Bargain flights to Mozambique

Mozambique (Moçambique) is a country on the Indian Ocean coast of Southern Africa. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Tanzania to the north and has inland borders with Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Swaziland. Mozambique’s eastern coastline along the Indian Ocean is more than 1,000 km long, a fantastic draw for scuba divers, fishermen, sailors and beach lovers. Almost five centuries of Portuguese colonization came to a close for Mozambique with independence in 1975. Large-scale emigration by European inhabitants, economic dependence on South Africa, a severe drought and a prolonged civil war hindered the country’s development. The ruling party formally abandoned Marxism in 1989, and a new constitution the following year provided for multi-party elections and a free market economy. A UN-negotiated peace agreement with rebel forces ended the fighting in 1992. Heavy flooding in both 1999 and 2000 severely hurt the economy. It’s now slowly working towards building stability and an economy, and is slowly positioning itself as a major tourist destination. With all it has to offer, the future looks bright.

All visitors (except citizens of Swaziland, South Africa, Tanzania, Botswana, Malawi, Mauritius, Zimbabwe, & Zambia) need a visa, and while there are rumors that some borders and airports may issue them on arrival, don’t count on it and obtain a visa before arrival. At the South African land border (Lebombo/Ressano Garcia) you can choose the currency in which you want to pay for your visa, meticais being slightly cheaper than rand.

The official language of Mozambique is Portuguese, though many people speak English in the capital Maputo and in touristed areas. The further north you travel the less likely you are to encounter English speakers, and as you enter more rural areas even Portuguese is limited.Swahili is useful in the far north of the country as you get close to Tanzania, especially along the coast. Some native words from the Shona language can be useful if you are traveling near Cabora Bassa.

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