GUEST LIST AND INFORMATION TRAVEL AND MEDICAL COVER AND INDEMNITIES It is recommended that, prior to your travel to and from Mozambique; you obtain your own personal travel and medical cover, which will cover the types of activities that you may be planning to undertake. You will be required to complete an Indemnity Form on your arrival to Vila Do Paraiso. Due to the nature of the business, indemnities are required. Please make sure you are comfortable with this prior to your booking and departure. HOW TO GET TO USThere are numerous ways of “getting to us”. Should you opt for the self drive route, we suggest taking a two-day trip from Johannesburg. There is a lodge on the northern side of the Maputo outskirts called Casa Lisa (+258 82 304 1990) which is a recommended stop over place. Next door to Casa Lisa is another lodge called Blue Anchor Inn (+258 82 325 3050). From here, the following day’s journey will take 9 hours to Vilanculos. There are two stretches of very bad road each about 70Km distance. These sections in a 4x4 or SUV type vehicle will take you a good 1 hr 30 mins each without towing a trailer. Give yourself more time if towing, and remember to take it easy on the bad stretches, as help is very limited in Mozambique. South African passport holders do not require Visa’s into Mozambique, however if you are a passport holder that does require an entry Visa into Mozambique, we recommend purchasing your Visa on arrival into Mozambique. The cost of an entry Visa is ZAR 187.00. Please bear in mind that these amounts may fluctuate from time to time. The price is usually cheaper to obtain the Visa on arrival, rather than using an agent to get one prior to your travel. Departure taxes are also the equivalent of USD 30 per person, payable prior to departure. Pelican Air includes Departure Tax in the cost of the airline ticket.
Please see attached at the end of this document, compulsory arrival/ departure forms attached for you to complete prior to your travelling. It is mandatory to complete these forms, and as the arrivals section at Vilanculos Airport is rather small, it will be beneficial to complete prior to departure. Section 11 should be completed as “Vila Do Paraiso” Mozambiquean Health Regulations now stipulate that visitors entering Mozambique that have travelled previously to a country where Yellow Fever is endemic, must have relevant inoculations and proof of inoculation certificates, before entering the country. Please be certain that you do not require the vaccination before entering Mozambique, because there is a hefty fine and you may be instructed to receive a vaccination injection from a Local Port Authority on the spot. To play it safe, visit your local travel clinic and request a Yellow Fever Vaccination which lasts about 10 years. STAFF AND STAFF HOURSEach Vila comes standard with a House Assistant for your needs whilst with us. The House Assistant’s are not Trained Chefs or waiters, although they are able to prepare certain meals under your supervision. The Assistants are there for your convenience, but we please ask you to respect their hours of work. You will be required to provide some form of meal. Should you require staff to stay on overtime, it would be appreciated if you pay/tip the staff accordingly. Should you find that one House Assistant is not enough, you can request at the office for a Temporary Assistant, who will come in daily for the duration of your stay, at your cost. LIST OF IMPORTANT TELEPHONE NUMBERSManagers Shaun & Sharne O’Donovan +258 84 541 3068 Although power is available most of the time in Vilanculos, there are times when unexpected power cuts occur. Unfortunately these cuts are beyond the control of Vila do Paraiso and its staff, but we have equipped each Vila with a backup Generator. The Generator is capable of running your entire Vila, but we do ask you to respect noise levels and the environment. The Generators will be started by Vila Do Paraiso staff only. No Guest is permitted to start, stop or tamper with the Generators. There is a specific procedure which needs to be adhered to. Should a member of staff not come to ask if you wish to turn your Generator on, please phone the manager on duty. There may be a delay due to the fact that they may be setting up another Vilas Generators first. They will get to yours! Please note that the use of the Generators from 17:30pm to 22:30pm is included in the Lodge rate. Should you require further utilization, this can be arranged at an additional cost. Once the main electricity comes on line, the staff will shut the Generators down and do the changeover. There are torches located in the kitchen by the back door, for your convenience. Please, under no circumstance light candles, as these are serious fire hazards. SHOPPING AND SHOPPING LISTSThere are a number of different places to do shopping. The more preferred method is to go to Taurus Supermarket. Taurus is usually well stocked and has the added advantage of accepting most major credit cards. They also change currency, albeit at a slight premium. There is also another supermarket called Select. Should you wish us to have your Vila stocked before you arrive, we can arrange to purchase your necessaries, of which a 10% handling fee will be levied, and stock your Vila. A bus fuel levy is charged at 300MTN (ZAR 90 exchange rate dependant) per trip to town. Please note however that items are seasonal, and Vila Do Paraiso will not be held liable for items not stocked, or items that may be expired. What we suggest is that a week prior to arrival, we will purchase goods and stock the Vila Store room. This will give you enough time to get a report back of items unavailable, which you may then bring with you personally. Luxury items can be taken into Mozambique in a cooler box with no problem; as long as you show receipts to Customs (ZAR 2,000 per person is allowed in duty free).
Any request to deviate from normal tour will be charged at ………25 mets per km.
The 4X4 Bus will only be driven by a designated Vila do Paraiso staff member. Clients are not permitted to drive the bus. Should you require the bus, please contact Eugenio or Reception to make your booking. IN SHORT: PURCHASES MADE BY VILA DO PARAISO DRIVERa) If a guest requests Eugenio to purchase groceries or other goods (excluding fuel) in town, they will be charged an administration fee of 10% of the total purchase value. They will also be charged 300 mtn (three hundred metical) for transport. b) If a guest requests Eugenio to purchase fuel and oil in town, they will be charged an administration fee of 0% of the invoice/s value. They will only be charged 300 mtn (three hundred metical) for transport. Suggested things to do in town:
The currency of Mozambique is the Metical (pronounced met-e- cash). Although South African Rands and Euros are accepted, it is recommended that you bring US Dollars, as this seems to be the most stable currency in Mozambique. At present the USD to the Met is 23:1, whilst the ZAR to the Met is 3.2:1 therefore the value for money is better if you convert the US Dollars to Mets. You can enquire at the office for exchanging on your behalf. BARBEQUES AND BRAAISWe do ask that should you wish to make a fire, you do so with extreme caution. The entire complex consists of Thatched Buildings, which is a natural fire hazard. If you would like to make a Webber Braai, we ask you to please do so well away from the thatching. It is recommended that you rather make use of a Gas Braai to prevent any mishaps. Should you make use of the Webber, please make sure there is ample room around the Vila, and that you keep a water supply relatively nearby in the event of a fire. You should consult with your House Assistant before lighting the fire, and ask him to keep an eye on the open flames. Each Vila is equipped with 2 fire extinguishers located in the kitchen. The onus is on the Guest to make sure he or she is comfortable with the procedures of operating these. If there are any queries, please do not hesitate to contact a member of staff to explain it to you. BOAT HIRE We do have boats for hire for a number of activities. Please enquire at the office for rates. NATIONAL PARKS FEESAll guests embarking on activities to the islands are required to pay National Parks Fees. Please pay the Parks fee at reception and take your receipts with you which will save you carrying cash to pay on the islands. The fees are not negotiable, and go towards a good cause. The Mozambique Government works in association with the WWF, and the fees go towards ensuring the safety and conservation of the marine sanctuary. Please, under no circumstances try and bribe officials. They will issue you receipts for the fees. It is good to keep a good rapport with the officials, and a soft drink does go down well! Each Vila is equipped with standard South African type wall plugs. They are round three-prong Clipsal type plugs. It is recommended to bring your own adapters to fit your personal electrical items. RECOMMENDED THINGS TO DO
ITEMS TO TAKE WITH YOU ON A TRIP TO THE ISLANDS
RECOMMENDED PLACES TO EAT
For the Best stuffed crab in town. Order extra and take some to the Vila for lunch time snacks.
Traditional Mozambican cuisine – big portions for the hungry!
Burgers, Pies, you name it! Make Wednesdays an outing and have dinner here after volleyball.
Kitchens open every day except Tuesdays, bar open 7 days a week.
Blue Water boasts a 20m long swimming pool overlooking the ocean. Kitchen closed on Mondays, bar open 7 days a week.
One of Vilanculos favorites. Booking is essential +258 293 82048.
One of the new ones in town – beautiful setting and delicious food.
Enjoy your seafood right on the beach! Within walking distance from Vila do Paraiso. Closed on Mondays.
The best wood oven baked pizzas in Mozambique!
They will deliver pizza to your door. Call them on +258 293 82444 and order! TIPPING STAFFWe appreciate that you may wish to tip the staff, which makes your trip a great experience. We ask that you please take note of the staff “behind the scenes”. We suggest that you liase with the Manager/Manageress as to amounts per staff member, and give the Manager/Manageress the money, who will distribute to the staff. This ensures that the system stays the same, and that there is no internal fighting and politics! INTERNET, PHONE AND FAX There is an Internet Café in Town, with broadband connectivity, should you so wish to do extensive computer work. Mobile reception in Vilanculos is very good, and 3G connectivity is available if your mobile is enabled. Please check your settings are correct from your Service Provider. Should you wish for faxes or emails to be delivered to your Vila, please ensure you send the lodge details to your counterpart.
Each Bedroom is equipped with an air-conditioning unit. We like to encourage Clients that the units are only used when required, and not left to run all day. The units work best when set to 20 degrees. If lower than that, the units start to freeze, so please adhere to the recommended setting. During the day, we ask clients to conserve electricity and the environment, and switch the units off. Furthermore, should you require their use, please ensure windows and doors are shut to keep the hot air out. CATERED OPTIONSPlease note that we do offer a catered option at Vila Do Paraiso. Prices on request. Click on the icon to download document.
|
