14 nights. Between 3580 and 3980 EUR. 4×4. Minimum 4 pax and maximum 8 pax.
The Route: calendar, hotels and accommodation regime
on: Accommodation only. BB: Includes Breakfast. BBD: Breakfast and Dinner
- Sunday, 24 May. Maputo. BB. Hotel.
- Monday, 25 May. Maputo. BB. Hotel.
- Tuesday, 26 May. Graskop (South Africa) on. Guest House.
- Wednesday, 27 May. P.N.Kruger (South Africa). BB. Bungalows.
- Thursday, 28 May. P.N.Kruger (South Africa). BB. Bungalows.
- Friday, 29 May. Chidenguele. BBD. Lodge
- Saturday, 30 May. Tofo. BB. Bungalows.
- Sunday, 31 May. Vilanculos. BB. Lodge.
- Monday, 1 June. Vilanculos. BB. Lodge.
- Tuesday, 2 June. Vilanculos. BB. Lodge.
- Wednesday, 3 June. P.N. Gorongosa. BB. Bungalows.
- Thursday, 4 June. P.N. Gorongosa. BB. Bungalows.
- Friday, 5 June. P.N. Gorongosa. BB. Bungalows.
- Saturday, 6 June. Vilanculos. BB. Lodge.
- Sunday, 7 June. Departure on international or national flight.
VAP recovers what was its first travel route in 2013. So we named it the Journey of the Two Africas.. A route that begins in the Maputo special has something of that, and ends in the small paradise village of Vilanculos, Mozambique. There is something of two Africas in visiting Kruger National Park first., South Africa, with some paved roads, a fantastic network of services and one of the most complete faunas in Africa, and end in that jewel that is the Gorongosa National Park, with its wildlife recovery projects and its spectacular, empty landscapes. Perhaps this duality can be easily understood when we cross the land border between both countries and the enormous differences become apparent..
But traveling is that, look, to understand, debate and remove prejudices. There is no single Africa, as there is no South Africa and Mozambique, but complex states with diverse political and social realities to understand. We intend to teach them all in the same way that we live them. Both countries have been the home of the author of the route, Javier Brandoli, who lived and worked as a correspondent in 2010 and 2011 South Africa, and in 2012, 2013 and 2014 a Mozambique. Part of that life and that routine, in which I crossed the border to go from Maputo to shop in the South African city of Nelspruit, It is in the proposal of this trip.
The route explained day by day
Sunday and Monday, 24 and 25 May. Maputo
The capital of Mozambique is one of the few capitals in southern Africa that has a certain charm beyond the bustle of the streets. The capital, that was our house for two years, It is a city that we like for the chaos and beauty left by Portuguese colonialism and its decadent air.. The idea is to visit the very beautiful train station, the House of Ferro (designed by the Eiffel studio), the fortress, Av 5 de september, some of its markets, the two Namorados garden, at Marginal, the 24 July, the Feima…
We will try at night to go to the Franco Moçambicano Cultural Center or the Art Center. If we are lucky we will attend a marrabenta concert. In Maputo, also, You can eat well, so we have the opportunity to enjoy their great seafood and some of their typical dishes such as frango piri piri, the crab killer, el caril de camarao, the camarao or lulas grelhadas… We will try to live Maputo with what it offers at that moment.
We slept in a hotel with a particular history from the times of the Civil War, and the next morning we left for Ponta d'Ouro, to see its beaches and eat good seafood crossing the Catembe Bridge.
Note: Any traveler who wishes can arrive on Saturday 23. Consult VAP Viajes about this option.
Tuesday 26 May, Graskop, South Africa.
Distance 400 km. 5 travel time
We left very early. We cross the border of Ressano Garcia, which is always a hassle, and we went to South Africa. We're going straight to visit the Blyde River Canyon. There are several spectacular waterfalls and stunning views of the canyon. We will visitLisbon Falls, Bourkes Potholes and views of Three Rondavels. Then we move to the quiet town of Graskop and have dinner in a classic restaurant with some good South African food..
Wednesday and Thursday, 27 and 28 May. P. N. Kruger, South Africa.
Distance 80 km (to the park). 1,20 hours
We spent those two days on safari inside the park. Kruger is a park where the big five are and it provokes mixed feelings. It is a park with sections of asphalt and with a large influx of public. We, As we enter Monday and Tuesday we will find fewer people, but in our opinion, which is the park we know best in Africa, defects overlap spectacular fauna and landscapes. There is also a debate about the management of the park that makes it easier for people with fewer resources to come and enjoy its nature., something prohibited in the vast majority of African natural areas where both the accommodation and the vehicle required make them spaces that are prohibited for them.. In any case, it's not about comparing, believe, but to take advantage of the opportunity to enjoy the nature of an iconic park full of animals.
Friday, 29 May. Chidenguele.
We do some game drive in the morning and set out to cross the Komatipoort border, It's sure to be a hassle again and we may face queues.. We then begin the march through rural Mozambique. We eat on the way, possibly in Xai Xai, at a roadside site. And from there we go to a very special hotel in the Chidenguele lagoon. It was the years we lived there our place of retreat and peace, a kind of fetish. If the sand track allows it, we go to the sea dunes. And if not, we take the kayaks, we use the pool, and we relax in a place away from the world and with a unique sunrise and breakfast.
Saturday, 30 May. Tofo
On the way we passed through some of the Quissico and Inharrime lagoons. We will cross crowded markets and buy their bags of cashews from street vendors. (a country institution).
We will stop first in Inhambane. This city was important for the Portuguese and has remained a bit like when they left it after Independence. We will pass by one of their pottery centers. From there we go to Tofo, the beach for backpackers and travelers. A very nice bay with hotels and restaurants around, next to a small local market and little houses. It is very famous for excursions to see whales or whale sharks.. We will leave with the boats the next morning.
Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, 31 May; 1 and June 2. Vilanculos/Bazaruto
We are going to what was our other house in Mozambique. The main course, maybe from the trip, It is the excursion of the Bazaruto archipelago. How we stayed three nights, There is the option of doing one day in Bazaruto/Benguerra, and another go to Santa Carolina or a day of sailing on a dhow(traditional boat). Vilanculos/Bazaruto is a spectacular space. snorkeling, eaten on the beach, you can see the dunes of the islands, the flamingos…
The people also have their interest. Fishermen pulling their long nets on the sandy beach, your traditional market, its small shops with its slow village rhythm... We will do one last kayak excursion on the Govuro River that will end with a night of partying with local music and barbecue.
We stayed in a beautiful lodge by the sea.
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 3, 4 and 5 June. National Park Gorongosa
The road is very long, 7 hours, and we can find a road in bad condition. It is a stretch through deep Mozambique. We arrive at the Park after eating and if we can that same afternoon we go to visit it.. We slept in the bungalows of the main camp. The next day, we walk through the entire park again. Gorongosa, for the fauna recovery work that has been done there, It was annihilated after the two wars, is for us in the top parks in Africa for its fauna, its landscape and authenticity. The last day, we will go to the Gorongosa mountain range, with its famous mountain waterfall, and we will visit some of the communities that live there.
Saturday 6 June
We return to Vilanculos, because it is the best way to leave the country by plane to Johannesburg or Maputo, and that It is worth ending up having a beer on one of the most beautiful beaches we have seen on the globe.. A perfect end to the trip with a party under the stars.
Sunday 7 June. Return
A flight leaves at 13.30 from Vilanculos and arrives at 15.30 to Johannesburg. A second flight leaves at 15.30 and arrives at 16.30 to Maputo (scheduled schedules in November 2025). We drop off travelers at the airport around 12.00 hours.
If anyone wants to take the car with us to Maputo, let us know. There will be no transportation cost. Each one now pays for hotel and food expenses individually.. We will sleep one night on the way and Monday 8 In June we will arrive in Maputo.
Trip cost, payment method, dates and what the route includes
When is the trip?
Travel dates are fixed, Sunday 24 from may to sunday 7 June 2026 (with the option of extending the return trip by two days for those who want to go back down to Maputo by car.).
How many people are in the group?
The trip is planned for a minimum of 4 people and a maximum of 8. The final price varies if 4, 6 you 8. The costs are different. Travelers go in two cars 4×4.
How is the payment?
Bank credit. To confirm the route a first payment is made 500 euros per person. This reservation is not returned unless the route is canceled due to lack of participants., due to VAP trips or there is a person who replaces the traveler and pays the total price of the trip. The rest of the payment, for the total, will be done in the following way: the 50% remaining between the 1 and 7 March (the route has already been confirmed), and 50% end before 23 April.
Do I get my money back if I don't go or is the trip suspended??
If he 1 As of March, there are no four people signed up, The trip is canceled and the integrity of the amount is returned. If the trip is canceled due to VAP, The entire amount is returned at any time prior to the departure of the route.
Yes after confirming the route, the passenger cancels the trip, lose the amount in the following percentages. Behind him 7 March, the signal is lost and the 50% of the amount. After 23 April, you lose the 100% of the amount. If the traveler or VAP finds a new person to occupy the seat and pay the entire trip, The trip will be fully refunded or a proportional part of the new payment.
What does the route include??
Transport, Lodging (in the indicated regime) and accompanying drivers. Also includes all entrance fees to national parks, all safaris “in our cars” through Kruger and Gorongosa, the one-day boat trip to the Bazaruto Islands, and the kayak excursion on the Govuro River.
What the route does not include?
International flights, Meals not included in the mentioned packages in the hotels, additional excursions, and any type of cost or activity that does not appear as included in the previous sectionr.
How much?
The cost for a group of 8 People is 3580 EUR per person (2 Car). The cost for a group of 6 People is 3980 per person (2 Car). The cost for a trip 4 People is 3680 EUR per person (1 car). The traveler accepts these costs at the time of signing up for the route while waiting to confirm the final number of participants..
Total route map: more than 2500 km
A map of yoursand It leaves Maputo and ends in Gorongosa/Vilanculos. The return can be from Vilanculos or from Maputo itself. At the traveler's choice.
General considerations
-VAP routes are author tours for small groups with an adventurous spirit, traveler and journalist. We travel with two cars. Javier Brandoli and a second driver drive the vehicles, They accompany travelers and explain a country they know, but they are a more integral part of the journey. Travelers accept that they are part of a group and all assume their own individual responsibilities. The marked route is orientative. Some options or excursions can be changed, without changing the days of the trip and the type of accommodation proposed except for greater cause. Our Spirit, just, is not to make organized trips, but participatory trips in which the group makes its own decisions. Also climatic elements, security or health workers can modify the route.
–The trip has a journalistic component. We offer our professional knowledge along the route to take photographs and track stories.. At VAP we offer online journalism courses, we are journalists, and our activities inevitably have a journalistic component, but this is in any case a traveler's route and not a journalist's trip. We are not interested in just seeing and photographing, we are also interested in debating and understanding.
–What books to read? Javier Brandoli wrote a book that was published in 2015, The African Macondo, about his stay in Mozambique and trips to neighboring countries. We do not intend to proselytize, but there are not many books in Spanish that talk about the country, So all the people who request it and sign up for the route will receive a free copy of that work to familiarize themselves with the environment.. If you want to go deeper, There is another book about Mozambique written by another journalist and good friend, José Luis Toledano, titled «In the shadow of the cashew tree» and published by Aecid, which we also recommend. And of course, You can always read any work by the Mozambican writer Mia Couto to understand this complex country. There is extensive literature on South Africa., but about its raw history we love it «A Rainbow in the night», by Dominique Lapierre.
-All Travelers are required to take out international travel insurance covering South Africa and Mozambique. They must send a copy of it with the signature of the contract that will be sent to each participant.
-Before proceeding to the reservation, if there are doubts, We suggest making video calls to clarify any issue that arises.
-We are also open to answer any questions by email: vap@viajesalpasado.com
PD. This route, and every route we take through Mozambique, May it serve as a memory of Amaia Iribarren and Jeremias Zaqueu. She was a fantastic traveler and a person who illuminated any path or place.. Participated in our first route 2013, and we never forget her. Jeremias was the driver who accompanied us on the second part of the route. 2014 and with whom we lived for months in Vilanculos. a good man, cheerful, hardworking and honest. rest in peace.
