Feature photo and photo above by Radio Nederland Wereldomroep.
Angola is one of the most overlooked countries in Africa. Here are five things travelers are missing out on.
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.
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Is Africa in your travel plans? Be sure to check with Matador’s destination experts — there are 8 in Africa! — for local recommendations.
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16 Comments... join the discussion!
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Claudio, it’s great to be able to learn so much about a country that doesn’t make the travel-site rounds. Fascinating stuff.
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Agreed, great information. Loved the YouTube insert as well. Now Angola is on my list. Thanks.
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@LuckyChica: You bring up a very valid point. There is only so much you can say in 800 words about how Angola is not a tourist destination in the true sense of the word, and the line above saying exactly this was my feeble attempt. But it is very important to point out that this is not a destination for someone who is not used to dealing with the shortcomings and lack of creature comforts of true ‘third world’ destinations. When writing about one’s home one it’s easy to focus just on the good, but what you’re saying is very true – staying with locals will make your experience 10 times better.
But if you are willing to sacrifice some comforts and are not intimidated by underdevelopment, my God is it worth it. For all the difficulties you will encounter you will have moments in which you are awestruck, humbled, moved, or just struck by laughter at the absurdity of it all.
Mostly though I am very glad you enjoyed yourself and that the trip meant something to you.
@Hal: Thanks for the kind words. I think in a couple more years you might even start to hear about it in some more places.
@Dominic: Glad that you enjoyed the Youtube clip. It never gets old.
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Claudio, great text! I was thrilled to read that you grew up in Peniche! I love Peniche! I was born and raised in Lisbon and moved to New Zealand last year.
Would love to visit Angola one day and your text just made me want to go there even more!
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Está MARA, este blog, informaçao concreta e directa… estou sem palavras meu primo, esta mesmo mto bom..
agora tenho mtas razoes para visitar ANGOLA!
hehehhe
beijokas grandes e vai sempre actualizando, se precisares de informaçoes é so apitares que eu mando te.↵ -
After enjoying the CAN 2008 in Ghana I am seriously considering going to Angola during the CAN 2010. Still I am a bit worried about the expenses for accomodation in Angola. I’ve heard from several sources that accomodation in Angola ist sparce and really expensive (Lonely Planet’s daily budget for Angola is $120!). Does anybody have more information on that?
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Great to hear more about Angola – I’ve seen infomercials trying to attract tourism and investment there, but it’s really wonderful to read a fresh, informative piece like this. Nice job!
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@Vera: I’m so happy to know that! You’re the first person I’ve encountered in a very long time who knew Peniche existed, let alone loved it. I really miss it.
@Cláudia: Saudades bué ya prima! Muito obrigado pelos elogios, qualquer coisa que precisar dou-te uma apitadela. Juízo aí!
@Mr. John: You are right about Angola being expensive, and accommodation can indeed be sparse and ridiculously overpriced. Just the ticket there will set you back a grand. But I would argue that if you are willing to slum it (and not everyone is) you can certainly live for less. Staying away from the flashier, westernized restaurants and hotels is a start, as is learning the art of bargaining. I am actually complying a list of affordable and respectable hotels, B&Bs and restaurants in Luanda. And if you are going to the provinces, such as gorgeous Benguela or Lubango, things are 10 times cheaper than Luanda at times. I’ll keep you posted…drop me a line on my Matador Profile and I can send you some more info.
@Tim: Thank you, I’m happy to know you found this piece informative. I’m curious, where have you seen infomercials about Angola?
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Claudio,
I am glad your focus went beyond Luanda, as Angola is so much more than Luanda…great insights!
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Thanks Debster! And you’re right…the best the country has to offer is outside the chaos of Luanda.
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@Claudio, @Tim: Just saw my very first Angola travel infomercial here in Sucre, Bolivia. I believe it was on Travel & Living, probably an Argentine channel.
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Great! Thankyou.
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hi guys
check my blog and come back in in september (09) : new ANGOLA 70s post in the offing : GREAT 70s sound to enjoy, as usual
cheers
mrB
Soundsofthe70s.blogspot.com
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The first guidebook ever to talk exclusively about Angola has just been published by Mike Stead and Sean Rorison. It’s called the Bradt Guide to Angola. Check out Mike’s Bradt Guide blog at http://bradtangolaupdate.wordpress.com/
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That’s awesome, Claudio. Thanks for the update and the link.
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