For many travellers the tourist circuit in Mozambique ends at the palm-studded beaches of Inhambane and Tofo, the backpackers’ haunt. Those who venture further north discover glorious gems.

The road to Gorongosa National Park is wide and smooth tar if you go via Inchope. We were made to feel very welcome at shaded Chitengo camp and the afternoon showers made us appreciate the large communal area under cover. The verdant landscape with its rough, narrow tracks was right up our alley and we saw lots of game. We felt very special to witness a private show of lion mating right alongside the track.

The haunting Ilha de Mocambique left us feeling depressed. The spirits of too many slaves linger. After a few hours on the island, we decided to push on rather than stay the night, although we really liked Causarinha Camp on the mainland side of the causeway.

Russell’s Place is a stunning campsite at the Pemba beachfront, not to mention the Blackfoot Bar. Wimbe with its palm-fringed beach was a good place to spend a few days before heading west to Malawi.

The “White road” on our map suddenly turned into an almost impassable track through the remote landscape of Niassa province in the far north. An adventurous but highly rewarding 4×4 journey through sharp, deep potholes on a badly rutted surface, it requires two days’ trek at an average of 15km/hour. The road is beyond rugged and we did not come across any other vehicles. As a consolation, the scenery just got better and better, with giant and jagged inselbergs rising from the grasslands into the gorgeous blue sky.