Inhassoro to Vilankulo, November 2022

Rainy season is starting. We have, somewhat unfortunately, been able to get accommodation most of the way because Covid and cyclone Anna are still impacting tourism. Add the fact that we are out of season and there are plenty of options. Good for us, less so for everyone in tourism. Vilankulo is however expensive and the total number of camping options is surprisingly limited. I classify Vilankulo as over-priced but… it draws the less imaginative away from the better places on the coast. For the higher prices you get access to diving off of Bazaruto and what I assume is a great party spot in-season.

Vilankulo does have some style when it comes to food (probably the continental influence). We find a shop with everything from coke zero to salami and stock up. Well priced snickers bars and a few steaks make all the difference on budget travels.

We are supposed to stay in an out-of-the-way campsite north of Vilankulo. When we arrive the caretaker isn’t expecting us and there’s a weird feeling of not really being required. The site looks mostly deserted and boarded up. It’s just going to feel weird being here so after a brief tour of the premises we jump in the car and head south.

After a few hours of searching we decide on one of the few camping options around. The backpackers! It has some bungalow type accommodation but also some decent cheap options relative to other Vilankulo prices.

Some places call themselves backpackers when they should really just call themselves hostels, lodges or hotels. A backpackers has got to have a proper traveler feel to it and be relaxed enough for some randomness to be happening at all times. Someone has got to be able to cook simple and authentic food and there has to be some cheap beer available alongside some kind of pangalactic gargleblaster rum variant based drinks. There also has to be cheap accommodation options. Baobab Beach Backpackers is not only alliterative, it very much meets all requirements to proudly call itself a backpackers.

We opt for our roof top tent camping option at the backpackers as the price is much cheaper and we reckon our tent will be just as comfortable as the hut, and probably more waterproof. I throw up the tent and then my traveling buddy and I head for the restaurant and bar as we’ve saved some cash on accommodation.

The backpackers is called Baobab Beach because there is a huge baobab in the camping area. Each night that we return to our campsite the baobab is in flower. A baobab in flower is one of the most unique and captivating experiences you can have in Africa. The large flowers appear once night time has set in and the thick white petals glow in the moonlight. Bats flutter through the tree drinking from the baobab flowers. Up to a hundred flowers blossom each night on our baobab and in the morning the flowers curl up with the rising sun and fall to the ground. Very soon the petals from the night before have disappeared. The baobab blossomed in the moonlight every night we were there.

The backpacker restaurant is vibey with good music, good food and an eclectic collection of locals and international travelers. The restaurant does an excellent pizza and the home-made hot sauce (peri-peri) is dutifully the best in the world… again.

Directly in front of the restaurant/bar is the beach with local boats. The kite surfers from the backpackers walk out each day and impress us with the Bazaruto Islands in the background.

We’re budget travelers and can only afford a splurge activity every once in a while plus the rain has set in for the next few days. We cancel any ideas on diving the best Mozambican reefs currently available, Cabo Delgado is broadly no-go because of the insurgency, and nestle into the backpackers restaurant/bar to catch up on reading, writing and other hobbies. Our next stop is over many kilometers of sand and we opt for waiting for a window in the rain pouring down.

Anyone interested on how to choose dive sites in Mozambique should read this blog post by Odyssea Dive in Vilankulo.