Best Travel Time and Climate for Mozambique
Palm trees, white sand and turquoise water attract visitors to Mozambique’s long beaches. They are the perfect addition to busy days on safari. On the other hand, 400 years of Portuguese rule have left their mark waiting to be explored.
In Mozambique you can dive and snorkel on fish-rich coral reefs, explore tiny fishing villages or enjoy the sunset on a dhow (traditional sailing ship). However, there is much more to this largely undeveloped country. On safaris you can discover the animal world from large herds of elephants to buffalo, zebras and wildebeest, but Mozambique’s culture and colonial past is also exciting and educational. In places like Ibo Island, you’ll find rundown churches from when the land was occupied by Portugal and crumbling mansions line the streets. In the former capital, Ilha de Moçambique, the traces of trade between Swahili and Portugal can still be felt.
Best travel time
According to programingplease, Mozambique has a subtropical climate with a dry season from April to December and a rainy season from January to March. The beaches of the Bazaruto Archipelago and the Quirimbas Archipelago are breathtaking during the dry season. The winter months (June – August) can be windy, especially in the north. The best time to visit is from September to November , when the weather is calmest and warmest. Due to the drought, the animals are driven to the smaller water holes, which is ideal for safaris. You don’t have to look out for long and look for the animals, because they gather and make it very easy for visitors. Those who want to watch whales will also find wonderful opportunities in the autumn months.
Optimal travel time after months
January February
January marks the beginning of the rainy season in Mozambique. Cyclones occasionally occur on the coast, especially in the south. February is also the rainy season. We therefore recommend that you avoid these two months best.
March
Warmer weather, fewer crowds, and lower travel costs make May a good time to visit Canada. The air is still a bit chilly, but most of the snow has melted and the spring flowers are in bloom. Many lodges are reopening and national parks are generally becoming more accessible. This gives visitors the opportunity to explore nature in relative solitude before the start of the high season. This time of year is also perfect for whale watching on the Atlantic coast. Humpback whales, mink and belugas are the most common sightings.
April
June is the ideal time to visit Canada for many. The high season has not quite started yet, but the days are warm and long. Hiking trails are open, the lakes and rivers are thawed, and wildlife is increasingly active. In the north of the country, parts of the Yukon, Nunavut and Northwest Territories that were previously inaccessible due to snow are opening up. You can discover mountain ranges, forest valleys, lakes and glaciers waiting to be explored.
May
May is one of the best months to tour the Mozambique coast. The daytime temperatures are 28 ° C, the sky is clear and blue and there is a light wind. These conditions make it the perfect month to explore the spectacular World Heritage Sites of Ilha de Moçambique and Ibo Island, as well as the breathtaking beaches of Bazaruto and Quirimba.
June
The spectacular and remote Niassa Game Reserve in northern Mozambique attracts more and more tourists from June. The weather is warm and sunny and you can spot whales on the coast. The average temperatures are 26-28 ° C.
July
July is winter in Mozambique and the dry season is at its peak. The days are clear, warm and very sunny. Not only is the wildlife very active, but you can also visit the sights and the capital, Maputo. It can be very windy on the northern beaches.
August
August is also a good month to travel, whether for observing the wildlife or relaxing days on one of the white sandy beaches. It is a little cooler in the south than in the north of the country.
September
Temperatures begin to rise in September. This is one of the best months for snorkeling, diving, and humpback whale watching. The animals on land have had their young and are gathering around the water holes in Niassa, which is ideal for safaris.
October
October is one of the best months to visit Mozambique as the wildlife is best seen in the sanctuaries. It is dry and hot, the temperature is 30-34 ° C.
November
November is a hot and humid month in Mozambique. There is still plenty of sunshine, but there is also the risk of some thunderstorms. The water temperature in the Indian Ocean is perfect for cooling off from the heat.
December
Hotels fill up around the Christmas season and holidays. Since it marks the beginning of the rainy season, the animals can no longer be observed so well. Despite everything, it usually only rains briefly on the coast and there is still a lot of sunshine.
Most popular sights
Climate in Maputo
The maximum temperature in Mozambique is 30 ° C in January and February. In June, July and August the thermometer rises to a maximum of 25 ° C. The summer (June to September) with average 25 ° C very warm . In the winter months it is around 29 ° C very warm . During the day, the average annual temperature in Mozambique is a warm 27.4 ° C.
At night it gets coldest at 14 ° C in June and July. The thermometer rarely falls below 22 ° C in January and February. While the nights in summer are averaging a pleasant 15 ° C, the thermometer drops to a pleasantly warm 21 ° C between November and March. The temperature averages 18.3 ° C at night all year round.
The water temperature is up to 27 ° C in January and February. In the summer months from June to September the water is pleasantly warm with an average of 23 ° C. Between November and March the values are a pleasantly warm 26 ° C. Over the year, the sea has an average temperature of 24.4 ° C.
The June , July and August are with 2 days of rain, the driest months of the year . From June to September Mozambique is very dry with an average of only around 2 rainy days, the winter (November to March) is quite dry with 8 rainy days. An annual average of 5.2 days of rain falls per month.
Language
Although Mozambique is one of the poorest countries in the world, the people are friendly and open-minded. Whether in tourism or public life, you will usually be greeted politely.
The official language in Mozambique is Portuguese, but this is only spoken by around 25% of the population who have attended school. Around 60 different languages and dialects are spoken in Mozambique. English is spoken fluently in all lodges, although it is never wrong to learn a few words of the local dialect.
Food and drink
Most meals on the coast are based on seafood. You can choose from a variety of locally caught fish, octopus, crabs, and some of the best lobster and shrimp in the world.
Freshly caught fish dishes or dried fish (picture) can be found mainly on the coast. Don’t be afraid to try one or the other dish, you will not be disappointed.
Whatever the main component of your meal, chances are high it will be cooked with a hot paprika sauce called piri-piri. When cooked this way, chicken can be referred to as frango a calria : “chicken the African way”. Other traditional Mozambican dishes include matapa , a stew made from mussels and peanuts made with pumpkin leaves, or mu-kwane , a dish made from coconuts and corn porridge, popular in the interior, mixed with the leaves of the cassava plant.
The Portuguese influence has also shaped Mozambique cuisine, and you can find dishes prepared with wine in the upscale restaurants of big cities like Maputo and Beira. Hotels and restaurants, which are primarily aimed at visitors from overseas, usually offer very international cuisine.
Money
The currency of Mozambique is the New Metical. The current exchange rate is approximately € 1 = 0.014 MZM. You can exchange Metical when you arrive in Mozambique and it is useful for buying sundries and items from local stores. All hotels and lodges accept and prefer to pay in US dollars. Credit cards are usually only accepted in upscale hotels.
