The Great Mozambican circular route

The easiest or shortest route to the Mozambican coast might not be through the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Park, says Leon Botha, but this way you get three types of holidays in one: bush, 4x4 and beach.

It is so remote here, you’ll first have to say where you are when you’re praying, I muse one late afternoon as we form a laager in a clearing in the thick bush, pitch the tents and start migrating to the campfire.

This is probably where the dictionary fundis coined the word “bundu”.
A short while ago we arrived here at our first overnight stop, somewhere between the Kruger Park and the Mozambican coast.

Frank Carlisle, our tour leader from Bhe¬jane 4x4 Adventures, wasn’t exaggerating last night in the Kruger when he described this bush camp: “There aren’t any facilities – only a Shell Ultra Bush Stop − women to one side, men to the other,” Frank said, “and the only air freshener is a flowering shrub.”

Behind us lies the first day’s some 200 km – ahead of us eight more days and 1 300 exciting Mozambican kilometres await.

Yes, I know the shortcut to Mozambique’s white beaches, palm trees and 2M beer is through the Lebombo Border Post at Komatipoort, and not through the sticks.

However, if you have a little time, feel like a bush adventure, and, moreover, want to see a different side of Mozambique, consider using the Pafuri or Giriyondo Border Post in the Kruger Park.

This morning, 200 km ago, we entered Mozambique (and the Limpopo Transfrontier Park) at the Pafuri Border Post in the far north of the Kruger. From the bush camp we will drive further east to Inhassoro on the coast, our base camp for a day or three.

Once there, we will drive on the beach a bit and visit the Bazaruto archipelago.

Thereafter, a long stretch of tar road south on the EN1 main route to near Xai-Xai, before we will turn west through the southern part of the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Park and arrive back in the Kruger through the Giriyondo Border Post.

Should you connect the coordinates of Pafuri, Inhassoro, Xai-Xai and Giriyondo, you have “the Great Mozambican circular route” − 1 500 adventurous kilometres over nine days. And the best of all? You can even do it − with a bit of a battle, granted − in your 4x2.