By 1510 the Portuguese were in possession of all former Arab ports along the coast. Under a convention of 1891, a British concession was granted in Chinde and for many years it was the main route to Malawi. The concession lapsed only in 1922 when a railway line was completed between Beira and Malawi. Mozambique stayed till 25th of June 1975 a Portuguese colony. A small number of international standard hotels are in Maputo and Beira.
Prior booking is in any case recommended.
Backpacking is not recommended because there are not a lot of private vehicles in Mozambique, public transport is very poor and the tourists with vehicles normally don't take hitch-hikers along. The main roads are mostly tarred and in reasonable condition. The gravel roads are maintained but not recommended for normal cars. Only four-wheel vehicles are recommended on this roads. The Net of petrol stations in Mozambique is sufficient.