Go! Drive & Camp – September 2019

CAMPING DESTINATION

40 | September 2019 go! Drive & Camp

MACHUBO BEACH RESORT, MANHICA

Coast of the Cape gunard
The Machubo resort is 170 km from
Komatipoort and 590 km from Pretoria.
The resort is right on the beach and you
can only get to it if you drive a 4x4 vehicle.
The owner, Bertie Stander, discovered
this piece of paradise in 2008 after his
bakkie broke down in the area and he was
stranded in Mozambique for five months.
He lost his heart to the region, and after
settling here, his wife, Lynne, and their
two sons joined him.
Getting to Machubo is no easy feat, so
Bertie or Lynne will rather meet you near
the Illovo sugarcane factory in Maragra,
about 8 km south of the town of Manhica
and escort you to the resort. Machubo is
remote, and the sandy road requires you
to lower your car’s tyre pressure to 1 bar
and engage four high.
The resort’s bush camp is about 100 m
from the beach and behind a dune where
it is sheltered from wind. There are 10
unmarked stands and a neat ablution
block with two private bathrooms and
kitchen facilities. A solar panel provides
electricity for lights, but if you want to
keep refrigerators and other electrical
appliances running, you’ll have to bring
a portable generator. Bertie laid a electrical
cable underground between the ablution
building and a cage off to one side, All you
have to do is hook your generator up to
the plug point in the cage and you have
electricity without having to deal with
a generator running next to your tent.

THE MAIN BUILDING where Bertie,
Lynne and their sons live, also serves as
Machubo’s restaurant. Here you can sit
down for drinks while Bertie regails you
with local legends and Lynne and the boys
prepare seafood in the open-plan kitchen.
Besides her role as hostess, Lynne also
runs a curio stand where you can buy
cozzies and souvenirs. (Talking of cozzies:
Bertie is busy building a freshwater
swimming pool next to the main building
where guests will be able to cool down
during the summer months.)
There’s free WiFi, but it’s slow and
basically only good for WhatsApp
messages – Junior won’t be able to play
Fortnite against his mates.
Next to the main building are five
demarcated stands, each with its own
private toilet, shower and sink. A reed

Briefly | Machubo

Beach Resort

Campsite Five enclosed stands at the

main building and 10 unmarked stands

at the bush camp.

Ablution facilities Private facilities at the

main building and 1 ablution block at the

bush camp.

Price R125 pppn.

Arrival and departure times 14:00

and11:00.

Contact 00 25 884 546 2263

(WhatsApp)

[email protected] facebook.

com/MachuboBeachResortMozambique

Nearest town Manhica, 8 km.

What does the road look like? Loose

sand; a 4x4 vehicle is essential.

GPS S25.54998 E32.86643

go! Drive & Camp says The Machubo

Beach Resort is still expanding; so it will

only get better with every visit.

WATERWORLD There is an underwater reef at Machubo that hasn’t been fully explored yet. Bertie will also introduce you

to the pescadores (local fishermen) who will take you out on their dhows and show you how they have been catching fish

for countless generations.