandatory yellow fever vaccine if arriving from endemic country. ESSENTIAL antimalarial (malaria present year-round, especially low coasts Bazaruto, Quirimbas, Tofo). Avoid tap water. Cards accepted in tourist hotels and Maputo, cash (USD or MZN) elsewhere. Portuguese omnipresent (official language), limited English outside tourist hotels, learn basic Portuguese phrases. Tipping: 10% in restaurants, $5-$10/day for guides and drivers.

Frequently asked questions

When?

May to November is the best period, the dry season offers pleasant temperatures (22-30 °C), calm seas, and excellent diving visibility. From May to August, the climate is coolest and driest (18-28 °C), ideal for every site. September-October marks the peak of humpback whale migration at Bazaruto and the Quirimbas, with crystalline seas. November remains a beautiful end to the dry season (24-32 °C), good for marlin sport fishing and the first whale sharks at Tofo Beach (November-March). Avoid December to March, the rainy season, with possible tropical cyclones on the northern coast between January and March, a period when some lodges close temporarily.

How long?

10 days are enough for the most requested itinerary: Maputo (2 nights, art deco capital) then the Bazaruto Archipelago (5 nights in a lodge, with domestic flights via Vilanculos). For the more remote Quirimbas, plan 12 days: Maputo, flight to Pemba, then 6 nights at Vamizi Island or Anantara Medjumbe and 3 nights at Ibo Island in its UNESCO colonial village. To combine culture and beach, 14 days let you add Mozambique Island (3 nights, former Portuguese capital) before reaching the Quirimbas (5 nights), with an optional 2-night Bazaruto extension at the end. Under 10 days, the flight time (12-15 h from Europe) and internal connections make the trip too dense.

Budget?

Expect from €4,500 per person for 10 days in Comfort (4★ hotels at Maputo and Vilanculos, accessible Bazaruto lodges like Marlin Lodge or Bahia Mar, LAM domestic flights included). The Premium level starts at €9,500 for 10-12 days, with the Polana Serena in Maputo, Anantara Bazaruto or Azura Benguerra, and Anantara Medjumbe at the Quirimbas, scuba diving included. The Exclusive level, from €18,000, covers 12-14 days at the country's rarest addresses, Kisawa Sanctuary at Bazaruto (up to $4,500/night) and Vamizi Island Lodge at the Quirimbas, with private Cessna charter flights. Add €1,100-€1,500 per person for the Paris-Maputo round-trip international flight with a stopover (Air France via Johannesburg, KLM via Amsterdam, Qatar Airways via Doha, or Ethiopian Airlines via Addis Ababa).

Visa?

A visa on arrival is issued at Maputo airport for EU, UK, US, and Canadian citizens, at $50 for a 30-day stay (payment in US dollar cash, bring exact change). Your passport must remain valid at least 6 months after your return date. The yellow fever vaccine is only mandatory if you're arriving from a country where the disease is endemic, check based on your full itinerary. An antimalarial treatment, however, is essential year-round, as malaria is present along the entire coastline, including Bazaruto, the Quirimbas, and Tofo.

Cabo Delgado safety?

Touristic Mozambique, Maputo, the Bazaruto Archipelago, and most of the Quirimbas, remains safe and easy to visit. The area to avoid is northern Cabo Delgado province, affected by instability linked to Daesh-affiliated armed activity since 2020, far from the main lodges. Most Quirimbas addresses (Vamizi Island, Anantara Medjumbe, Ibo Island Lodge) sit south of this risk zone and operate normally, but I systematically check updated security conditions before each departure and adjust the itinerary if needed. In the south, at Bazaruto, Maputo, and Mozambique Island, no particular restrictions apply.

Family?

Ideal for families (Bazaruto in particular, safe beaches, snorkeling, no marine predators). Quirimbas more adventurous from age 14.

How to get around?

LAM Mozambique Airlines domestic flights are essential to connect regions: Maputo-Vilanculos for Bazaruto (1.5 h), Maputo-Pemba for the Quirimbas (2 h), Maputo-Nampula for Mozambique Island (2 h), aboard small Embraer or ATR planes, with daily flights. To reach the islands themselves from Vilanculos or Pemba, a 10-to-30-minute Cessna charter flight is required. On the mainland, at Maputo and Vilanculos, I always book a 4×4 with a Portuguese-English-speaking driver; self-drive car rental isn't recommended outside the main cities, as road conditions make independent driving impractical for a first trip.

Diving: level?

Snorkeling accessible to all (reefs 50-200 m from beach). Scuba diving from Open Water (PADI/SSI). Certifications possible at Bazaruto and Quirimbas.

Combine?

Yes: Mozambique + South Africa (Kruger, Cape Town), Mozambique + Eswatini, Mozambique + Tanzania (Zanzibar), Mozambique + Madagascar.

Tips?

10% in restaurants. $5-$10/day for guides and drivers. 5★ lodges tipping at discretion ($10/day for butler).

How do I pay on site: card or cash?

Bank cards are accepted at tourist hotels and lodges and in Maputo, but cash remains essential elsewhere, at markets, small restaurants, and fishing villages. US dollars are widely accepted alongside the Mozambican metical (MZN); expect about 70 MZN per euro and 65 MZN per dollar. Bring small-denomination cash for tips ($5-$10/day for guides and drivers, 10% in restaurants) and for local crafts in villages.

Which region should I choose for a first trip to Mozambique?

For a first visit, the Maputo + Bazaruto itinerary (10 days) is the most chosen: the art deco capital for culture and Portuguese gastronomy, then Bazaruto Archipelago for some of the Indian Ocean's most beautiful beaches, easier access (1.5-hour flight from Maputo), and a range of lodges from Comfort to Exclusive. The more remote and pricier Quirimbas suit better a second trip to Africa or travelers seeking total exclusivity, with fewer than 5,000 visitors a year across the whole archipelago.