Driving from Xai-Xai to Tofu Beach Mozambique

Leaving Xai-Xai for Tofu, Mozambique

March 29th, a Sunday, I left Xai-Xai and made my way to Tofu in Mozambique. The journey turned out to be quite interesting. On the way, I stopped at the Önnham River where there was a place to have a little bite, which was a good thing to do.

Meeting Fellow Overlanders on the Road

While at the river stop, a couple arrived with another Land Cruiser. It turned out they are from Singapore, had bought the Land Cruiser in Germany, shipped it to Cape Town, and were now wandering around the southern part of Africa with no exact plan — just playing it by ear. We had only a brief conversation, but it’s always fun to run into other travelers.

Exhilarating Scenery Along the Coast

The scenery was absolutely exhilarating. It’s such a joy to drive through any part of Africa, really. There might be some exceptions, but I always find the beauty in things. I followed the main road closest to the coast, and when it came time to get to Tofu, it was about an hour — a little more than an hour — off the main road. As usual, you have to really go off for about an hour and then come back.

The Rocky Road to Tofu

Getting to Tofu was very exciting. I took a special little road that was only rocks. It turned out that Sasha had recommended that road because she thought I was riding a motorbike. No, I’m not riding a motorbike and am very happy about it. Fortunately, that road was also very good for the Land Cruiser. I found their place up the hill and made my way there.

Chris and Sasha’s Amazing Guesthouse

It’s a very unique place — a great guesthouse that they run like a hostel. There are three separate rooms and a dorm room, so they can accommodate about 10 people at any one time. It takes a little time to really comprehend what they have. It’s an amazing place.

Chris and Sasha are Dutch, which I didn’t know until I arrived. Some time ago, they did their own trip along the East Africa side, driving all the way down from the Netherlands to Mozambique. That’s when they discovered Tofu, fell in love with it, and have had their place going for the last seven years.

Kitesurfing and Beach Life in Tofu

Chris is also a kitesurf instructor, so they combine that with the guesthouse. After parking, I walked down to the beach, which is just 5-10 minutes away. It’s a very exciting place — a lot of people do surfing, and kitesurfing mostly takes place at a lagoon about 20 minutes away.

Hands-On Owners Living Their Dream

The owners are very hands-on and easily spend time with whoever is around, which is a very fun thing. They do a lot of things themselves — they built out the place on their own and are very happy enjoying the life they have chosen. I really lucked out coming to this place. I would not have wanted to miss it for the world. Thanks for having me there, Chris and Sasha, and thanks for coming along!