Mozambique Kanyemba border post connects Zimbabwe, Zambia and Mozambique at the confluence of the Zambezi and Luangwa rivers. I cross over into Mozambique and am relieved to find that petrol is not a problem here. So I fill up and head off towards Lago de Cahora Bassa. On the way, I drive straight into a roadblock. The traffic police are very thorough; they even check my emergency traffic triangles. Luckily my 4x4 hire from DriveAfrica is fully equipped and in very good condition, despite the number of kilometres I have covered. I am advised not to drive at night as many drivers take their lives into their hands and drive without lights!
Lago de Cahora Bassa
This huge hydroelectric dam used to be under Portuguese control but recently became fully Mozambiquan. Ironically 75% of the energy produced here goes to South Africa. It is truly awe inspiring to see this huge force of nature in action! The views are stunning - a vast lake over 150 miles long at the head of a magnificent gorge. I am spending the night here before heading off to the tourist paradise of Bazaruto.
I must say I am truly grateful for my proudly South African 4x4 hire, as the roads here are terrible - potholes abound! The severe flooding has left them very much the worse for wear. I decide to break my journey in Beira, and am told by many people that the roads to the south will improve!
Beira
Cross border car rental is making the world a much smaller place - exploring has never been eaiser. Beira is the second largest city in Mozambique, and the Portuguese influence here is obvious in the architecture (old Mediterranean-style buildings). The Praça, or main square, is surrounded by shops, markets and offices and, just south-east of the centre is the cathedral. At Praia de Macuti, there is an old shipwreck washed up on the shore near a red and white lighthouse.
Bazaruto Archipelago
When I set off the next day the road is indeed better - although I do still have to dodge some wandering animals. I follow the EN6 to Inchope and then turn off onto the EN1 to Save, driving across the Mozambique Plain. About 20 kilometres from the EN1 is Vilankulo (also known as Vilanculos) where I have to leave my faithful 4x4 hire, as there are no roads on the five islands making up the Bazaruto Archipelago. I take a dhow to explore this unspoiled paradise: white-sand beaches, sapphire and emerald waters, palm trees and pristine coral reefs. Mere descriptions cannot do justice to this little patch of preserved land - it's an experience to be savoured. I spend a few days relaxing, swimming, snorkeling and sunbathing.
Maputo
And then, having done more sunbathing than is good for me, I head south along to EN1, to Xai Xai, on the banks of the Limpopo River. It’s a long, slow drive in my South African 4x4 rental and the vicious little speed bump just before the bridge into Xai Xai is the final straw. I decide to break my journey again for a couple of days, at Praia do Xai Xai, another beach paradise just ten kilometres out of town. Recovered from my Mozambican driving experience, I return to the EN1 and, a couple of hours later arrive in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique. The city has a certain charm - wide avenues lined with acacia and jacaranda trees and art nouveau architecture. There's even an iron house designed by Gustav Eiffel of the Eiffel Tower in Paris fame. It was not his best idea: the African climate means that the house is too hot to live in and so it has never been occupied!
The hustle and bustle of this now thriving metropolis makes me yearn to get back on the road and continue my exploration of Southern Africa via cross border car rental. I can't wait to leave! The next day, I continue south, climbing towards Namaacha (altitude: 600 metres), where I am going to cross the border into Swaziland. The tarred road is in relatively good condition, with only the occasional pothole. Three kilometres before the town, I stop my 4x4 hire at a crystalline waterfall, surrounded by eucalyptus and pine trees. The peace and calm is such a contrast from urban Maputo.
Alex Jochheim: Writes for Drive Africa - Car Rental Cape Town South Africa. Get the best deals, top prices and sercvice with a smile!
