Maputo - Post Report Question and Answers
What are the particular advantages of living in this city?
I wake up every day and see the Indian Ocean. I can drive 30 minutes and find a pristine beach. It's a great place to be. - Feb 2020
How easy it is to take awesome weekend trips, and it is cheap. - Feb 2019
Looking at the Indian Ocean everyday. - Feb 2017
Travel, availability of goods given close proximity to South Africa, most people speak some English, cheap help (childcare, cleaning, etc.). - Jan 2017
The amazing travel opportunities! There is SO MUCH to see and do within just a few hours drive from Maputo. Half-day Fridays at the Embassy help get out of town for weekend trips. Maputo is 2 hours from Kruger National Park and beautiful South Africa, 3-4 hours from peaceful, mountainous Swaziland, and 2-8 hours from an endless supply of gorgeous Mozambican beaches. You can travel as much as you want and never run out of amazing destinations just a few hours drive from home. The flipside is that everyone does travel a lot and that means the community in Maputo is not as strong. - Jul 2014
The food was really good especially the seafood, chicken, and cashews. The Embassy also observed half days on Fridays which meant you could take advantage of mini-breaks to neighboring countries. The easy access to South Africa and Swaziland was great if you just needed some decent shopping and an opportunity to speak and think in English! - Apr 2014
Kruger was, hands down, our biggest thrill. We didn't travel much inside Moz due to infrastructure problems, the lack of decent emergency health care, and the lack of just about everything. That being said, we had friends that went all over the country and very rarely made it into South Africa. The key is that you have to get out. Staying in Maputo, which a few folks did, turned them into grumpy old men. By going out and about you won't save money, nor will you by traveling to Nelspruit for groceries. Weather is tropical and seasons are reversed. So Spring, Summer, and Fall were not bad, while Winter was hot and muggy. - Oct 2012
If you aren't crazily going on expensive trips to other places, you can save lots of money, even families can save. (We bank every other paycheck.) - Jun 2011
It is very close to South Africa, which has great safaris and very good shopping. The diplomatic passport helps you through the border faster. - May 2010
