Packing list for Mozambique, travel insurance for Mozambique, and taking your belongings

What to take with you to Mozambique: spotlighted

Featured items:

• Documents: passport – preferably valid for at least six months after returning home. Yes, even if you’re only going for a week. Copies and digital backups.
• Money: cash (metical or dollars) – ATMs are erratic, especially outside the big cities.
• Care: sunscreen that protects you well and aftersun.
• Outdoor and practical: good hat/cap for the sun and sunglasses. Umbrella for the rainy season. A buff, scarf or bandana for sun protection.
• Clothing: lightweight, loose clothing – for example linen, silk or cotton. Light-coloured clothing helps against mosquitoes. Long sleeves and trousers for safaris and the evenings, so you protect yourself from mosquitoes. Swimwear.
• Shoes: walking boots for walking safaris and shoes that you can walk on the bumpy streets with. Flip-flops or sandals for the evenings/on the beach. Medicines and travel kit: a small first aid kit with plasters, painkillers, anti-diarrhea, hand sanitizer and ORS (dehydration is a thing). Good mosquito repellent.
• Technology and equipment: world plug with type C/F/M (see also world plug or travel plug) and a power bank.
• Protection: mosquito net, impregnated mosquito net or mosquito net.

What are some other options for packing as well?

• Mini binoculars or monocular.
• Reusable water bottle with filter.
• Quick-drying travel towel.
• Headlamp or flashlight, because the power can go out sometimes.
• Umbrella and rain gear for the rainy season.
• E-reader or offline entertainment - because there is not wifi (or alcohol) everywhere.
• International driving license - otherwise you can only dream of road trips along the coast.

What should you keep in mind when traveling to Mozambique with your belongings?

• That you can get a heavy shower in the rainy season.

Are there mosquitoes in Mozambique?

• Yes. A lot. And some can spread malaria, dengue and even chikungunya.
• So they are not just any mosquitoes, they are mosquitoes with a mission. All year round and especially in the rainy season.
• Sleep under a mosquito net, apply DEET and wear covering clothing.
• More about protection against mosquitoes and insects.

Are there sandflies in Mozambique?

• Sand flies are present in Mozambique, but are not a known problem for tourists.
• Your set of mosquito repellents with DEET can provide a solution in combination with covering clothing, good spray, and not sleeping on the beach without protection.

Can you buy DEET, or other mosquito repellents, in Mozambique?

• Sometimes you can find mosquito repellents, containing DEET, but availability is unpredictable and often the concentrations are low.
• So it is better to bring your own, favourite repellent from home.

Can you buy a joint or weed in Mozambique, or take it with you to Mozambique?

• Officially, cannabis is illegal in Mozambique, and the authorities do not take it lightly. Criminal possession can lead to fines, prison sentences or unpleasant conversations at the police station. So unless you want to extend your holiday with a stay in a Mozambican cell: don't do it.
• People do smoke - especially among locals in certain areas. But as a foreigner you stand out more, and tourists are checked more often than your local neighbour. And: you never know exactly what you are buying - it could just as easily be banana leaf as imported tree bark.
• Buy a coconut and enjoy the natural highs.