Travel Information
Transportation to/from the Airport will be coordinated (but not paid for) by the organizers of the consultation. The round trip cost to/from the airport is $20USD. Matthew Haight (mhaight@jsi.com) must receive your itinerary by May 6th. If he doesn’t receive your itinerary by that day, you will be responsible for your own travel arrangements to/from the hotel.
ABOUT MAPUTO, MOZAMBIQUE:
Maputo has been the capital of Mozambique since 1898. The name of the city was Lourenço Marques until the independence of the country, in 1975. It is the largest city of Mozambique also with the country's most important harbor. It is situated at the mouth of the Santo River in the extreme south 90 km from the border to South Africa. The vibe is healthy and active, with little begging and lots of street vendors and markets. Buildings range from new high-rise construction to old colonial palaces, but the dominant architecture leans toward anonymous Stalinist-looking concrete-walled boxes of various heights, generally with badly eroded paint and lots of security bars in one or more stages of rusting. Fortunately, these tend to fade into the background as non-descript and uninteresting, and there are enough buildings with old charm or high style and lush enough gardens (cycads, coleus, flamboyant, jacaranda, bouganvillea, etc.) to give an overall pleasing feel.
Getting around:
Walk center city by day: Metered (yellow-roofed) taxis are good for longer distances or at night but agree to a fare beforehand as many don't have meters. Ask the hotel desk or locals for guidance on reasonable fares.
A very inexpensive way to get around is by mini-bus or "Chapa" (pronounced SHA-PAA). They work like small busses and have routes that criss-cross the city. All major routes begin and end in the downtown core/market area called "Baixa" (pronounced BAA-SHAA). If you can speak Portuguese, then this is an excellent way to travel, or if you have a local friend to take you. Prices are low, around Mts 5,000 (US$0.20) for most trips and Mts 10,000 (US$0.40) for longer ones (all one way). While chapas are an interesting and authentic form of transport, they are not particularly safe. Even locals suffer from frequent pickpocketings on chapas, or while waiting for chapa stops. The minibuses are always packed far beyond their originally intended capacity, seats are frequently broken, and many travelers have to stand up while riding. Beware of the safety issues regarding chapas when you decide whether or not to experience this form of transport as a tourist.
Weather:
Mozambique has a hot, tropical climate and it is best to travel during the dry season as it is much cooler (April/May and October/November). Temperatures are in the 20's (C). Cooler weather is found inland during this time. The rainy season is hot and humid.
Seasons in Mozambique
Spring: October - November
Summer: December - March
Autumn: April - May
Winter: May - September
