Im going to start out by saying that our 3 weeks in Mozambique (my 5th time) was indescribable, but I’m going to do my best and try. I cant think of and refuse to believe that there are people out there who’s souls don’t light up like a pin-ball machine at the thought of a surf safari in a tropical paradise like Mozambique (unless of course this dream is already your reality and you regularly find yourself getting spat straight out of barrels onto a deck chair with Pina Colada’s on tap and a sunset so good you consider writing a poem about it) but you’re reading this blog, on this website, so it highly likely you aren’t one of those few sad souls waiting out their lives for the promise of death. No, you’re a fire-starter, you’re a dreamer, there’s a bee under your bonnet and far too many blank pages in your passport. I’m hoping our experiences in Mozambique inspire your own adventure, to anywhere other than what you already know, that step further into your own life and journey, that empty space you wanna fill, the unknown that makes you dream, this is living.
“you have the best job in the world” something I hear often (I can see why)
So home for us is a small town called Tofu in the Inhambane district. It’s not the easiest place in the world to get to though. Our South Africa trip ends and Mozambique kind of acts as an extended extra for those who have the means, so we drive up from Durban which takes two days including our stop over in Xai-Xai. Funnily enough this drive is a huge part of the experience! You get to feel the climate and landscape change as you go further and further, you get to see all the people of all the roadside villages commute and hustle to make a living, you get to feel that rawness associated with the 3rd world, you get to witness a culture and feel a bit of Mozambican atmosphere, most times you even get to argue with a few corrupt traffic officials looking to make a quick buck off of unsuspecting tourists. All these small seemingly insignificant experiences actually set in the reality of where you are, where you’re headed and how unique an experience you’re going to be in for, and so with 1000 questions in your head, you throw all your expectations out, lean against the window and day dream about where this adventure may lead you.
As a surfer coming from a place with a colder coastline the idea of surfing crystal clear sand botttomed waves in boardshorts is enough to make me froth at the mouth. Well Mozambique doesn’t disappoint in that department. There are so many fun little sand banks in and around Tofu and Tofinho that you better make sure to have a look at all the spots before you decide where to surf for that session, its nice not being fixed to one wave and the area caters to all levels of surfers. Unfortunately for us the time of year was a bit hit and miss for swell and favourable winds, thats not to say we didn’t score fun waves and spend hours in the water, It just wasn’t showing its full potential. It did leave us with a great idea of what it may be on its day and its something every surfer dreams of seeing in their life-time. One of the best waves in the world actually breaks nearby if you have a 4×4 to get you there and a savvy surf guide, which we have… but thats all I’m allowed to say about that…
I feel like the ocean is everything in Mozambique, you want to be near the beach and in the water as much as possible. When there were no waves a few of our crew did a few dives on the nearby reefs with the local dive schools in the area to see some marine life. We all went on an ocean safari in search of some whale sharks but unfortunately we didn’t see any, we did however get to snorkel on a reef that had an abundance of life and fish. It’s remarkable how from the boat you can’t see much but at a depth of as little as 2meters you start to see a whole other world.
We also spent plenty of time at the beach and pool relaxing with a beer or a cocktail, making the most of the time we had left after almost 3 months of surfing and travelling together, we were a little family and enjoying every moment.
We decided to pack the 4×4’s and go explore somewhat new territory for Ticket to Ride in Mozam. We headed north from Tofu to a very hard to reach place called Pomene. Pomene is hidden away in a nature reserve on a very thick sand road and there is literally nothing there but the lodge we stayed at.
Pomene City
Pomene is literally the most beautiful place I have ever been and I’m so glad it is hardly spoken about and such a mission to get to, I want it to remain as it is now for as long as possible.
We went in search of waves and found so much more, from an abandoned hotel from the 1950’s built by Portugese colonialists, to a hidden beach and pool with literally nobody around for miles and miles other than the original inhabitants.. makes me wonder how many more beautiful locations there are in this untouched part of the world..
Our accommodation was beyond incredible, with chalets right on the waters edge at high tide, flamingoes flying across the horizon, beers on the balcony and a sunset that got better every day we were there.
Pomene was really the pinnacle for most of us I think, that quietness away from everything in a place as far removed as this, with nothing to really concern yourself with other than the ending of the trip of a lifetime and the new beginning that will follow. It was a time to reflect on everything we’d all been through together over the 13weeks, the friendships we’d forged with complete strangers from all over the globe, with different interests, ambitions, cultures, languages and ages. We all with patience and understanding got to know and understand each other, even love one another. People we may have in any other circumstance never taken the time to get to know. So just as much as the locations and the activities evoke this desire within us all to do all these great adventurous things, what makes our trips truly special are the individuals who take that leap of faith to do them. Spending 3 months day in and day out with everybody has been an exceptional journey and one which I do not take likely, the impact these individuals have on my life, and myself on there’s, is profound and sharing all these moments with them is something I will cherish for as long as I live.
I put together this edit of our time in Mozambique, I dedicate it to all of the above mentioned incredible individuals, Thank you guys for an amazing ride!
A big thank you has to go out to everybody behind the scenes at Ticket to Ride who is as heavily invested in the running of these trips as I am.
Cheers, to a fantastic year of trips!
Luke