IMPORTANT FACTS WHEN TRAVELLING TO MOZAMBIQUE:

What to expect in Southern Mozambique

Vehicles:

• Vehicle Registration/ Licence Papers (all vehicles and trailers)
• 3rd party Insurance (one can buy it at the border or at the Total Garage in Kosi Bay for R 150.00)
• Letter from Insurance Company stating vehicle is insured for travelling in Mozambique
• Letter from owner (or bank) granting permission to cross the border
• ZAR decal on vehicle (Blue triangle decal on tow vehicle)
• Reflective vest!
• Tyre emergency inflator
• Spare keys
• Drivers Licence
• Passport
• We would suggest you fill your car in Kosi Bay/Manguzi before entering the border. Ponta do Ouro has a gas station, but their fuel is very expensive.

Map:

To get a better idea go check out Ponta/Malongane

Malaria:

• Southern Mozambique is a very low risk malaria area, we do advise you to consult your physician. There is a clinic in Ponta Do Ouro and a hospital in Manguzi, the last town on the SA side. There is also a lovely efficient local pharmacy in Ponta do Ouro.

Power:

• Please note that there is power outages sometimes in Mozambique. Please always come prepared!

Visa/Border:

• South African Passport holders don’t need a Visa!
• Foreign passport holders can obtain their Visa at the border and the cost is +- R 761.00 , if you prefer to get your Visa before arriving in Mozambique you may go visit your closest Mozambique Consulate.
• Johannesburg: 011 327 2942 | Pretoria: 012 401 0300 | Durban: 031 304 0200 | Cape Town: 021 426 2944

Alcohol:

• You may bring in 1 ltrs Spirits and 2.25 ltrs of wine

ATM:

• You can draw money in Ponta do Ouro, but you will receive cash in meticais!

Border:

• Kosi Bay border post and Ponta de Ouro is 10kms from the border.
• GPS coordinates for Kosi Bay border post: -26.864252,32.829391
• Car Lock-up area for those that don’t have 4×4 and using a border transfer – Available on the South African side of the border @ about R50.00 per day per vehicle. All vehicles are under 24-hour guard.
• Border Time: 08h00 – 17h00
• Travel time: Approx. 7-8 hours from Gauteng | Approx. 5-6 hours from Durban.

Climate:

• The region enjoys a sub-tropical climate with most of the rainfall being recorded between December and March. The summer months from November to April are characterised by warm temperatures accompanied by relatively high humidity levels whereas the winter months are moderate to warm with much lower levels of humidity.
• The warm waters of the “Mozambique Current” flow southwards from Madagascar to within 10 Kms of the coastline. The sea temperature generally tracks the land temperature and will go up to 28 degrees in the summer months and down to 21 degrees C in the winter months. This is an ideal ecosystem for the vast number of species of game and reef fish, dolphins, whales and turtles that traverse this area as well as for all of the other activities suited to an “all year round” warm water location.

Boats / Jet skis:

• Private boats, Jet skis and spear fisherman all need permits to be able to launch or fish. These permits can be obtained at the Maritime offices opposite Coco Rico on your far right. Jet Skies are only allowed for fishing and not for fun – we pride ourselves in living in harmony and responsibly with our surroundings.
• Launch permits 800mts | Fishing permits 400mts | Passenger permits 200mts | Spearfishing permits 600mts

Currency:

• The local currency is meticais and generally they work on an exchange rate of R1 = 3meticais / 3.5meticais. Rands are however accepted at all shops and restaurants. Ponta Do Ouro has a local bank.

Shopping:

• Ponta Do Ouro has a bank, bottle store, pharmacy, surf shops, fishing tackle shop, butchery, hardware store, petrol station, internet cafe, supermarket, (limited) craft and curio market and a colourful food market where you can buy fruit and veg grown locally, alcohol, cigarettes, airtime, prawns, cashews, bread, etc.

Water:

• Bring your own drinking water.

Fun Activities:

• There are numerous dive sites and coral reefs. This is a tourist destination to please any person interested in scuba diving, deep sea fishing, snorkelling, swimming on white sand beaches.  Swimming with the Dolphins is one of the major attractions of this area, we recommend the Dolphin Research Centre in Ponta D’oura. Surf fishing is good from the beach and local Deep Sea fishing Companies offer stunning fishing opportunities and can be arranged.
• Turtles lay their eggs between Nov and February on our beaches which you can witness if you take a calm stroll on the beach after dark. The hatchlings make their way to the ocean from Jan-March. Please never disturb the when they come out to lay eggs and refrain from touching them / their hatchlings at all times.
• Humpback and Southern Right Whale sightings are magnificent from July to Nov. Pods of dolphins can been seen all year round.
• Quad bikes, surf boards and kite surf boards can be hired, and lessons are available in Ponta Do Ouro.