Before visiting your favourite tropical beach getaway in Bilene, San Martinho Beach Club, why not learn a few useful phrases and words? Reading up on Mozambican culture will also give you a bit of an insight as to what to expect if it’s your first visit.

While Portuguese is the official language, English is also widely spoken. Here are some local customs to keep in mind according to www.mozambiqueislands.com:

• Handshaking is the common form of greeting between men
• It is rude to visit someone without having tea and a snack
• It is impolite to refuse food if offered
• It is illegal to take photos of government buildings or to drive on the beach

Some useful words and phrases according to www.linkedin.com

• Bom dia (bohm-dee-ya) – Good morning
• Boa tarde (Boo-ah-tar-dee)- Good afternoon
• Boa noite (Boo-ah-noyte) – Good night
• Por favor (pour-fah-vor) – Please
• Obrigado/a (oh-bree-gah-doo/dah) – Thank you
• Desculpe (desh-cool-puh) – Sorry
• Desculpe-me (desh-cool-puh-may) – Excuse me
• Não faz mal (now-fahz-mahl) – No problem!
• Quanto custa? (Quan-too-coosh-tah?) – How much is it?
• Chega (shay-gah) – I’m full!
• Até já (ah-tay-jah) – See you soon