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For other destinations and types of holiday, visit Kuoni
For other destinations and types of holiday, visit Kuoni 

Things to do in Mozambique

Explore Santa Maria village from Machangulo Beach Lodge

This is the village I was born in and a great opportunity to gain insight into local life…

By Sifisso Hobjane
Guest Relations Manager

Our guided tour to the small village of Santa Maria is a great opportunity for guests to gain an insight into local life. This is the village I was born in, so I enjoy taking people here.

On the way there we take time to explore a mangrove swamp, which is a completely different environment to the one guests see at the lodge. At high tide we’re able to pull the boat straight in; at low tide you get a free mud bath. The mangroves are vital to the village because of the water purification function they perform. On another excursion we offer mangrove kayaking. The kayaks follow a snaking river and you can see pelicans, flamingos, kingfishers and many other birds.

It’s interesting to see how the village has changed over the past decade or so. Life was a lot harder before tourism – people mainly got by with fishing. As children we used to have to go to Maputo City to continue our education; now there’s a secondary school as well as primary school. We visit a small market that sells fruit and warm bread and I take guests to the hospital, where we chat to a nurse, and the school – where we meet the children and a teacher.

We have lunch at Bemugi’s Place, a relaxed beach restaurant where you sit at tables with the sand under your feet. As a part of Machangulu’s involvement with the community we offer free Santa Maria tours to all of our guests as a way of supporting the local businesses.

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  • Trips to take

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Alfred & Sifisso Hobjane

From a very young age Sifisso wanted to learn English. Self taught, and determined to work in hospitality, he listened to English music, watched English films and learned vocabulary by using a dictionary to translate from Portuguese, which he learnt at school. At Machangulo he has worked his way up to a managerial position. He loves his job, but also enjoys going back to his village to see his family and children.

Plan your holiday withAlfred&

Your journey will start with one of our UK team – someone like Adele, who knows Mozambique well. They’ll shape your ideas into the trip of a lifetime. But they won't do it alone. They'll draw on the expertise of our contacts on the ground, connecting you to the people who'll make your holiday one you'll always remember - people that can direct you to the best locations to spot dugongs, turtles and angelfish; who'll take you to their village so you'll get a real insight into local culture; and who'll invite you to join them for a spot of sandboarding.

Freephone an expert 01306 744 656

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