Mozambique in a nut shell

Vilanculos & the Bazaruto Islands National marine park -  State of Inhambane, Mozambique.  Whatever your preference is, Beach Chalets has something to suit your requirements, from clean camping sites, self catering chalets to luxury private cabanas and villas on secluded beaches.  Please browse through our choice of resorts, lodges and camping sites to find the perfect setting for a holiday of a lifetime. To search for a  list of where to stay, use the menu above and click on "Accommodation" and then select your area of choice and type of accommodation preferred or contact us by email or phone

Vilanculos Mozambique can be a lively town at night with several discotheques and bars pumping out the music.  A good selection of restaurants both in Beach Chalets and lodges as well as independent locations, can guarantee a pleasant night's dining.

How to get there and General Information

By road:

From South Africa a good asphalt road 730Kms north of Maputo Follow the EN4 to the outskirts of Maputo then take the EN1 to Xai Xai, always go straight on, once you pass Xai Xai the highway signs will direct you to Vilanculos turn-off which is 18kms from Vilanculos town (The total distance from Johannesburg to Vilanculos is Approximately 1,378kms

From Zimbabwe a good asphalt road from Forbes Border Post Mutari  approximately  584kms to Vilanculos. Follow the EN6 on the Beira road, turn right (south) on the EN1 for 384kms to the turn-off to Vilanculos

By air: (Flying time 2 hours Jnb to Vnz)

Book your Airlink, SAA to Vilanculos
Direct flights  CLIck HERE

Vilancoulos has a new state of the art airport with modern facilities including restrooms, restaurant, duty free and various lounge seating areas for guests comfort.

This well organised modern international airport is very impressive and certainly adds value to all those travelling into this wonderful area.

Daily direct flights to Vilanculos and the Bazaruto Islands from the main hubs of Johannesburg and Maputo.

For Airlink from Johannesberg Direct flights to Vilanculos Airport check the  New schedule

International flights to Maputo have onward connections to Vilanculos International Airport Check below for more information on schedules and travel details

Airport Transfers available Request on reservation form cost aprox. Rand R100(Mtn 340) per person

General Information:

Dialing code Mozambique +258  South Africa +27     Brasil +55

Public holidays Mozambique:1 Jan; 3 Feb; 7 Apr; 1 May; 25 June; 7,25 Sept, 25 Dec

Credit cards Visa and Master at most ATMs accepted; do not use travellers cheques They are outdated and difficult

• Driving on the lefthand side, the same as South Africa Zimbabwe and Swaziland
• Electrical current 220 volts AC, 50Hz
• Mozambique Money Unit of currency Metical (March 2013)   29.65Mtn= 1 US$ or 3.2 Mtn = 1 Rand )
• Time GMT + 2
• Health Yellow fever certificate if from infected area; high risk of malaria ( excellent treatment malaria at Vilanculos  Hospital)
• Visas All visitors require visas which can be obtained at the border
• Best time to visit March- November
• Climate Tropical to sub-tropical; Hot with occasional rain and cloudy days from November to March; otherwise mainly  dry
• Religion predominantly Christian (Roman Catholic)
• Official language (s) Portuguese (English also widley understood)
• Biggest cities Maputo (National Capital) , Beira , Chimoio
• Population approx 18 million
• Size 784 000 sq kms
• Public Water not safe to drink (most Resorts have private boreholes check with Reception on arrival)

Rates and information Click on photo

Photo Gallery!

International Passports

Visas can be obtained from an embassy in advance and the cost varies depending on the urgency.  Check online with the embassy but normaly cost will be US$85 per passport and will take up to 7 days to process.Mozambique Tourist Visa is valid for 30days and occupies a full passport page.

Visas can be issued at the border post or arrival airport and will take approximately  1 hour per passport. Depending on the number of visas been issued this could delay the transit.

South Africa - Swaziland -Zimbabwe -  Malawi - Botswana  passport holders

Do not need a visa, but at the border passport holders may be charged a US$3 (R20) 'admin fee'.

Torn or defaced passports, especially where the picture or pages are damaged, may not be acceptable

Two clear pages will be required as the Mozambique Visa takes ONE full page and a second page is needed in case of any endorsement.

The passport must be current and valid for a minimum of 6 months from date of visa issue

Caution  &  annoyances

Villanculos Mozambique is generally safe, but there are some  situations where caution is warranted.

Petty Thefts and robberies are the main risks: watch your pockets in markets, avoid carrying a bag or wearing apparent expensive jewellery or otherwise giving a potential thief reason to think you have anything of value, and avoid isolating situations.

More likely are annoyances, such as underpaid authorities in search of bribes. You’re required to carry your passport or (better) a notarised copy at all times. If stopped by the police, remain polite, but don’t surrender your original documents – insist on going to the nearest police station or phone the Resort where you are staying for their assistance

Useful Links

For link to additional information click here

Please contact your nearest embassy or consult to update and confirm the correct information  this is given as a guide only and is subject to change at any time and without notice

Vilanculos has 3 banks operating ATMs, Banco Internacional de Moçambique (BIM) Barclay's Bank, all accept Visa and  MasterCard.

You can change US dollars cash at most banks with your Passport South African rands and US$  are widely accepted. We do not reccomend Travellers cheques as they are difficult to change.

Wikipedia Information on Vilanculos in other languages