Easily Getting to Vilanculos (VNX) from the US
Getting to Vilanculos from the US is much easier than it seems. Lengthy, yes, but difficult, no.
Let me first start by saying, Maputo – the capital of Mozambique – is a 10 hour drive to Vilanculos (VNX). Flight prices into Maputo are much cheaper than prices into VNX, but don’t be fooled…. You will have to pay the difference in time!
FLY INTO Johannesburg
Step One: Fly to Johannesburg, South Africa
To get to Vilanculos, I flew on a direct, 15-hour flight from Atlanta to Johannesburg on Delta Airlines while my cousins living in New Jersey took a direct, 14-hour flight out of Newark to Johannesburg on United.
Once we met in Jo’burg, we spent one night at Sunrock Guesthouse.
Sunrock hotel was perfect. It was a few minutes from the airport, included an airport shuttle, and offered breakfast!
Not to mention the hotel itself was an adorable boutique hotel that I would definitely stay in again!
Fly Airlink from Jo’burg (JNB) to Vilanculos (VNX)
Step Two: Fly to Vilanculos
Airlink is a South African airline that flies directly into VNX from Jo’burg.
This 90-minute flight is the best option for flying directly into Vilankulos from Johannesburg.
We flew a direct 4-hour flight to VNX.
Mozambique Tourist Visa on Arrival
Once we landed in Vilanculos, we began the process if getting a visa and meeting up with our villa crew.
We were prepared to pay $50 USD for our Visa and ended up only paying about $11 for our Visa into Mozambique!
Visa information is always subject to change, so be sure to double check for what is needed before your trip.
Airport Pick Up
Most accommodations in Vilanculos included airport pickup. When I was researching places to stay in Vilanculos, I realize that airport pickup was almost second nature everywhere.
There are car rental options right outside the airport. So, if you are interested in renting a car and touring the town on your own, it is definitely possible.
It took us a total of about 35 hours to get to Vilanculos from Atlanta, GA. We left around 9:30PM EST on a red-eye on October 1, 2023 and arrived in Vilankulo on October 3, 2023 at 1:05PM Central African Time (6:05AM EST – Vilanculos is 7 hours ahead).
I would highly recommend wearing compression socks throughout this journey. They assist with leg circulation on long haul flights!
FYI–
The official (colonial) language of Mozambique is Portuguese. However, there are a long list of native languages that exist within the country. Many Mozambicans speak several languages.
The official currency of Mozambique is called Meticals (MZM). The current rate is 1USD = 63.25MZM.
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