Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Mt Tsetserra
For Mt Tsetserra, take the signposted turn-off for Chicamba Real Dam for
about 15km southward to the dam administration buildings. From here, continue southw-
est as the road winds scenically for about 60km up to the Tsetserra plateau. You will need
a 4WD.
Tete
252, POP 50,000
Dry, dusty Tete doesn't have much in the way of tourist attractions and its reputation as
one of the hottest places in Mozambique often discourages visitors. Yet the arid, brown
landscape, dotted with baobab trees and cut by the wide swathe of the Zambezi River,
gives it a unique charm and an atmosphere quite unlike that of Mozambique's other pro-
vincial capitals.
TETE PROVINCE
Tete province is an anomaly within Mozambique, lying inland and almost divided from the rest of the country by
Malawi. While the south is hot and arid, northern Tete, much of which is at altitude, enjoys a cooler climate with
beautiful hill panoramas. Tete province is also interesting as one of the few areas in Mozambique (in addition to
Cabo Delgado) where you can see masked dancing, although it can be difficult to find. Try asking at Tete's Casa
de Cultura (Av Eduardo Mondlane) at the northwestern edge of town.
History
Tete was an important Swahili Arab trading outpost well before the arrival of the Por-
tuguese and today remains a major transport junction. It grew to significance during the
16th and 17th centuries when it served as a departure point for trade caravans to the gold-
fields further inland. At the end of the 17th century, it was all but abandoned when the
Portuguese lost their foothold in the hinterlands. In the 18th century, it again began to
prosper with the opening of the gold fair at Zumbo to the west and the expansion of gold-
mining north of the Zambezi. It became a regional administrative centre in 1767, and a
hospital and a house for the governor were built. More recently, Tete received a boost with
the building of the dam at Cahora Bassa, which opened in 1974. Today, with a population
of roughly 50,000, it is one of the major towns in the Mozambican interior.
