English
Español
中文
हिन्दी
FrançaisTravel and Tourism
Travel and Tourism in Mozambique
Travel alerts, currency, climate, transit, health, and safety information for visitors to Mozambique.
Practical Information
Travel alert status, currency, climate, and transit details.
- Travel Alert Status
- Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
- Time Difference
- UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Currency
- metical (MZM)
- Climate
- The climate in the plains and along the coast is warm and humid; the mountainous areas are cooler, although at times, equally wet. A hot, rainy season lasts from October to April. The rest of the year has a more moderate climate, with the coolest months in June and July. Rainfall is uneven and unpredictable; periodic droughts and floods occur. Mozambique experienced devastating floods in February and March 2000, causing loss of life and much destruction.
- Ethnic Groups
- indigenous tribal groups 99.66% (Shangaan, Chokwe, Manyika, Sena, Makua, and others), Europeans 0.06%, Euro-Africans 0.2%, Indians 0.08%
- National Holiday
- Independence Day, 25 June (1975)
- Geographic Coordinates
- 18 15 S, 35 00 E
- Location
- South-eastern Africa, bordering the Mozambique Channel, between South Africa and Tanzania
- Airports
- 158
Destinations
Regions and cities, top sights, national parks, UNESCO sites, and festivals for visitors.
Tofo Beach and the Whale Shark Coast
For generations of overland backpackers, budget travelers, and marine life enthusiasts, Tofo Beach in Inhambane Province has served as a kind of mecca: a stretch of Indian Ocean coast approximately 22 kilometers east of the historic town of Inhambane that combines world-class diving, spectacular marine megafauna, a laid-back social atmosphere, and a price point accessible to travelers on limited budgets. Tofo is not the most polished destination in Mozambique — it can be scrappy and crowded during high season, and the infrastructure is basic — but it possesses something that no amount of luxury development can manufacture: a genuine character that has been created by the community of travelers, local people, marine biologists, dive instructors, and permanent expat residents who have made it their home.
The marine life of the Tofo area is the principal attraction, and it is extraordinary by any measure. The bay at Tofo sits within a section of the Mozambique coast that scientists have identified as one of the most important aggregation sites in the world for both whale sharks and oceanic manta rays, and the opportunity to swim with these great animals in the open ocean is what draws visitors from every corner of the world.
Health and Safety
Medical facilities, vaccinations, disease risk, and sanitation conditions.
Medical facilities are rudimentary, and most medical providers do not speak fluent English. Medicines are not always consistently available. There are both public and private medical facilities in the city of Maputo and most provincial capitals. All health care institutions and providers require payment at the time of service, and may even require payment before providing service. While some private clinics accept credit cards, many medical facilities do not.