WATCH: Bilene is paradise in Mozambique’s magical world

With the soft, white sand between your toes, the calm, clear water lapping against the lagoon shore and the breathtaking sunsets providing the most glorious backdrop with layer upon layer of palm trees hugging the horizon, the hard slog of the big city life quickly fades away.

The location? Bilene in Mozambique – just over a 700km drive from Johannesburg in a trip that should take you less than 10 hours to reach your destination, depending on congestion at the border and how many stops you make.

Once the magic of Mozambique bites you (and it doesn’t take very long), it’s almost certain to make you a lifelong lover of our eastern neighbour, and the urge to go back, as soon as you can, will never leave you.

Johannesburg and Hoedspruit travellers

A big group of us – half from Johannesburg, half from Hoedspruit – decided to take a week’s break in Mozambique in July for a dual 40th birthday bash. It’s during the school holidays, so with children locked and loaded, we are off to paradise – something new for us on a road trip, having only briefly experienced Mozambique after a day stopover on a cruise many, many years ago.

The Hoedspruit crowd make their way through the Kruger National Park (you must stay at least one night in the reserve if you wish to use the Giriyondo border post). They stayed in Letaba – 40km from the border.

You’ll also probably need a 4×4 to comfortably handle the corrugated dirt road between the border and Massingir, but you could get away with a high clearance vehicle. The Joburgers take the more traditional route through Komatipoort to the Lebombo/Ressano Garcia border post, via the ring road to bypass Maputo and then north until Macia.

Then it’s a short drive from Macia to Bilene, and you’re in paradise. It’s just over five hours to Komatipoort from Johannesburg (we decided to stay overnight and get to the border first thing in the morning), and then just short of that time from the border to Bilene, but we stopped along the way several times for supplies and lunch, so our trip took much longer than initially anticipated.

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Border was a breeze

We’ve always wanted to visit Mozambique with the kids, but have been wary of the horror stories about the border and the Mozambican police. We were worried about how the process of crossing into Mozambique could be stressful, with all the paperwork of what is required to enter and exit the country.

However, if you do your homework properly, going through the border can be a breeze. It was for us.

Once in Mozambique, you must stick to the speed limit – and it constantly changes from 100km/h to 80km/h to 60km/h and then increases once you have exited a town.

There are police everywhere, but in two groups of three vehicles each, we were only stopped twice – once to check a driver’s licence, and a second time pulled off only to be told to carry on again. The ring road around Maputo is a blessing but also a curse as it feels like you are hardly moving at 60km/h for a good hour’s drive.

But it’s at this stage where you can feel big city life leaving you as you witness the hustle and bustle of small markets along the road. But I suppose it’s no pain, no gain, and once you reach your destination, the trip is quickly forgotten.

Off-season July holiday in Bilene

We opted for the out-of-season July holiday, and weren’t disappointed. While there’s still many tourists, finding a seat at a pub or restaurant is not difficult, and the lagoon beach only has the occasional quadbike or bakkie roaring past.

It’s a different scenario in the hotter months, but the salt water in the Sao Martinho Lagoon – almost entirely separated from the ocean by a large sandbar – is warm enough to swim in. The lagoon is roughly 2km wide and 14km long, reaching depths of 50m. The sea, however, is fresh, especially after we experienced some unseasonal rain and winds. The water is clear and perfect for snorkelling.

The children loved it, and spent hours exploring once the weather improved. We stayed at Nhabanga Lakeview Resort – a 20-minute drive from the town of Bilene. You have to hire out the entire lodge.

It has six bungalows and is situated a stone’s throw away from the lagoon’s water. It was perfect for our big crowd, as once you arrive there’s no real need to get into your car unless you want to explore town and a few bars and restaurants.

Culinary delights of Bilene

The staff are amazing, providing for your every wish. Chef Lario and his team cooked for us every morning and evening, depending on what we brought. If a relaxing, self-catering holiday is what you are after, this is the place.

A firm favourite of ours was Pao bread – a delicious Mozambican version of Portuguese bread rolls made by local village bakers and sold each morning by the local women making their way from the village along the beach.

The first morning we were back in South Africa, we all regretted not being able to start the day with Pao bread.

The peri-peri chicken in local spots packs a punch, while the pregos and chips satisfied the ever hungry teenagers in our group. The sticky chicken wings at Flip Flop Bar in Bilene are to die for, the local beers are brilliant and there’s nothing quite like an R and R (Rum and Raspberry, they use Morango) on the beach.

What really stood out for me is how raw parts of the country are, how untouched and beautiful it is – a change from the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast we mostly visit. The people in Bilene are very friendly and humble, which makes for the most amazing experience.

Kanimambo (thank you in Xitsonga) to the people of Bilene and Mozambique. Hopefully, it won’t be too long before our family gets to explore more of what Mozambique has to offer. It’s too magical not to go back. Did I mention those sunsets?

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