Trip
My first trip to Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, was in January, 2019. I flew via Doha, Qatar, and this time I enjoyed the services of Al Mourjan Business lounge for my long hours stay till my second flight. The Hamad International airport is unique in many ways and I have described it in many other posts on this blog.
Al Mourjan Business lounge itself is a small miracle of internal design. It is situated on the third level of the transfer terminal across a vast area. The feeling of comfort and sense of luxury as common expressions can hardly describe what it really is. It offers a business centre, huge number of comfortable seats where you can relax, each of them with individual internet stations and charging points. A dining area, multiple quiet rooms, prayer room, smoking room and many self service bars offering a wide choice of coffee and refreshments complement the fantastic experience. The water feature is the cherry on top, with dropping water that leaves you with the feeling of watching an unprecedented clockwork design.
I was once again flying my favourite so far airline, Qatar Airways. Despite the not so best of the best experience this time, I stay positive about Qatar Airways and honestly believe they give their best to deliver top service to their passengers.
When I arrived at Maputo Airport I was nicely surprised by the fact that I was asked for my vaccination passport. The airport itself is a small one yet well organized. Baggage reclaim took some 30 minutes, there were shops in the arrivals hall and most importantly - ATM machines. Please note that ATMs restrict the withdrawal amount to 5000 MZN at most. I was told that it most probably had to do with the efforts of the Government against money laundry.
The weather
The weather in Maputo was pretty constant during the entire week of my stay - around 30 degrees Celsius during the day. It hardly ever dropped or rose significantly, even at night it stayed around 28 degrees. The humidity that the ocean brings is also worth noting.
Most of the days there was no wind at all, yet towards the end of my stay the weather became windy due to some storms to the North.
Cash or CC?
Although many places accept card payments, you will most definitely need cash. Taxis for example do only accept cash payments. The good thing is that ATMs are available across the city. I had a little difficulty with the ATM at my hotel though, which despite me choosing English kept providing me with instructions in Portuguese only.
Is it safe?
Well, this is the million dollars question when it comes to trips abroad. And the truth is that the answer to it depends on what you compare with. If I compare with Nairobi, I must say yes - Maputo seems like a relatively safe place. Local people were definite that people in Mozambique were friendly and tolerant to foreigners. One needs to keep in mind though that virtually all public buildings do have security guards in front, who, unlike Nairobi, are not typically armed and you do not need to go through a security check and a scanner when you enter those buildings.
At the airport and in other locations in Maputo I was however able to see trucks with heavily armed police and army forces. To a foreigner this might be frustrating to see AK47 in public.
In reality, I did not feel threatened in any way for the entire duration of my stay - people were friendly and willing to help. I did not feel threatened in Nairobi either, though, and just recently a terrorist attack just 1 kilometer away from the hotel I use to stay at took the life of 15 people.
Accommodation
I stayed at the Pestana Rovuma hotel, at the very centre of the business area of Maputo, next to the City Hall and the Catholic Cathedral. The hotel is very nice without being luxurious. The tall building has 12 floors with the restaurant and the outdoor swimming pool being on the second.
The rooms are nice and clean with an astonishing view to Maputo Bay, the Catholic Cathedral and the City Hall.
The breakfast at the restaurant is nice, offering plenty of fruit, some selection of chicken and pork ham, some cheese, eggs and sweets.
I was once served pretty undercooked chicken breast for dinner but received the expected apologies and a new dish very soon. The view from the restaurant terrace quickly erases such experiences and so do the friendly staff members.
The ground floor of the building also offers some shops where you can buy souvenirs, apparel and accessories.
Is water drinkable?
If you refer to internet to find out about this, you may find some contradicting information. I would normally take no chances and stick to bottled water, which you can buy in many places. The 1.5 litres bottles would cost you about 130 MZN (1.8 Euro) at the hotel restaurant.
Vaccines
According to the World Health Organization, the Yellow Fever vaccine is obligatory for Mozambique for travelers over 1 year of age arriving from countries with risk of yellow fever transition. Vaccination Certificates are required indeed at the airport upon arrival.
What vaccines or precaution is required for you will depend on many different things so you must seek a professional advice on that. What is generally recommended as vaccinations however is:
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Tetanus and Diphtheria
- Typhoid Fever
- Polio
- Rabie
- Meningococcal Infection
Malaria precautions
There is real malaria threat in Mozambique and I would strongly advise you to take it seriously. You must consult a professional before your trip for the most adequate advice on chemical and repellent protection!
Due to my trips to Africa being quite often, I could not take the luxury of chemical prevention as this would mean I would constantly be taking antibiotics. This is why I counted on the preventive measures, namely mosquitoes repellents.
What you may find useful is the information on the repellents I provided myself with and used throughout my stay. You really need to use them regularly on top of wearing long sleeves and trousers at all times, avoid having the windows of your room open in the evenings when mosquitoes are out, and also use a bad with a canopy where available.
Repellents
1.
A repellent containing the active substance DEET
(no less than 20%!!!)
As you can only use such a repellent once a day and it will last for about 7-8 hours, you will need to resort to a second type of repellent with a different active substance. My recommendation on the basis of the extended research I have done would be to go for:
2.
A repellent containing the active substance
PIKARIDIN (KBR 3023)
Both types of repellents need to be applied regularly on all of areas of your body which are not going to be covered by clothing. Be careful when applying to face and do not apply those directly. Spray on your palms first and then apply to face.
General Impressions
Maputo is a really nice city with a lot to see. The things that most impressed me were the friendliness and openness of local people, the architectural herratage, the amazing coastal line and the fact that for the entire duration of my stay I did not see a single person smoking.
The business area of the city has some tall buildings, the streets look wide yet this might be mostly due to the low traffic. Interestingly, local people believe the traffic in Maputo is very heavy due to the almost non existent public transport, yet I failed to see any real traffic while I was there. Mozambique is a right hand wheel country which you must be careful about if you come from a left hand wheel one.
The preferences of local people once again go with Toyota, yet Nisan and Ford have their representation especially when it comes to trucks.
The city also has contemporary shopping malls that can easily compete with those of many developed countries. The fish market on the coastal street is just one of the many fascinating places there. The Naval Club offers a tremendous view to the entire bay and you can relax with a glass of beer or have dinner right next to the water front.
Towards the end of my stay in Maputo I visited the famous Feira De Artesanato, an open bazar for handmade works of art. If you are not afraid of some "aggresive marketing" from local sellers, you will enjoy the market very much - it offers decent prices for probably the widest variety of handmade souvenirs and artwork.
The prices in Mozambique confirm what I was able to spot as a pattern in some African countries - low salaries come with high prices.
I was told the minimal monthly salary in Mozambique was set to 4000 MZN, which is about 63 USD or 56 EUR. The average salary per month would be around 5000 MZN, equivalent to 79 USD or 70 EUR.
Places that are likely to be visited by tourists hold serious prices. Main course alone at the hotel I stayed was typically priced around 800 MZN, or just short of 20 USD. A beer at the same or similar place cost about 200 MZN or 5 USD.
The most fantastic pricing though was at one of the duty free shops at the airport where fridge magnets were being sold for 1900 MZN each, which is 30 USD! For a fridge magnet, not hand made and not containing any platinum or precious metals. Hand made wooden fridge magnets "only" cost 300 MZN, or 4.75 USD.
Type C:
Type F:
I hope that you have found this information to be of use for your trip!
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