Frequently Asked Questions

Casa Babi is located in the town of Vilanculos, Inhambane Province Mozambique.

750 km from Maputo and 1300 km from Johannesburg, Vilanculos is easy to access either by road or by air.

Air:

2 airlines connect Vilanculos to Johannesburg and Maputo on a daily base, Inhambane and Kruger National Park a few times a week:

• Airlink has daily flights from and to Johannesburg and Kruger National Park. (Check flights)
• LAM (Linhas Aereas de Moçambique) from and to Maputo, Inhambane and Johannesburg.

Airport transfers to and from Casa Babi are complimentary.

Road:

The EN1, main road connecting Maputo to Vilanculos is safe and in good conditions. 

Careful to the police and respect the speed limits. Traffic police has speedometers that are very efficient!
Whatever happens, we strongly recommend not to drive at night.

Once in Vilanculos, follow the map (Download the map).

Do I need a 4×4 ?

Unless you really want to go off road you wont need a 4×4. From Vilanculos north, the driving becomes very complicated and long because of the state of the roads. We recommend you check the conditions before hitting the road. A good place where to gather information about the roads is the FB page DriveMoz.

Public transport:

• Minibuses travel every day, all day long, and connect Vilanculos to all towns in Mozambique. Long, not always very comfortable, but a real experience!
• Greyhound buses will be a more comfortable option for longer journeys. They can drive very fast… a bit too fast. Unfortunately bus accidents are not a rare occurence.

Your passport needs to be valid at least 6 months after your date of entry and needs to have at least 2 blank pages.

Visa exemption

Nationals from 29 countries are Visa exempted.

Simply present your passport and a proof of reservation at the immigration office (upon request, we can assist you with this) and make a payment of US$11, €10, or MZN 650 at the point of entry.

If you’re not a citizen of a visa-exempt country, you’ll need to obtain a visa in advance (see below) or get it at the airport in Vilanculos. Single entry visa price is 9837 meticais / 160 US$.

Please make sure you have enough cash to pay for your visa as the POS machines do not always work and there are nos cash dispensers nor exchange bureaux at the airport.

E-Visa for Mozambique

You can apply at the Mozambican Embassy in your country or register on the Mozambican eVisa website before your arrival. Better if you ask us before doing anything as rules can change and the E-Visa website doesn’t always work.

Mozambican Meticais

The local currency in Mozambique is the Metical, abbreviated with the symbol MZN or MT.

To give you an idea of the exchange rate, in 2024, 1000 Meticais was worth around 15 US Dollars. Please check the USD/MZn exchange rate for more accurate information.

Bank and ATM

You can easily withdraw Meticais from ATMs throughout the country. However, withdrawing money can sometimes be a bit of a challenge:
– you will often be limited to 5,000MZN (80 US$) per withdrawal;
– many banks do not accept Mastercard;
– at the end of the month, the lines can be very long.

Currency exchange

If you want to be on the safe side, take some USD that you will exchange. Take new and unmarked $100 and $50 notes. The smaller ones are more difficult to exchange.

EURO are not easy to change. ZAR are largely accepted in Ponta do Ouro but not in Vilanculos.

Malaria

While Mozambique remains a malaria-endemic region, Casa Babi’s seaside location benefits from refreshing breezes that deter mosquitoes. Additionally, we provide effective mosquito nets for each bed and offer mosquito repellent for your use. However, if you’re concerned about adhering to a strict mosquito repellent regimen, especially at sunset, we recommend consulting your doctor about potential malaria prophylaxis options.

Yellow fever

There is no Yellow Fever in Mozambique.
Nevertheless, be aware that if you come from a country, even only in transit, that has yellow fever, a yellow fever vaccination will be required at the border.

Pharmacies & Clinic

You will find many pharmacies around and there is private clinic in Vilanculos. If you follow a specific treatment we recommend you take the necessary amount with you as all medicines are not easily found.
The same is valid for who is using contact lenses. Cleaning products and lenses cannot be found in Vilanculos. Make sure you take what you need for your stay with you.

Climate & Weather

Eventhough weather is more and more instable and difficult to predict, Vilanculos is usually cool and dry from April to November and hot and humid from November to March.

You can expect showers from end of November to mid-March. They usually do not last very long and bring a very welcomed fresh air for a few hours. Being by the sea, Casa Babi benefits from a refreshing breeze in the evenings.

July and August are our coolest months. You can expect the temperature to go down to 14-15°C in the evenings. A light jumper is a good addition to your suitcase.

Vilanculos Kitsurfing season

For the kite surfers, we get thermic winds from October to March and benefit from better wind conditions in November, December, January and February.

Vilanculos Scuba Diving season

For the scuba divers, underwater conditions are usually better from April to September.

What is the best season to visit ?

Now, please, bear in mind that these are generalities. We are witnessing big changes at the moment and it is very difficult for us to answer the question « what is the best season to visit ».

Whatever happens with the weather, if you stay 3-4 days in Vilanculos you should be able to find something to do to enjoy the area.

Casa Babi restaurant is opened to our guests only.

We change our 3 courses dinner menu daily and cook only from fresh products locally sourced as much as we can.

We’ll ask you to let us know if you would like to join us for dinner before 2pm. Dinner is served at 7 pm in winter and at 7.30 pm in summer.

Please let us know if you have any specific dietary requirements so that we can adapt our menus.

Wi-Fi & Internet

Wifi is free and available everywhere at Casa Babi. It works very well at the reception but can be a bit slower in the bedrooms because of the repeaters.

Power Plugs & Outlet

Every room has South-African plugs (3 points), European plus (2 points) and an international adaptor. We have extra adaptors at hand in case you need more.

Complimentary Toiletries

In your rooms you will find mosquito repellents made by us with essential oils.

We provide organic toiletries: shampoo, conditionner, body lotion, a natural coconut oil made in the Inhambane province. And also locally made lemongrass soaps.

Laundry service

We offer a free laundry service. Your clothes are machine washed and dried. They usually are available the day after you handed them.

Check our facilities and services page to see what other services we offer.

For the winter months (from June to October), pack a jumper or a fleece. Evenings can be cold.

Think also about any specific medicine, sun lotion, contact lenses cleaning products. These can prove difficult to find in Vilanculos.

If you wish to help ?

1. We support the Saks program from Parco, a local NGO, that aims at sending the poorest kids to school by providing the essentials their families cannot buy for them. Please ask us if you would like to donate for this project.
2. We regularly fund beach and town clean up days. You can also contribute to that.
3. If you wish to take something with, we will be happy to take Sun Lotion factor 50 or sunglasses, UV protector shirts and hats to donate to the Albinos in town.
4. Anything that can help kids at school or towards their education (pens, note books, educative toys and games – please not in plastic) is also appreciated.
5. If you have old smartphones that are still working, take them with (with a charger) instead of throwing them away. You will certainly make someone very happy.

Please do not bring sweets. There are no dentists in town.

Clothes will be donated to friends who sell them to the community to fund a library for the school.

Please note that we have cats and dogs on the property. They are well behaved and friendly. They are not allowed in the kitchen and the restaurant. We hope you’ll have fun with them.

Please contact us if you wish to take your own pet with you.