Located on the southeast coast of Africa, Mozambique is an enormous country encompassing nearly 199 million acres with a coastline stretching roughly 2,500 kilometers along the Indian Ocean. The area was first discovered by Vasco de Gama in 1498 and colonized by the Portuguese in 1505. In 1975, Mozambique was granted independence and became the People’s Republic of Mozambique. For 2 decades, however, Mozambique was inaccessible due to a protracted Guerilla warfare but since 1992, the Mozambicans have toiled to rebuild the infrastructure and embarked on one of Africa’s largest conservation projects to date in the Gor ongosa National Park.

The Portuguese colonial and linguistic heritage can still be felt in the capital of Maputo, a fascinating and colourful city with an upbeat tempo that incorporates both modern and traditional cultures.

Cobbled streets and stately colonial-era buildings juxtaposed with urban pavement cafes alive with Marrabenta (Mozambican dance music) make it one of the hottest, chic cities in Africa.

Known as ‘the home of smiles’, Mozambique is home to 21 million people, who are warm-hearted and welcoming to their non-commercialised country.

Mozambique is fast becoming a rising star in international tourism offering spectacular scenery, remote wilderness, excellent water activities and some of the world’s best diving. It has so much to offer those who venture here: long, dune-fringed beaches, magical offshore islands, turquoise waters abounding in shoals of colourful fish, well-preserved corals, remote archipelagos in the north, pounding surf in the south and graceful dhows with billowing sails. The south boasts dramatic sunsets over sand dunes and lush coastal bush teeming with indigenous birdlife, whilst the north is one of the most bio-diverse marine areas in the world. Add to this colonial-style architecture, pulsating nightlife, a fascinating cultural mix and vast tracts of the bush.

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