Mozambique is a popular destination for budget travelers from South Africa and abroad, thanks to its good weather, excellent surfing and diving opportunities, and relatively cheap accommodation and transport costs. Travelers generally start their trip in Maputo and spend a few days exploring the city before venturing into the more rural parts of the country.
Maputo is the capital of Mozambique, and it’s worth spending a couple of days in Maputo before traveling further north up the coast. Maputo has a number of budget accommodation options, and there are a number of affordable self-catering hostels and guest houses that have opened in different parts of the city due to the increased demand for budget accommodation. Maputo’s most popular tourist attraction is the bustling fish market north of the city on the Costa do Sol, where you can buy every imaginable type of seafood.
After spending time in Maputo, budget travelers often head to Xai-xai or Tofo. Xai-xai is a small town along the coast. There are minibus taxis from Maputo to Xai-xai, and the journey takes approximately 5 hours on gravel roads. The Xai-xai beach area attracts tourists looking for a stress-free and relaxed beach holiday. It is a less commercialized area and has no real hostels that provide accommodation for backpackers. It does, however, have campsites for travelers with tents, and there are also several affordable guest houses in the area. Xai-xai beach is clean and unspoiled due to the relatively low number of tourists visiting the area.
Tofo is the other popular destination for budget travelers and is further north than Xai-xai. Tofo is about an 8-hour drive from Maputo and a 30-minute drive from the bustling city of Inhambane. It has several hostels and budget accommodation options, the most popular being Fatima’s Nest and Bamboozi Beach Lodge. Travelers in Tofo can sign up for one of the many PADI scuba courses on offer, and the dives take place along Tofo’s coastline, which is rich in marine life, including whale sharks, manta rays, and many species of fish. . Tofo Beach is also a popular surf spot due to its barrel waves that provide excellent surfing conditions. Tofo gets very crowded during the peak holiday seasons, and is particularly busy in December and January.
Mozambique has much to offer budget-minded travelers looking for a truly African experience. It offers unique and exciting activities that can’t be enjoyed anywhere else in southern Africa, and it’s still cheap because it’s a relatively obscure destination that hasn’t been commercialized much yet.
