We usually leave Durban at around 3:30am to be at the border by 8. You have two options once you reach the border post. If you have a 4×4 or 4×2 with diff lock, you can drive straight across the border and on to Ponta, but just make sure you have all the relevant paperwork, like a letter from the bank saying you can take the car out of the country and a letter from your insurance. You will also need to purchase insurance for the time you are in Mozambique, which can easily be done at the huts at the border. The other option, if like us you don’t have a 4×4, is to park on the South African border side, walk across and get a transfer.

The transfer can either be arranged with the camp site / hotel you are staying at, or you can SMS a guy by the name of Isaac (+258842003717). He was the only person that I could ever find that we could get a hold of. They say on busy days you can also get a transfer with guys waiting at the border, but I like to plan ahead so it’s your call how you want to do it. I recommend Isaac, he his talkative, knows the shortcuts and does this for a living. You may stop off along the way to drop something with a local family, or have his cousin along for the ride, but its all good. All the resorts know him as well, which is a plus.

On busy days, the border crossing can get extremely busy. There have been times we have waited in the queue for three or so hours, and times we have simply walked across within five minutes. It all depends how many of the border officials on the South African side are on tea break at the time.

When you get stamped into Mozambique just make sure, that if you give the guy behind the counter a stack of passports that they are all stamped. I’ve heard horror stories which I’m not going into here, but as with all border crossings just be vigilant. See, now I’ve made it sound scarier than it really is. It is really easy, just use common sense. This is Africa.

To get to Ponta, once you’ve crossed the border, turn left. Follow the signs if you can find them, the car in front of you, or one of the many dirt tracks. Once in Ponta your first stop should be Fernando’s. As you come into the town, it’s the big pub straight ahead at the market. Relax and have a few R&R’s. Rum and Raspberry is the staple in Mozambique. Fernando pours them like a legend, and your first one is always stiff. Right next door to Fernando’s is a place you can get your Pao, which is Portuguese bread. You will have to queue for it, but generally I do so with an R&R in hand, as well as being handed a regular top up by friends. It’s worth the wait. Bring a plastic packet to put your Poa in if you don’t want to pay for one. The bread is always fresh and warm… it’s heaven in a bun.

There is a restaurant on the beach called Ponta Beach Bar and it’s a good place to eat. We normally head there from Fernando’s for lunch before checking in to our accommodation. You can have a swim and there are plenty of venders on the beach to sell you all sorts of wares.

Ponto Is small, and everything is within walking distance. There are dive camps you can stay at as well as plenty of resorts, hotels or self-catering chalets. Gala Gala Eco Resort is a nice place to stay where you have the option of camping, or fully fitted luxury tented blocks. They also do dive trips if you are into diving. Right next door is Durban Curries. Its run by a women named Sharon, she plays guitar and can be persuaded to sing some nights as well. The food is good and it truly is a taste of Durban in Mozambique. We always stop, have a few drinks and play some guitar. Generally late afternoon or evening after we’ve had a pub crawl.

That being said, shebeen crawls are a good way to spend the day. Just about 4 – 7km past Ponta do Ouro is Ponta Malongane and the start of the shebeens. It’s not far, but you will need a 4×4. My wife and I once tried to walk to a pub called 360 degrees, and about a half a km in, I ended up hitching. Here’s a handy tip, when you ask a local how far the pub is, and he sees you walking and goes “Yoh”, you know it’s going be a long day. That was our first time, many years ago and when Gala Gala came to pick us up, they wanted to know how the hell we got there without a car.

Next door to 360 Degrees is a pub called Jenny’s bar. It has amazing views of the beach and you need to stop there at some point in your stay, if you are not making it your last stop before you head back to town. You have plenty of lunch options with the pubs on your pub crawl, or you can simply make sandwiches with the Poa you bought and eat it on the beach. Ponta Malongane has a nice beach to spend the morning, but if you are going with someone who knows the area, there are plenty of beaches all over the place.

Start your pub crawl at any of the shebeens and work your way back into town. Be sure to stop at Jack’s Barefoot Bar and hit some golf balls. For a good resource on a list of the pubs, as well as a lot of things to do in Ponta, try here http://www.pontadoouroaccommodation.co.za/. Another way of finding out is to simply drive and stop.

When it comes to breakfast, Neptune’s is a good place. It’s by the ATM in front of the beach. So is Mango café, which is just past that, and opposite The Whaler. Love Café, just before the market, is also a good option for breakfast or lunch. All the restaurants in the area are pretty reasonable so don’t feel the need to pack endless supplies of food. We normally only cook dinners and have Poa for lunch, or simply eat out.

Ponta has endless things to keep you entertained and also have an endless supply of pubs and places to go at night. They have another bar on the beach called Pinto’s Beach Bar. No food, just cocktails and drinks. A nice place to kick back. They also have the actual Pintos night club just before the market, which isn’t always open but is still worth checking out.

On our last trip to Ponta, we went to see if Pintos was open, and passed a shebeen just next to the market, they were playing local music with maybe five or so locals dancing. After discovering that Pintos was closed, we turned around and went back to the shebeen. The girls started dancing and within a few minutes, the music changed to the latest dance stuff, and the place was packed to capacity. It’s an amazing business model and it happens wherever you go in Ponta. It’s all quiet and the moment they have customers, the place comes to life. Tourism is their bread and butter so it only makes sense that that’s how they would operate.

Ponta is a place you can simply just relax and chill. From diving, to snorkelling or just swimming in the ocean. If you are looking for a chilled holiday close to home, it’s definitely a place to go.