Guide to Mozambique
Must See Mozambique
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Overview
Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique (LAM) and TAP Air Portugal) fly into Maputo. But if you're coming from Europe or a distant part of Africa, the cheapest option is often to fly to Johannesburg (South Africa) and take the bus or train from there to Maputo. LAM and South African Airways fly between Jo'burg and Maputo, while Pelican Air flies between Jo'burg and Vilankulo.
If you're coming from Tanzania, LAM flies from Dar es Salaam to Maputo, and from Mtwara (in southern Tanzania) to the town of Pemba (in northern Mozambique), avoiding the adventurous land border crossing. The airport departure tax for international flights is
The best land crossings are over the South African border. There are daily trains between Johannesburg and Maputo, taking about 15 hours each way. There are also minibuses running between Maputo and various South African towns, and a daily direct luxury bus connecting Maputo and Johannesburg. Minibuses also run between Maputo and towns in Swaziland, crossing the border at Namaacha, Mozambique.
Other border crossings are less convenient and less reliable. You can cross between Palma (at the very northeastern corner of Mozambique) and Mwambo, Tanzania, but there's very little transport south of Palma and the roads are terrible. The main crossing is at Cassacatiza, northwest of Tete. From Tete, take any Moatize chapa over the bridge past the SOS compound to the petrol station, where you'll find chapas to Matema. From Matema, there is infrequent transport for the 200km (124mi) to Cassacatiza. There are two main crossings between Mozambique and Zimbabwe: Nyamapanda on the Tete Corridor, and Machipanda on the Beira-Harare Road.