Mozambique has some amazing dive locations and we are including three of these locations in one dive trip. The dive locations have it all with some fantastic reefs in Bazaruto Archipelago, some wonderful marine life to some incredible macro life and Sharks in Ponta Do Ouro. The group will also be heading to Tofo for some amazing diving. We will also be in season for the end of the Humpback Whales as we come to the end of the migration season. This is a fantastic time to go to Mozambique to see amazing marine life. We will also be including a Safari Experience at the world renowned site of Kruger National Park. In early October it will be the end of the dry season and therefore the perfect time to see the Big 5 out in the open at the water features. This trip will include some of the best dive sites in Mozambique. Diving in this location is amazing and has fantastic variety. We will have in the region of 20 days to experience the best diving and nature safari in this region of Africa. We will be going to Maputo, Kruger National Park, Tofo Beach, Bazaruto Island and Ponto Do Ouro. We will also include all fantastic dive locations in their own right but will create an unforgettable experience completing the locations in one trip. As per usual the dates are flexible and divers are more than welcome to join the trip at certain parts if holiday allocation at work is an issue. Just let me know how many days leave you have and we can pick the best part of the trip for you to join us on. Come join us on this simply amazing trip. Further details are available on the full trip page on this site.
Overview
We will depart London on Saturday 30 September 2023. We will fly from a London Airport to Johannesburg (South Africa) airport before transferring to Maputo in Mozambique. We will then stay over night in Maputo. In the morning we will be collected and taken to Kruger National Safari Park for a 2 day tour which will involve staying overnight at the park. This part of the trip has to be done first as it is the optimum conditions for the experience as it is the end of the African summer and drought. As a result all the animals will be congregated around the water features and we have more chance to see the Big 5. If we were to wait until the end of the trip for the safari then it would have entered the rainy season which would have meant the animals are likely to be harder to spot and be in the bush. Once we have finished the Safari at the world renowned Kruger National Park we will then be collected from Maputo and taken to the first dive location at Tofo Beach. We will then spend up to 5 days diving in this region which again is a great time to be at Tofo. We are likely to be in time to see the last Humpback Whales migrate and also be in season for some fantastic diving. As we have planned this trip early we have been able to pick the best time to dive and safari. From Tofo Beach we will then be collected and taken to the Bazaruto Archipelago. Here we will complete up to 3 days diving to see the best dive sites in the area. The diving here is amazing and is less visited than Tofo Beach. After 3 days diving here we will then catch a flight back to Maputo and transfer to the last dive location at Ponta Do Ouro. We will spend up to 3 days diving in Ponta Do Ouro where it will be Shark season. We will be able to complete some fantastic shark diving. Once the diving days are completed we will then return to Maputo for some sightseeing and then return to London via Johannesburg.
We are looking at the following Itinerary and diving:
Day Date Activity
Sat 30-Sep-23 Depart 21:00 from London
Sun 1-Oct-23 Arrive 09:00am and stay overnight in Maputo
Mon 2-Oct-23 Collection for Safari from Hotel – Day 1
Tue 3-Oct-23 Day 2 Safari and return to Maputo
Wed 4-Oct-23 Collection from Hotel & Transfer to Inhambane/Tofo
Thu 5-Oct-23 Dive Day 1 Tofo/Barra
Fri 6-Oct-23 Dive Day 2 Tofo/Barra
Sat 7-Oct-23 Dive Day 3 Tofo/Barra
Sun 8-Oct-23 Dive Day 4 Tofo/Barra
Mon 9-Oct-23 Dive Day 5 Tofo/Barra / Transfer to Vilankulos
Tue 10-Oct-23 Dive Day 1 Bazaruto
Wed 11-Oct-23 Dive Day 2 Bazaruto
Thu 12-Oct-23 Dive Day 3 Bazaruto
Fri 13-Oct-23 Flight to Maputo @ 14:45pm & Transfer to Ponta do Ouro
Sat 14-Oct-23 Dive Day 1 Ponto Do Ouro
Sun 15-Oct-23 Dive Day 2 Ponto Do Ouro
Mon 16-Oct-23 Dive Day 3 Ponto Do Ouro / Transfer to Maputo
Tue 17-Oct-23 Day sightseeing in Maputo
Wed 18-Oct-23 Flight to London depart 20:25
Thu 19-Oct-23 Arrive London 06:35am
The above basic package would not include any equipment rental requirements or national park fees. The trip is totally flexible and divers will be in a position to select the number of days diving at each location and no of days on holiday if required or we are also flexible so divers with less work holiday allowance can join part of the trip for example.
Accommodation
We have arranged accommodation in all dive locations.
As a result the overall package cost is likely to be in the region of £2,000.00 without flights. This is excellent considering we are diving the best 3 locations in Mozambique and also including the 2 day tour of Kruger National Park which is one of the best national safari parks in the world.
Flights
The flights from London to Maputo are in the region of £650.00 with British Airways. Both good airlines. We will also need transfers between the locations and a final internal flight from Vilankulo to Maputo which is less than £100.00. .
Diving
Tofo Beach/Inhambane
The diving will have great variety. Tofo Beach has some amazing diving. Scuba diving off Inhambane and Tofo is a real treat for those who love marine megafauna. The plankton rich waters are known to attract whale sharks, manta rays and also humpback whales. The diving industry is therefore quite established with dive operators located in Inhambane and more in Tofo as there is a nice beach front. Visibility will be good in October as this will be the end of the whale migration. The top dive sites to visit would be manta ray cleaning stations which are off Tofo at an area aptly named Manta Reef. Off Inhambane, you are likely to dive at Kingfisher Reef which also has cleaning stations.
Besides cleaning stations, visit reefs further from the coast for more shark action. Some diving experience may be needed at the outer reefs as there are strong currents and choppy surface conditions that may require a negative entry. For whale sharks, there are snorkel trips to see them and diving is not really necessary although bumping into one during a dive is certainly nothing to complain about.
Tofo is a small fishing village in the south of Mozambique on the eastern shores of the Inhambane Peninsula. Still unspoilt and un crowded Tofo’s clear blue waters and pristine beaches are ideal for a relaxing holiday and with regular Manta and Whale Shark sightings it is an excellent diving location.
Most people that visit Tofo do so to experience a once in a lifetime encounter with the huge gentle giants in the sea, but Tofo itself has a lot to offer whilst out of the water. Its laid back atmosphere along with beautiful stretches of empty beaches and lively bars and restaurants in the evening makes this a perfect place to relax, meet similar minded travellers and of course a memorable encounter with Mantas, whale sharks and maybe even whales!
Bazaruto Archipelago
There are five main islands making up the Bazaruto Archipelago, Bazaruto Island is the largest of these and there are daily shuttles from Vilanculos for those staying at one of the two luxury lodges on the island. Between this island and the mainland at Inhassorro is the small island of Santa Carolina also known as ‘Paradise Island’. South of Bazaruto Island is Benguerra Island, (or Santa Antóniao), the second largest of the islands and also with two luxury lodges. Further south still are the islands of Magaruque (Santa Isabel) and tiny Bangué island, neither of which currently have any accommodation options. You may also hear about Pansy Island or Pansy Shell Island popular for snorkelling, this is actually a moving sandbar which regularly disappears and reappears at a slightly new location.
Life doesn’t get more picture-perfect than on Mozambique’s Bazaruto Archipelago, a collection of six islands off the country’s south coast. Expect unspoilt, powder-soft white sand beaches and crystal clear waters that house rare species like the dugong, as well as a whole host of other marine species.
So often to get excellent quality diving you have to sacrifice somewhat on the quality of accommodation. Not so with diving holidays on the Bazaruto Archipelago – there is a great (if small) selection of really beautiful luxury lodges dotted across the islands.
The ocean provides so much of the holiday action here, such is its breadth and quantity of sea life, from snorkelling to salt-water fly fishing and some of the best deep-sea fishing in the world.
Head beneath the waves and you’ll find a National Park full of unspoilt waters and reefs, which offer some of the finest diving in the world. The reefs are exceptionally healthy, particularly the soft corals, and the range of sea life is not only vast but also remarkably approachable, from whale sharks to manta rays, dolphins and seahorses (for fans of the smaller stuff).
One of the biggest draws for divers in the Bazaruto Archipelago is the Two Mile Reef, and you will have the ocean more or less to yourself. Experienced divers should also dive Cabo San Sebastian. It can only be found using GPS and is home to such huge quantities of game fish that you can see from the boat before the dive.
For lovers of wildlife above the waves as well as below, the Bazaruto Archipelago is also something of a haven for birders, with over 150 species present in the region – you shouldn’t be at all surprised to be sharing the beach with a huge flock of flamingos! Other activities include island hopping, visits to turtle nesting grounds, beach walks, and horse riding.
Ponta
There are over 20 dive sites on the reefs of Ponta do Ouro, Ponta Malongane and Ponta Mamoli, home to an amazing and bio-diverse marine life primarily famed for shark encounters and suitable for experienced divers. The boats launch through the surf and the popular sites such as Doodles, Paradise and Checkers are only minutes away. Experienced divers will want to head out further to the edge of the continental shelf to sites like Pinnacles where hammerhead, bull and dusky sharks are frequently seen.
A popular time to visit is from October to April and humpback whales migrate past from April to November. Expect to see turtles, dolphin, whale sharks, honeycomb, eagle and manta rays as well as grey reef and leopard sharks. Visability ranges from 30-40 metres and the water temperature from 22-26C.
You can also see the trip on our meetup page where you can also RSVP.