Just finalized a trip to Mozambique this summer. Anybody been and/or have wisdom to impart? The only stressful thing left to do is get our Visa's which actually seems a bit difficult. Also, if you have any knowledge of Malaria (preventatives, meds or who to see to get the aforementioned) that would be appreciated too. This has probably been the most difficult surf trip I've planned yet and I usually like going places that are off the beaten path.
There once was a man from 'zambique He got bit by a skeeter on his deek Now he's got malaria which is kinda scarya And he can't go and surf for a week
It's a poem My buddies dad traveled and got malaria surfing, he said no matter what (kinda obvious) sleep with a net, he got it in a hotel room because mosquitos got in. You aren't particularly safe no matter where you are, so a net and long sleeves (I know it kinda blows) are the best bet, even if they are the most obvious things. His words, not mine
http://www.curbly.com/users/diy-maven/posts/1930-top-10-ways-to-repel-mosquitoes-low-tech-style Bring Garlic powder! Bathe in that schit
Wow...that sucks! We're staying in a pretty nice home but it's open-air. They have netting around all the beds though. I have read that the type of mosquitos that transmit Malaria are only active at nights? I'm not sure if that's true but it would give some peace of mind. I guess if you want the chance at some perfect, uncrowded surf you gotta take some chances. Need to read up on Larium.
I guess we've got to eat a lot of lemon garlic fish and build bat houses!!! I'm going to test some of those methods out around the house.
Just recently returned from my trip to Mozambique. For those looking trip ideas, look no further. The place was incredible! It's not the easiest place to get to but once you're there everything is dirt cheap. In the area we stayed there where a variety of waves. Out front of our room was a fun longboarding type wave, the next beach over (3/4 mile) was a very good point break and the next beach past that was a thumping beachbreak. We scored a couple decent swells and I could've surfed everyday if I wanted. The water color and marine life were second to none....saw humpback whales everyday and swam with whale sharks which was one of the coolest experiences of my life. The Mozambican people were very welcoming and friendly plus the waves don't get too crowded at all. At odd times of the day or just by plain luck our group was the only ones out at an overhead point break, can't beat it!! If there were any negatives it was dealing with LAM Airlines (although my boardbag flew free all the way from DC on South African Air and LAM which is another incentive to go) and the possibility of Malaria which after we got there our worries died down quickly. Definitely a place to look into.
Awesome. Mosquito nets are all you need. In addition, I always keep an anti-malaria rock in my pocket. Some claim the rock does nothing, but I don't see any Malaria around- do you?
We actually stayed in an "open air" home but our housekeeper sprayed for mosquitoes everyday plus we got a prescription for Malarone. It didn't give us any side effects except for the first time we took it, it gave us a pretty good buzz but not in a bad way. We also went loaded with some good mosquito spray. It was the end of their winter even though the highs were in the upper 80's and the lows were upper 60's to low 70's meaning we were there at a good time for low mosquito count. The locals said malaria really wasn't going around anyway. I'll share a few pics, some of surfing and some of the sights:
Sweet NICAFiend, do you mind posting a link for the place you stayed? Mozambique has been on my radar, and the waves you got, and the set-ups you show look like a good time. Some info from first person account is much better than some flashy website that is often times deceiving.
Thanks man! The place we stayed was nice but I did have a few gripes. It was located at the end of Tofo beach right where Tofinho begins but if I had to do it over again I would look into this place. Granted I didn't go inside but it looked beautiful and I liked the location much better. It's away from the main village area between Tofinho and Backdoor beach. You could still get away from having to rent a vehicle but it would be a walk (maybe a mile and a quarter) for supplies or restaurants.
