We're always excited to launch new marine conservation volunteer projects, but news of our most recent marine project in Mozambique has certainly got us all excited in the office! In this week's blog, our Marketing Executive Sam gives us an account of his time in Mozambique and in Tofo, the site of the new project, almost five years ago! Here is the blog below (warning - you may be tempted to go pronto):
"Back in June 2010 on my 10 month ramble across three continents, I headed to Mozambique on a whim with a friend. Thank goodness I did, as it turned out to be one of my favourite countries in which I have visited. Read my account of Tofo; the perfect place in which to explore the marine environment:
Sitting on a beach overlooking azure waters, sipping an ice cold Laurentina beer, eating freshly peeled cashew nuts, and watching humpback whales breaching just metres in front of you sounds like something you would see in the movies. But in Tofo, Mozambique, it is a regular occurrence and is truly one of nature's most breathtaking spectacles.
One of Africa's hidden gems, Mozambique is a must for any keen travellers out there wanting to experience a different Africa. You won't find any big game drives or tour guides here: this is off-the-beaten-track and beach-bum travelling at its best. Just a short two hour hop over from South Africa's Kruger National Park lays its capital, Maputo. A cultural and vibrant haven, the city is bursting with Portuguese architecture from its colonial rule: no wonder then that it is often called Africa's 'most beautiful' city. It is a melting pot of different cultures, with elements of Arab, Indian, and Chinese amongst the chief Portuguese and Bantu influences.
But Mozambique's principal draw card is its beaches and below-water action. After a bum-numbingly long (in my case 12-hour) 'chapa' journey from Maputo, mostly on a sand road that dissolves at the slightest rainfall, lies the quaint seaside village of Tofo de Inhabame. A favourite amongst South African holiday makers and divers (in the know) worldwide, sunny Tofo is remarkable in that it practically guarantees you the opportunity to see a rare whale shark or a manta ray. Perched on a headland which merges with 'whale shark highway,' Tofo is a diver's and marine conservationist's dream. The underwater life is extraordinary, with breaching humpbacks and leatherback turtles, so rare elsewhere in the world, a common sight just metres from the shoreline. The food is exquisite: store-sellers sell all kinds of freshly caught fish, lobster and prawns right off the beach; and for those party animals amongst you, weekly nights at Dino's Beach Bar provide ample entertainment.
For those on a budget, Tofo may be the place to camp out for a while. The hostels lying perpendicular to the beach and offers dorm rooms for little more than £5 per night and a litre of beer for under a pound: a steal when compared with nearby South Africa. There is even a perch from which you can doze on a deck chair and gaze out to sea: the perfect place to watch those mighty humpback whales breaching! If you ever can be tempted to leave, then the vast north of Mozambique and neighbouring Zimbabwe lie in wait, just a short ferry ride away from the nearby Inhambame town. However, you may be staying in Tofo for longer than you think: it is hard to resist its charm (and its mantas and whale sharks)!
Mozambique truly is a magical place, and this article on Tofo has barely scratched the surface on its attributes. Thankfully for us travellers, the country's scarred reputation from the decade-long civil war has marred people's opinions of it. However, times are changing and the country is beginning to hit the tourist radar - especially in the marine haven of Tofo. Get there before everyone else finds it."
Make sure you keep your eyes peeled on our website and our social media channels in the next week or two to see the launch of the project! Have a great weekend everyone - TGP Team.
