Inhambane

Inhambane is a sleepy historic town of 80,000 people (2017) some 485 km north of Maputo. It has some great colonial architecture (in a low-key sort of a way) and is considered by many to be one of the prettiest towns in Mozambique. It is situated on a peninsula overlooking a bay, and also serves as a springboard to the coastal resorts around Tofo beach (30 km due east, along a reasonably good road).

From Maputo
When entering Maputo on the toll road from Eswatini (Swaziland) or South Africa, take the EN1 highway north. The off ramp is signposted Xai Xai. The road is relatively good up to Xai-Xai (215 km north), but then deteriorates rapidly: potholes. Drive slowly, unless you are one of those people who believe that potholes are best tackled at speed, in order to "soar over" them. The bad road is only as far as Chidenguele, some 64 km north of Xai Xai. From here on, the road is in good condition.

Beware of petrol attendants at stations along the way; they have been known to take advantage of your unfamiliarity with the metical. One trick to watch out for: the attendant starts filling your tank, but then the pump "blocks". He says he must restart the pump, but since this will constitute a second transaction, he encourages you to memorise the first sum displayed on the pump's meter. He then restarts the pump from zero, clocking up a second transaction. Once the tank is full, he makes a careless arithmetical error in adding up the two amounts. This adding mistake somehow seems to work out in his favor.

Be careful and pay attention to speed limits, especially when approaching and leaving small towns on route. This is prime territory for traffic police who tend to demand unreasonable spot fines. Do not overtake on solid white lines. Remember to take 2 emergency triangles per vehicle or pay a spot fine if stopped and searched. Or you could take a bus from Maputo and avoid having to deal with the Mozambican police entirely.

To go further north (or south to Maputo), it is often necessary to pass through Maxixe, which lies on the other side of the inlet. While it is possible to go to Maxixe without stopping in Inhambane, if you do want to stop in Inhambane, the best way to get to the other side is the ferry. It leaves from the main dock, but please be wary of dhow sailors nearby trying to get you into one of their boats. The dhows, without motors, are slow and expensive, and sometimes don't even make it to the other side. The best way to go is by the ferry, which is quick (10 minutes at most) and cheap (25 meticals).

Do

 * Watersports Canoeing and Dhow trips are a wonderful and relaxing activity for all to enjoy, and not necessarily reserved for athletes.
 * Bazaruto National Sea Park
 * Mocucune Peninsula Visit to chase a chicken for the grill and drink a local beer.

Buy
If you are looking for footwear for the beach, the central market has a wider range of flip-flops than the shoe shops in town.

Eat
You can buy fish and seafood from the local people next to the main road or on the beaches, but be careful when buying items that needs to be weighed with a scale; some of the local people trick tourists by jamming their scales so that the item (fish) weighs more than the actual weight. In the end, the tourist is tricked in paying more. The advice is to take your own scale when buying food items.



Budget
One of the best places to pop in for a quick lunch and stock up on some great food...Is the Chilli Deli (Based at the only Filling station between Inhambane and Tofo).



Mid-range
The Restaurant Macaroca, in the centre of town, serves excellent seafood and chicken dishes at reasonable prices. It's managed by a Swiss, Dani, and his Moçambiquan wife.

Pensao Pachica is a guest house located on the bay of Inhambane about 300 m to the right of the jetty when facing the bay. It boasts a quaint bayside restaurant, bar and pizza parlour. Managed by Dennis Adams, a lovely host and excellent cook. (Crab curry is a must!)

Drink
Pachica is a good place with a variety of people to meet and greet. The Bar has a decent amount of stock with good variety, and Saturday is pizza day (some of the best pizza Moz has to offer). You are normally also lucky enough to meet a few people who are happy to share a few travel stories, and a beer.

Sleep
Many people stay at one of the many resorts located on the beach. These are lovely and inexpensive by world standards; however, they are culturally isolating. 95% of the guests will be white visitors largely from South Africa and Europe.