Tofo, MZ to Johannesburgh (ORTIA)

Tofo Beach is in Inhambane Province, Mozambique. It has been described as "the next Goa", and while this may be pushing it a bit, Tofo has definitely become a traveler's mecca on the Eastern coast of Africa. The reasons are not hard to discern: beautiful stretches of beach, a friendly laid-back vibe, a small but pumping nightlife, great diving and snorkeling and a few good restaurants, too.

Do

Diving and Snorkeling

Tofo and surrounds have some truly excellent diving, with nice reefs and excellent large marine life. Whale sharks and Humpback Whales in season, reef sharks and much more. Don't miss Manta Reef, home of three cleaning stations where the critters really throng. Most of the better dive sites are at around 25-30 meters, requiring deep-dive certification (which you can get through one of the dive shops if you don't have it already). Visibility is usually pretty good at around 20 meters. Brace yourself for the unique landing upon return from diving - the shops here all gun it and beach the inflatable speed boats at full speed.

• Liquid Adventures - Wet your Dreams - , +258 293 29046 [1]. Full Padi Dive and Watersports Centre.Dive courses for beginners upwards - dive the famous Manta Reef as well as loads of other awesome sites - same prices as all other dive centres. Daily Ocean Safaris - snorkeling trips with Whalesharks, Dolphins and sometimes Mantas.
• Surfing and bodyboard rentals - lessons. Kitesurfing lessons. Island Kayak trips - day trip .to Ila Do Inhambane as well as Island sleepovers.Packages available - only dive centre with on-site accommodation namely Bamboozi Beach Lodge.
• Diversity Scuba, +258 (0)23 29002, [2].Friendly and professional staff. Single dives start at R310, excluding equipment and get cheaper with more, 10th dive is free. A PADI open water course will set you back R3100. Discounts available for using your own equipment.
• Tofo Scuba, +258 (0)293 29030, tofoscuba@teledata.mz, [3]. Another very professional outfit based at Casa Barry Lodge. Single dives start at R370 and get cheaper as you do more. A 4-dive PADI open water course is R3100. Discounts available for using your own equipment.
• Snorkeling is a MUST... swimming with whale sharks, the largest fish in the world is incredibly special. Although their mouths are over a meter wide and their bodies 8m long they are harmless. if you're lucky you may also get to swim with wild dolphins. Swimming with whales is prohibited, although when you realize how big they are you'll be happy to see them from the boat. Inquire with the dive shops about trips.
• Surfing Tofinio is a good surf spot, and Tofo beach is good for beginners, you can hire boards at "the waterworks" right next to Diversity Scuba.
• o Dive Tours to Tofo, [4]. Fly in from Johannesburg to Tofo on a "fly stay and dive package", contact, for full details, accommodation at Casa Barry Lodge.

Buy

• Mozambican art, right in front of the beach.
• Visit the local market in Inhambane for local crafts such as woodwork, straw weaving and momentos.

Eat

• The Restaurante Ferroviara offers a fairly good range of seafood dishes.
• Casa Barry has an in-house restaurant with a great wooden terrace overlooking the sea, it is as if you are sitting on the beach. Serving the best range of meals in Tofo, with a great selection of international wines, also the only restaurant that is computerized, ensuring speed when asking for your bill. Also the best spot to stay if you have cash.
• Dino's Bar and Restaurant, the beach party spot par excellence, a roofed-off open-air bar midway between Fatima's Nest and Bamboozi Backpackers. They do some decent food including good pizza. Bonfires on the beach at night. Excellent at night. Good vibes and Good drinks!
• Black and White located in a shed at the market offers local food for local prices. Black and White will also prepare fish purchased at the market for a small charge.
• Bread Shag next to Fatimas Place offers small dishes with home made bread.
• In Casa de Comer you can eat excellent seafood dishes as well as good international cuisine. Cosy, romantic and with an excellent service.
• "the water works" a surf shop that also serves excellent breakfast and lunch, you can also trade books and DVDs over there.
• Bamboozi can be a little bit pricey but has quality food and a great all-you-can-eat seafood buffet on Friday evenings as well as Wednesday night Pizza Buffet.It has an awesome view of the bay.
• If you are self-catering buying fresh prawns and crayfish is simple - local fishermen will pass by most cottages every morning. A fair price is MtN 150/kg for prawns and MtN 200/kg for crayfish. Beware of broken scales over-reading, it is a good idea to test them with a known weight like a 1kg bottle of water.
• Babalaza is an excellent restaurant if you have your own transport. Coming from Tofo follow the road back to Inhambane until you reach the T-junction - The restaurant is on your left.
• Turtle Cove has a very good restaurant in-house. The food is prepared by hand, one meal at a time, so if you order as part of a group you'll probably all get your food at different times. It's excellent food, though, so worth it. They also have a nicely stocked bar. The dining room/bar area is open, covered, and gorgeous. Go early and enjoy a beer and the sunset sitting in the hammock or oversized couches. The place is a 10 minutes' walk on the road from Tofo to Inhambane.

Drink

• The bar at Fatima's Nest backpackers is an every night party place, where you can enjoy different kinds of drinking games with the staff
• Bottled water is widely available in Tofo. It's probably not wise to drink the local water.
• Although probably the least authentic, Dino's Bar and Restaurant is one of the more popular spots to go for a decent meal or drinks.
• You can buy your own beer from the shops on the road to Inhambane if you want to save a little money. When buying beer try to get cans rather than bottles, most bars and taverns will ask you not to take bottles away or you can pay a deposit on it. These deposits are hard to get back as vendors seldom have money to pay you or just aren't willing and will coax you into accepting a trade.
• Going to taverns on the outskirts of town on Sunday afternoons are worthwhile to get away from the more popular tourist spots. You'll find friendly locals willing to share a drink and a few laughs.
• Local rums and gins are inexpensive but you'll need some courage. Tipo Tinto is a good local rum!

Price

700 pp one way