I made my first, albeit short, trip to Maputo last week. A 55 minute flight from Johannesburg, Maputo is closer to us than Cape Town, however, costs are much higher than the Windy City. This is one of the first things you will notice in Maputo. Good Hotels can cost anything from $180 to $250 a night. I stayed at the Radisson Blu. A fairly new hotel in Maputo, overlooking the beach, the hotel caters mainly for South Africans and Europeans. For my review on the hotel, check tripadvisor.com.
Being here for work, gave me a little time to really explore. The city centre is busy and resembled the images I had formed about Maputo even before coming here. The people are extremely friendly and go out of their way to assist you. The Barclays offices are right in the middle of one of the busiest streets in the city. Branches open from 8am to 4pm - something we can learn from, and implement back home. The main mall in the city centre caters for the large Muslim community with halaal take aways and restaurants.
You can't visit Maputo without trying the delicious fresh prawns. Once again, prices are exorbitant, but the 'small' shrimps (as they call it) are worth it.
The beach in front of my hotel was lovely to look at from a distance, however, as you get closer, you immediately notice the vast amounts of pollution soaking up the waves. The local teenagers held some prayer sessions on the beach, near the Southern Sun hotel, which is undergoing some extensions and renovations.
A few street vendors line these tourist spots, but once again the prices are extremely inflated.
After a short visit to Maputo, I don't think I would return for a holiday. Instead, I would prefer going further north to visit some of the awe inspiring beaches and coastlines that Mozambique has to offer.
... Me
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| Radisson Blu Maputo - pool side |
Being here for work, gave me a little time to really explore. The city centre is busy and resembled the images I had formed about Maputo even before coming here. The people are extremely friendly and go out of their way to assist you. The Barclays offices are right in the middle of one of the busiest streets in the city. Branches open from 8am to 4pm - something we can learn from, and implement back home. The main mall in the city centre caters for the large Muslim community with halaal take aways and restaurants.
You can't visit Maputo without trying the delicious fresh prawns. Once again, prices are exorbitant, but the 'small' shrimps (as they call it) are worth it.
The beach in front of my hotel was lovely to look at from a distance, however, as you get closer, you immediately notice the vast amounts of pollution soaking up the waves. The local teenagers held some prayer sessions on the beach, near the Southern Sun hotel, which is undergoing some extensions and renovations.
A few street vendors line these tourist spots, but once again the prices are extremely inflated.
After a short visit to Maputo, I don't think I would return for a holiday. Instead, I would prefer going further north to visit some of the awe inspiring beaches and coastlines that Mozambique has to offer.
... Me
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