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Bilene, Xai-Xai and Chidenguele Route

The towns of Bilene, Xai-Xai and Chidenguele are located in the Gaza Province of Mozambique. Most of the province is a flat green plain stretching along the mouths of the Limpopo and Changane River. It only rises in altitude to the west when nearing the South African border. The last great battles against colonialism were fought in Gaza Province. The area is also known as the breadbasket of Mozambique due to large-scale rice production in the Limpopo Valley.

If you are travelling from the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park and Massingir, and don’t take the turn-off for Xai-Xai, you will reach the EN1 (national road) close to the town of Macia. Macia is a small but interesting town with a marketplace alongside the road that is well worth a visit. To get to Bilene, turn right at the junction in Macia. After 30km of driving on a reasonably good road, you will reach the village and the lagoon (Lagoa Azul), which you may cross by boat, or drive around if you have a four-wheel drive vehicle. Bilene is one of the most popular beach resorts in the province and is always busy on holiday weekends. It is also an ideal venue for conferences and there are plenty of options for those wishing to stay the night or longer. You can visit Turtle Bay while in the area, where you can see marine turtles any time of day. There are seven species of marine turtle in the world, five of which breed in the waters of Bilene.

The town of Xai-Xai is located 224km from Maputo and is the capital of Gaza Province. The town is divided into the business district known as Xai-Xai and the resort town of Praia do Xai-Xai. Praia do Xai-Xai is a popular tourist destination among international travelers and Mozambicans alike. The massive reef that runs parallel to the beach provides natural protection against the strong waves. At low tide small pools are formed where the gathering of mussels, oysters and other shellfish is a favourite pastime. Praia do Xai-Xai is also a good place to spot marine turtles. There are five species of marine turtles found in Mozambique: Loggerhead, Leatherback, Green, Hawksbill and Olive Ridley. However uncontrolled and irresponsible coastal tourism development, beach driving, poaching and net trawlers are putting these animals at risk.

To minimise your impact on the environment:

Don't drive on the beaches, unless it is in a designated boat launching area;
Don't stay with or use an operator who does not follow a good code of conduct;
Don't buy any shells (including turtle shells) or corals of any kind and don't remove them from the reef; and
Do not buy any foods, especially canned fish goods, that are in any way connected to unsustainable fishing practices.

Xai-Xai itself is a busy, but well organized city, although the inhabitants are still struggling to repair infrastructure that was destroyed in the devastating floods of 2000. The town has many interesting attractions such as an outdoor carpentry factory, fresh produce market and good quality local restaurants. There are a number of banks. Goods, such as freshly baked bread (pão) from the local bakery, are readily available. Xai-Xai also has an internet café.

The Floods of 2000:

The 2000 Mozambique flood was a natural disaster that occurred in February and March 2000. The catastrophic flooding was caused by heavy rainfall that lasted for five weeks and caused rivers in Mozambique to break their banks. The situation was intensified when Cyclone Eline hit the same area on February 22, 2000. Two million people were affected by the floods, 25 000 were made homeless and about 800 were killed. It was the worst flood in Mozambique in 50 years.

The floods began on February 9 with heavy precipitation across Southern Africa. South Africa, southern Botswana and Swaziland were also affected. Mozambique received the most rainfall. The capital Maputo was flooded as was the road between the capital and the second largest city, Beira. Torrential rain continued till February 11. In Mozambique’s Limpopo Valley, the banks of the Limpopo River burst, causing severe flood damage. Residents of the area were struck with dysentery.

On February 22 tropical Cyclone Eline hit the Mozambique coast near Beira, north of the areas already affected by flooding. On February 27, flash floods inundated low farmlands around Chókwe and Xai-Xai.

Over 45 000 people were rescued from rooftops, trees, and other isolated areas. This effort was at first carried out by only a few Mozambican naval vessels. One of the iconic images of the flooding was Sofia Pedro giving birth in a tree while surrounded by flood water. She was rescued by the South African Air Force who flew both her and her new daughter, Rositha Pedro, to Chibuto to safety. Action by the government and international aid organisations was slow. Significant rescue equipment arrived from Europe and North America three weeks after the onset of the flood.

The flood had a tremendous effect on the agriculture of Mozambique. Ninety percent of the country's functioning irrigation infrastructure was damaged, causing the worst of the agriculture losses suffered. 1 400 square kilometres of cultivated and grazing land was lost, leaving 113 000 small farming households with nothing. 20 000 head of missing cattle were reported, many were feared to have drowned or contracted disease. Every major valley south of Beira was affected by the overflowing of rivers.

630 schools were closed, leaving 214 000 pupils without classrooms. 42 health units were destroyed, including Beira Central Hospital, the second largest in the country.

*Information courtesy of wikipedia.org

Seventy kilometres north of Xai Xai, the EN1 road to Beira winds to its closest brush with the Indian Ocean (only 5km away). The countryside undulates gently and is lush and green with pockets of coconut palms towering over cashew nut thickets. Freshwater lakes dominate the area. Here, in a clearing, lies the tiny, sleepy village of Chidenguele (the highest point). The village may only have one short street, but its name is emblazoned proudly in white stone on the hill behind the sandy soccer field. The cathedral, crisp and white on the opposite hill, seems quite out of place with its stained-glass windows. The rustic, African mercado (“market”) and single shop trickle out a supply of whatever fruit and vegetables are available, but there is always beer and pão (“bread”). From the village of Chidenguele, a scenic sand track meanders to Praia do Chidenguele. Praia do Chidenguele also has a range of accommodation options either on the beach or around the inland lake behind the dune. Chidenguele is famous for being a whale breeding ground and many whales can be spotted at the right time of year.

Whales and dolphins of Mozambique:

Southern right whales can regularly be seen in the southern part of the Mozambique Channel between June and December. They feed on copepods and krill in the close inshore waters. These baleen whales, or great whales, grow up to 15m (50 feet) in length, have a stocky and fat body and an extremely long fluke. Their status is vulnerable with only 1 500 to 4 000 left.

The two other baleen whales regularly seen in the waters of Mozambique are the minke whale and the humpback whale. The 10m (30 foot) long minke whale can be found on its own or in small groups in inshore waters feeding on small, schooling fish. Their distribution is worldwide, with between 600 000 to 1.3-million individuals. Humpback whales can grow up to 18m (60 feet) in length. They can be found in open Mozambican waters between October and December. There are only about 20 000 humpback whales left.

There are many dolphins and a variety of toothed, or smaller whales, in the waters of Mozambique and in Bazaruto Archipelago and Quirimbas National Parks. These may include the short-finned pilot whale, the playful and inquisitive false killer whale and the Blainville's, or dense beaked whale, with its characteristic lower jaw bearing a large triangular tooth. Dolphins occurring in the region include the very acrobatic spinner dolphin, the spotted dolphin, the common dolphin, which often school in mixed groups with the spinner dolphin, the large and curious bottlenose dolphin and the shy humpback dolphin.

Source: A Guide to the Seashores of Eastern Africa and the Western Indian Ocean Islands edited by Matthew D. Richmond

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