The Journey

Wherever in the world you are coming from, if you are arriving by air you will almost certainly connect in Johannesburg. From there you can fly directly to Inhambane three times a week (though once should be enough!) with tiny but very friendly airline AirTravelMax. ATM operates from Lanseria airport, at least an hour's drive from Jo'burg international, so make sure you allow time for the connecting taxi ride. When arriving at Jo'berg, clear immigration, collect your bag, head for the taxi rank, and ensure that you take a licensed, meter taxi. Airport staff can help you to ensure you get a licensed cab. The taxi driver will almost certainly know where Lanseria is, but worth checking before you hop in.

Check in time at Lanseria is ten minutes before departure, and planes will often wait for delayed passengers, but don't count on it. Flight time to Inhambane is around 2 hours. At Inhambane, the terminal is tiny but efficient. Just make yourself known to the immigration officer and fill in the appropriate forms. A visa is around £15 (US$30). Your bags will probably be delivered to you while you're waiting for your visa.

As an alternative to flying direct from Jo'berg to Inhambane, you can also fly to Maputo from Jo'burg international, and connect from there to Inhambane, using Mozambican national airline LAM. This is slower and slightly more expensive but more frequent and you may wish to stop at Maputo for a few days en-route to Kaya MJ.

Several luxury coach operators run daily services from South Africa (particularly Jo'burg) to Maputo, and buses provide a frequent onward connection to Inhambane (around 9-11 hours in total). This is a considerably cheaper but time consuming way to reach Inhambane.

Artur will meet you on arrival in Inhambane, and take you to the house. It's about a 30 minute drive from the town, the last mile of which is on a sand track that is only passable by a study four wheel drive vehicle such as a Land Rover defender or Toyota Land Cruiser.

As of 2008, British visitors do not require advance visas for South Africa, Swaziland or Mozambique, and short-term, single-entry tourist visas for South Africa and Swaziland are free on arrival. Nationals of other countries should check advice from the Mozambican and South African embassies in your country before departure.