Feature photo and photo above by Radio Nederland Wereldomroep.

Why visit Angola? A quick Google search brings up articles about a past war and its consequences. The red, yellow, and black flag with a prominent machete is all but welcoming.

Angola is not a tourist destination, but a true “third-world” country. You probably have heard very little about it, if at all. Its infrastructure is in urgent need of repair…and you can’t get past that machete on the flag!

But these facts are exactly what make Angola so alluring. It’s one of Africa’s best-kept secrets and one of its least understood countries.

Here are five reasons to book that trip to Luanda, Angola’s capital, in the coming year.

1. CAN 2010

The Euro Cup’s lesser-known but equally competitive cousin, the African Cup of Nations (known as the CAN), takes place every two years. In 2010, it’s going down in Luanda, Benguela, Lubango, and Cabinda — coincidentally, the cities most suited to receive travelers to Angola.

The CAN has spurred massive reconstruction projects in these four areas, and a frenzy to construct more hotels, restaurants, roads, and other tourist-related infrastructure is underway throughout the country.

The two-week tournament to decide the best football team in Africa is a festival of vibrant color and thunderous sound. There are no football fans in the world like the Africans, who have no qualms about employing full body paint to express support for their team.

Photo: tata_aka_T

2. Latin Flavor

Angola is one of only six African countries where English or French is not the lingua franca. (Just to put things in perspective: there are 52 countries on the continent.) Portuguese is spoken by nearly all Angolans, and the culture is a lot closer to that of Bahia in northern Brazil than, say, Cape Town in South Africa.

The capital city of Luanda has architecture reminiscent of Lisbon’s rather than London’s, with orange thatched roofs and a distinct Latin flavor.

Seasoned travelers will find parallels between Angola and other Latin American cultures — Argentines have their tango while Angolans have their kizomba, a suggestive dance involving two clasped partners in a rhythm very similar to Caribbean zouk, which brings me to my next topic…

3. Music & Nightlife

Even during the civil war that wrecked the country, angolanos never gave up an excuse to party. In fact, one of the national pastimes is inventing a reason to do so. The nightlife in Luanda and Benguela is off the hook, with party-goers leaving their houses around midnight and only returning at 5 am.

In Luanda, there’s something for everyone — if European house music is your thing, head to Chillout. If you’re looking for a more native experience, there are numerous terrace parties around the city, as well as more Afro-centric nightclubs like W Club and Jango Veleiro.

In these places you’ll find the electric, raw, roughhouse beat called Kuduro (literally meaning “hard ass,” as in steel buns), which has been making headlines around the world ever since M.I.A. did a song with the visionary, manic, Buraka Som Sistema. Watch the video below:

It’s physically impossible to sit still while listening to that jam.

4. No McDonald’s

Or Starbucks, for that matter. Mainly due to its years of communist rule (ending in 1991), and a civil war that made foreign investors wary, Angola has largely been spared the worldwide homogenization of culture. There are no discernible North American chain stores, restaurants, or the like.

If you want a real coffee, you go to a café; if you want a burger, you get a massive one with egg, mayo, ketchup, and fries from one of the many burger stands spread around the country’s main towns. Most establishments are still mom ‘n’ pop.

In the same vein, you won’t find a Hyatt, Marriott, Sheraton, Hilton, or any other big-name hotel. Instead, look to the numerous pensions, B&Bs, and bungalows in the more rural areas. The few big hotels in Luanda are too expensive anyway.

Photo: Felipe Miguel

5. Diverse Topography

The country has desert, rainforest, canyon formations, savannahs, plateaus, and 1600 km of coastline. Many beaches are virtually virgin, especially in the province of Benguela and the islet of Mussulo off the coast of Luanda.

In the extreme north of the country is the Congo rainforest, while in the Namibe province — easily accessible by car coming from Lubango (and you get to drive on Serra da Leba) — you’ll find the Namib desert, with its prehistoric cave paintings, rock structures, and safaris.

In the province of Bengo, about an hour and a half south of Luanda, you can sleep amongst animals in bungalows located in Kissama National Park. After the war tore through the region, new animals had to be flown in from South Africa in a modern-day Noah’s Ark experiment.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION:

Is Africa in your travel plans? Be sure to check with Matador’s destination experts — there are 8 in Africa! — for local recommendations.

Feature photo by ►JOTA ENE◄. Photo above by Rhys Stacker.

Before the World Expo 2000, Euro 2004, and Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal was one of Europe’s secrets. People looked at it as “that other country” in the Iberian peninsula, a mere appendage of Spain. And besides, most people had studied Spanish as opposed to Portuguese, its superior, arguably sexier, counterpart.

After these events, however, the rest of the world began to take notice of the Portugal. Lisbon was described as trendy, and the Algarve coast was heralded as the new European beach spot. A tourist avalanche ensued.

While Lisbon is a spectacular, cosmopolitan city, and the Algarve coast has world class waves and seafood, the rest of Portugal is relatively unvisited. Read on to find out about five fascinating alternatives in the land of Magellan, Camões, and José Saramago that are definitely worth your while.

Porto

Photo by vhf.

The Cidade Invicta is Portugal’s second largest city, and its cultural heart. Downtown Porto had been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, and features a different architectural ambiance than Lisbon.

The Romans named the city Portus Calle, from which the name Portugal was derived. Porto residents are incredibly proud of their hilly, industrial city.

The ultimate way to experience Porto is to drink port wine, which is native to that region (now you know where Port wine gets its name). The locals wax lyrical about vinho do Porto, and with just cause.

The city also offers stunning scenery, amazing local cuisine, a thriving art scene, a thumping nightlife, and the Douro River, which is an attraction by itself. If you are a fan of the beautiful game, do take in a match of futebol at the city’s Estádio do Dragão, where FC Porto teaches other teams how to play the sport.

Peniche and Óbidos

Peniche and Óbidos are two small towns located within 30 minutes of each other, about an hour north of Lisbon, but worlds away. Already popular with French and German tourists, Peniche is one of the westernmost points in continental Europe.

It’s a town of fine, sandy beaches, impressive waves, an abundance of water sports, rocky cliffs, whitewashed buildings dotting its coast, and some of the most delectable seafood in the country. It is also a great place for whale watching.

Óbidos is a different animal entirely. A medieval village of winding, cobblestone streets, it is Old Europe at its finest. Most of the village is located inside the city walls, and a large castle offers protection from possible invaders.

The best part? You can actually sleep in the Castle, as it is part of the Pousadas de Portugal hotel network. (If you have a couple hundred Euros to spare, that is.)

Sintra

Photo by Ivy Dawned.

Ok, so technically Sintra is within the Lisbon District, but it is a town and municipality of its own. Another UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sintra’s allure is its architecture, a testament to the Romantic influence in the region.

The city houses several historical palaces including the Palacio da Pena and a Royal Palace used by Portugal’s nobility until the 1910 revolution. Other attractions include the old Moorish Castle, hailing from the time that the Iberian Peninsula was a stronghold of North African Arab and Berber kingdoms. The city is great for walking and contemplating the 19th century architecture.

Évora

To truly understand Portugal’s history and its people, a visit to the Alentejo Province is in order. The region is far from the ocean and offers a way of life uninfluenced by the cultural exchange common in all port cities. The cultural center of this region is the ancient town of Évora, which has been there for over 2,000 years.

Naturally, it contains a Roman temple, several ancient cathedrals and palaces, and the lovely Lóios Convent and Church, which were built in the 15th century and are also part of the Pousadas de Portugal network. It is no surprise that this is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Photo by Natália Tricô.

Coimbra

Coimbra houses one of the oldest universities in the world. With a population of over 30,000 students, 10% of them hailing from other countries, it is a given that Coimbra’s opportunities for night time debauchery are varied and intense.

Coimbra hosts two festivals in honor of its students, roughly in the beginning and end of each school year. The bigger of the two is the Queima das Fitas, an eight day long cornucopia of beer and entertainment.

Since Coimbra has been around for over a thousand years, it is another place where you will find a lot of Roman artifacts, as well as several imposing palaces, cathedrals, monasteries, libraries, and a stunning botanical garden.

[Author's note: Before going to Portugal, do brush up a bit on their three biggest soccer teams: Benfica, Sporting, and FC Porto. Pick an allegiance. Your knowledge of the sport will help you ease your way into any conversation. Also, the smallest effort to at least know some basic phrases in Portuguese will be appreciated. The Portuguese are proud people. I guess you would be too if Vasco da Gama was your compatriot.]

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If your trip to Portugal keeps you in the Algarve region, check out our Surfers’ Guide to the Algarve Coast, which offers advice about the best places to surf, sleep, and eat.