Joanna James
As one of Africa's emerging holiday hotspots, Mozambique welcomes visitors from around the world. Here are 7 facts most travellers don't know regarding the scenic vacation hub.
Mozambique is home to some of the most spectacular coral reefs on the planet and a vast majority of these reefs are concentrated around the Bazaruto Archipelago. A virtual paradise for scuba diving and snorkelling enthusiasts, the waters off the coast of the country serves as the dwelling of nearly 1200 marine species. The country's Bazaruto Archipelago is also ranked among the world's most extensive marine reserves and thus a must-visit highlight for deep-sea explorers and marine biologists.
For a country so small, it may come as a surprise that Mozambique is home to the 3rd largest and second deepest lake in all of Africa. Indeed, Lake Malawi is a record-breaker in many respects as it is also the only lake on the planet to home such a rich diversity of fish species. Some of the most famous inhabitants of the lake include the prized cichlids which are hot-ticket fish varieties in most pet shops. A portion of the lake was declared a protected reserve back in 2011.
The official and national lingua franca of Mozambique is Portuguese but there are over 40 languages that are spoken in the country's diverse ethnic landscapes. Most residents speak at least two languages while most are fluent in Elomwe, Xichangana and Cesena in addition to Portuguese. Visitors based at Anantara Bazaruto Island Resort or any of the many Mozambique holiday resorts across the country will find that English is understood if not openly spoken by most hotel staff members.
While few tourists question the origins of the country's name, it is interesting to note that the nation is named after a former ruler and an Arab sheikh. The sheikh who was named Mussa bin Biki, or Ali Musa Mbiki ruled the northern quarters of the island and the obvious resemblance of his name to the country's name, especially phonetically, has lead to this conclusion.
Chinhamapere Hill is the Mozambique portion of the Vumba Mountains and a culturally significant site which dates back to the Iron Age. Some of the main highlights of a visit to Chinhamapere Hill are witnessing the many hunter-gatherer paintings on rock faces. The frescoes themselves are known to be nearly 8000 years old and depict human figures with bows and arrows.
One of the most surprising facts regarding Mozambique is that more than half the population is below the age of 15. It is fascinating to be walking around and travelling the length of the country to see that most locals one comes across are either teens or pre-teens.
When compared to other holiday hubs in southern Africa, vacationing in Mozambique can be a costly affair and that is due to the lack of tourism infrastructure and the high demand for hotels and other commodities by the travelling masses.
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
