Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
NORTHERN MOZAMBIQUE
If southern Mozambique's lures are the accessible beaches and relaxing resorts, in the north
it's the paradisiacal coastal panoramas, the sense of space and the sheer adventure of travel.
This is one of Africa's last frontiers, wild, beautiful and untamed. Inland are vast expanses
of bush where enough lions and elephants still roam to be the stuff of local lore and wreak
havoc on villages. Along the coast is an almost endless succession of unspoiled beaches
and islands, including Mozambique Island - one of southern Africa's most alluring destina-
tions.
In many respects, the north (the provinces of Nampula, Niassa and Cabo Delgado) might
as well be a separate country. It's divided from the rest of Mozambique by several major
rivers and hundreds of kilometres of road. And, although home to one-third of Mozambi-
que's population, it accounts for only one-fifth of the gross national product, has the lowest
adult literacy rates and often seems to drop out of sight for the southern-oriented govern-
ment.
Culturally, northern Mozambique is intriguing as the home of many matrilineal tribes, in
contrast with the strictly patrilineal south. Islamic influences are also stronger here, with
centuries-old ties to the ancient Swahili trading networks. The north is also the birthplace
of Mozambique's independence struggle. It was here, in the bush, that the Frelimo cadres
did their training, and it was here - in the unlikely village of Chai - that the first shots of
war were fired.
In the main destinations - Nampula, Mozambique Island, Pemba, the Quirimbas Ar-
chipelago and Lichinga - there is enough infrastructure to travel as comfortably as you
like. Elsewhere, most journeys are rough and rugged.
Nampula
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Nampula, Mozambique's third-largest city, is a crowded city with a hard edge. As the
jumping-off point for visiting Mozambique Island, it's also an inevitable stop for many
travellers. While there are few tourist attractions, Nampula's negatives are redeemed some-
what by its good facilities, broad avenues and its main plaza, graced by an imposing white
cathedral and rimmed by flame trees.
Another plus is the lush surrounding countryside dotted with enormous inselbergs -
large masses of smooth volcanic granite, which intruded into the earth's crust aeons ago
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