• Vehicle registration papers – If the vehicle is not registered in your name, then obtain a letter of authorisation from the owner of the vehicle to drive and to take the vehicle into Mozambique
• Financing of vehicle - If your vehicle is still being financed, get a letter from your bank allowing your vehicle to cross the border.
• Drivers License - Valid driver's license - must be carried at all times while driving
• Third Party Insurance - compulsory (purchase at any AA Autoshop or at the border, valid for 30 days) Cost for insurance is roughly R150.00 and for a trailer R80.00
• Warning Triangles - 1 set of Warning triangles (does not need to be displayed, only in the case of emergency)
• Immigration fee - Immigration fee per person - ZAR 12.00 (current price)
• Import Permit - Purchase the compulsory Temporary Import permit for vehicle, cost is ZAR 15.00
• Towing a trailer - If towing a trailer, you need 2 x yellow & blue Mozambique warning triangle, must be displayed at front of vehicle (on bumper) & rear of trailer
• South African vehicles - All South African vehicles must have a ZA sticker on them, as well as a yellow triangle on a blue background displayed on them- purchased at any AA Autoshop
• Visitors are advised to check border operating times before travelling, as these times change during high season. Contact details listed further down under the specific border posts.

• Fill in a Vehicle Temporary Export form, in which you detail your vehicle particulars.  List all the main items you are taking through and will be bringing back into SA (i.e. trailers, boats, fishing equipment etc) to prevent any problem upon your return.  Keep in mind when detailing your length of stay in Mozambique as there is a daily fine for staying longer than indicated. As a precaution add a few extra days to account for anything unforeseen happening e.g. vehicle repairs, extended vacations etc.

• Passports are stamped after paying R12 per person tourism tax. Then the vehicle particulars and temporary imports form needs to be completed and stamped along with your gate pass.  This will cost you around 30 Meticais (±R10). If you haven't already bought insurance, you can go to one of the insurance agents operating outside the main building. You MUST have insurance. Keep your car registration form, temporary import and insurance forms together. Hand these to the officials should you be stopped at the gate upon exiting.

• South African citizens no longer require visas, with the duration of stay being limited to 30 days. For other nationalities, please contact the Mozambique Embassy for further details. Pay attention to the duration of your stay.

• Normal operating hours are from 07h00 - 22h00 daily. During the Festive Season these hours are extended from 06h00 - 22h00 to cater for passenger vehicles. The border post can be contacted on 034 435 1070 (please phone before leaving).

• Normal operating hours are from 07h00 - 22h00 daily. The Mozambique border post (Namaacha) can be contacted on +258 21 960090 and the Swaziland border post (Lomahasha) can be contacted on +268 207 9120 (please phone before leaving).

• Normally the Border is open from 6h00 - 22h00.  In the Christmas and Easter holidays the border is open 24 hours a day.  South African passports do not require visas but foreign passports do require visas.  On the Swaziland side the border only opens at 7h00 and closes at 20h00.

• No, there is a great tarred road that leads from South Africa all the way to Bilene.

• One of SMBC's best assets is that it's easily within one days driving from both Durban and Johannesburg. Refer below drive times including border crossing :
  
  

• From Durban, take the main N2 highway north to Zululand, past Richards Bay to Mkuze. Keep an eye for a road on the right marked Golela. This being the border post into Swaziland. From the Golela border post follow the road past Big Bend.  Take the right turnoff to Siteki Border post. Once through the border head towards Maputo and you will go through the Motola toll plaza, you can only pay with Meticais. A couple of km after the tollgate you will get a slipway to turn left, saying Xai Xai. Turn left and keep on this road following the signs to Xai Xai - Route EN1 Your route will lead past the main towns of: Marracuene, Manhica for ±165Km to a town called Macia (BP on left). At Macia turn right off the main road to Bilene. ±33km to Bilene.
  
  

• Travel to Nelspruit and then on to the Komatipoort border post. Once through the Komatipoort border post follow the ±100km road towards Maputo. You will go through 2 tollgates, the first is ± 50km from Komatipoort, payment can be made in Meticals, Rands or US$. The second, Motola toll plaza is just before you enter Maputo*

• Upon entering Bilene you will come across a turning circle, go straight through the turning circle (Bilene Hotel will be on your right). Turn left at the t-junction and in 400m you will reach the beach road T junction (the market will be on your left). Take a left and follow this road for 1km. the road leads straight to San Martinho Beach Club
  
  
  

• Please do not drive after dark as there are a lot of un-roadworthy vehicles on the road without lights or reflectors.  Pedestrians can also be a problem as most villagers are alongside the road.
  
• Take note of the speed limits as they reduce down to 60km/h when passing through villages, traffic officials use radar as a means of trapping
  
  
• If traffic officials on the road stop you, be courteous and polite.  If you are in the wrong, pay the fine but insist for a receipt.  If you are sure you are not guilty ask to go with them to their office and speak with their commander.  Remember only the police in the white uniforms are allowed to stop and fine you for traffic violations.

• Fill your car at the border (Komatipoort) or in Swaziland at Siteki.  The petrol is cheaper in South Africa and Swaziland.  Unleaded petrol is available in Maputo and Marcia and it's a good idea to fill up before heading down to Bilene. All major petrol stations take cards and most have ATMs where cash can be withdrawn

• Although there are no commercial flights to Bilene, chartered or private planes are welcome
  
  
• Bilene has an airfield with a paved 690 meter runway (01/19) suitable for daylight use in VFR conditions. There is secure parking but no fuel or any navigation aids. There are the usual landing fees, navigation fees, parking fees and passenger taxes to pay in US dollars.
  
  
• Customs and Immigration must currently be cleared at Maputo but there are currently steps being taken for Bilene to be upgraded to an international airport, which will allow for direct flights from SA

• There are a number of commercial operators flying into Maputo daily from Durban, Johannesburg and Cape Town.
  Once in Maputo, you will need to rent a car to drive to Bilene. Avis, Eurocar and Hertz are the main operators. Flights are offered by the following:
  
  Pelican Air Services - Johannesburg/Nelspruit
  Tel: + 27 11 973 3649
  Fax: + 27 11 973 2513
  Email: info@pelicanair.co.za
  Website: www.pelicanair.co.za
  
  SAA – Durban/Johannesburg/Cape Town
  
  Swazi Express Airways - Durban
  Tel: + 27 31 408 1115/6
  Fax: + 27 31 408 1114
  Email: swaziexp@netactive.co.za
  Website: www.swaziexpress.com
  
  LAM - Maputo, Johannesburg, Durban and other destinations within Mozambique Tel SA: + 27 11 622 4889
  Tel Maputo: + 258 1 468 000
  Website: www.lam.co.mz

• Currency: Unit of currency is the Metical (MT), plural meticais. The country has currently gone through a currency change where ‘000' were knocked off. This has created a mix of old and new. There are MT500, 1000 and 5000 coins, while notes come in denominations of: MT500; 1000; 5000; 10,000; 20,000; 50,000; 100,000 and 200,000 in the old form and 50cents, MT1 and 5 and 10 coins, while notes come in denominations of MT10, 20, 50, 100, 200. Ask for some cash in smaller denominations when changing money as stallholders in the markets and along the road don't carry much change.

• Yes, most of the restaurants, shops and even local vendors accept Rands, but some use a less than favourable exchange rate. Where possible draw Medicals at an ATM to get the best rates.

• The closest bank with available ATM's to Bilene is in Marcia (32km's away)

• Money can be exchanged at banks, hotels and Mercados Secundário de Câmbios (Bureaux de Change) where you'll get best rates for US$ and SA Rand; other currencies are difficult to change. Ideally do your exchange before you leave South Africa. In Marcia you can exchange your money at the B.C.I. Bank, unfortunately they only take Visa Cards.  There are also ATMs at two of the petrol stations, where you can draw 3000 Meticais at a time.

• Traveller's cheques: American Express Traveller's Cheques in US$ can also be exchanged at certains banks ($15 appears to be the standard charge). Banks may charge a commission per cheque, regardless of denomination. This however is not recommended.

• You can view the live exchange rates, by clicking on this link: http://www.xe.com

• Credit card facilities are becoming increasingly wide spread. Originally only larger cities such as Maputo, Beira and Chimoio had such facilities but now networks are being expanded to emergent tourist areas with Bilene now boasting Credit card facilities at most main hotels and restaurants in the area. Cash is handy for emergencies though.

• Waiters, porters, car guards (guardas) and other casual workers expect to be tipped. 10% for waiters, MT10,000 for the others.

• There are both inland and offshore fishing options on your doorstep. The Bilene Lagoon, being an estuary, is saline in nature and offers great fishing potential, especially when the mouth is open. There are also a number of fresh water lakes and rivers in the area that have barely been touched and are bound to offer some great action. On the ocean side there is an awesome reef directly in front of the lagoon with pinnacles rising to as little as 5m from the surface with more options in the near vicinity. This is a fisherman's paradise!

• The mouth stays open throughout the year, however, during dry periods the mouth will close. SMBC has a full time tractor waiting to assist boats with their beach launch. Thus allowing sea access throughout the year.

• Yes the lagoon is ideal for swimming

• Yes they are provided they stay out of the demarcated bathing areas

• Yes, the resort will have it's own restaurant and bar on site, offering local and international cuisine.

• SMBC is not just a holiday resort. It is a complete lifestyle, offering all the luxuries you would expect on holiday. All without having to leave the resort. Facilities include a tennis court, 3 swimming pools, a beauty spa, mini golf, kids play park, cycling, gym, games room, volleyball, and quad biking

• There are well over 100 bird species to be seen in Bilene.  Early morning walks or canoe trips along the lagoon are excellent for bird watching, where sightings of the Palm Nut Vulture, Fish Eagles and numerous species of Kingfishers are common. 

• SMBC will pride itself on offering owners a safe home from home environment. Security is provided 24 hours a day, and included controlled access with intercom systems in all villas and luxury apartments,

• Over 1200 species of fish have been identified in the coastal waters of Mozambique, most of which inhabit the most extensive coral reefs that line the coast. Kingfish, mackerel, and tuna, a vital link in the food chain of the ocean and a popular catch with the locals, are attracted to the nourishment provided by the corals and their associate sea life. In terms of the variety of marine organisms, Mozambique's reefs are on a par with Australia's magnificent Great Barrier Reef, except that they are far less crowded and commercialized. Mozambique's superb reefs are delicate and as yet unspoilt marine wildernesses, their beauty and commercial value increasing the urgent need for formal protection. South of the Save River, the coast is characterized by a string of inland lakes not fed by rivers and cut off from the sea by high parabolic (bowl-shaped) dunes stabilized by vegetation. The largest expanses of water in this coastal lake zone are lakes Uembje (Bilene), Quissico and Inharrime. Travelers on the main road between Maputo and Inhambane will be treated to scenic views from convenient vantage points.

• Mozambique's coastal lakes were formed during the Pleistocene epoch, when marine gullies were gradually lifted above the surface of the sea, becoming exposed to the atmosphere after giant sections of the earth's crust lilted, Longshore drift and wave and wind action slowly added material to the seaward banks, building them up into some of the world's highest sand dunes. Today the lakes would be dry if it were not for the ground water seeping up through the sand

• Mozambique today is a nation that has undergone a fundamental economic and social transformation. The media are no longer censored and freedom of movement is guaranteed under the new constitution. International investors are supporting huge industrial projects and entrepreneurs are renovating the old lodges and hotels and building new ones. Even in the most remote regions, schools and hospitals have either been rebuilt or are under construction. Buses, trucks and taxis are once more transporting people throughout the country. Since the peace accord of October 1992, Mozambicans have regained a reputation for being among the friendliest in the world.

• Two major factors influencing Mozambique's climate are the warm Indian Ocean current moving south from the equator, and the altitude of the Mozambican Plateau. Temperatures along the coast and in the lower-lying area of the plan and the Zambezi valley increase as one moves further north. Mozambique experiences rain mainly during November-April, while August is the driest month in most areas.
  
  

• The tropical cyclone is one of the most powerful and potentially destructive forms of atmospheric circulation. Falling just outside the region between 8ºS and 15ºS where the Indian Ocean temperatures are above 27ºC (81ºF), the Mozambique Channel experiences cyclones every few years, few of which move further south than Beira. Recent cyclones that have wreaked destruction on Mozambique were Eline and Gloria in 2000.

• Be sure to try one of the following traditional delicacies.
• Matata (shrimp and peanut stew) is a typical local mainstay. Imagine a combination of shrimps, peanuts, crushed coconut and tender, young spinach. Chopped red pepper is optional.
• Frango a Cafriál (barbequed chicken) is a plump chicken rubbed down with hot piri-piri sauce and roasted over an open charcoal brazier.
• Sopa de Feijão Verde (green bean soup) has fresh green beans cut across in thin slices, boiled and served in a thin tomato and onion purée.
• Salada de Pera Abacate (avocado salad) is served on a bed of crisp lettuce, doused with a herb, olive oil and lemon dressing.
• Ananas con Vinho do Porto (fresh pineapple in port) a little sugar, some crushed, roasted cashew nuts and of course, a helping of port, liberally sprinkled on the fruit.

• No, English is used at most places, but it never hurts to learn some of the local phrases. Here are some that may come in handy
  
  Good Morning ~ Bom dia
  Good Evening ~ Boa noite
  How are you? ~ Como está?
  May I? ~ Da licence?
  Please ~ Por Favor
  Yes ~ Sim
  No ~ Não
  Fine ~ Tudo bem
  No problem ~ Não faz mal
  Get me a taxi ~ Chamar um taxi
  I have a reservation ~ Eu fiz una reserva
  Have you got ….? ~ Tem ….?
  I would like that thing (pointing to it) ~ Gostaria d'esta coisa
  How much? ~ Quanto custa?
  I am lost ~ Eu estou perdido
  Where is the doctor? ~ Onde está um medico?

• 1 January ~ New Year's Day
• 3 February ~ Hero's Day (death of Eduardo Mondlane)
• 7 April ~ Women's Day (death of Josina Machel)
• 1 May ~ Worker's Day
• 25 June ~ Independence Day
• 7 September ~ Victory Day (Portuguese granted independence)
• 10 November ~ Maputo Day (effective in Maputo only)
• 25 December ~ Christmas Day
  
  Easter Friday and Monday, Boxing Day (26 December) and Samora Machel Day (19 October) are not really official holidays, but many businesses nevertheless close on those particular days. Muslim-run companies can be expected to close on the Islamic holy days.