Initial Impressions of Angola

Initial Impressions of Angola

It wasn’t so long ago that civil war was tearing Angola apart.  The Portuguese withdrew in 1975 after 500 years of rule leaving a vacuum and power struggle between the rival Angolan political factions. A brutal civil war ensued for the next 27 years which ended in 2002.

The country has been difficult to visit and it is only recently that Angola has simplified its entry visa requirements to encourage tourism.  And so here we are – touring Angola.

We have seen the odd tank wreck line the roads and we are told that land mines are still a danger in some areas. But other than that, the war is not so evident.  It is a very rich country in terms of oil wealth and mineral resources, but this wealth has clearly not found its way to the majority of the population living in the rudimentary villages we pass through. Nonetheless, the people are very friendly and always help us when we ask.

Its greener here than in Namibia; the fruit is starting to look very fresh and is very affordable. Mango and paw paw trees are everywhere (Francine’s favourites) and are just coming into season.

Rubbish is a problem here.  The approach road to every significant township is characterised with open cast rubbish dumps and plastic adorning every bush or tree. Hopefully this will get better over time with education. Nearly every other truck on the road belches a vast cloud of black smoke.  It makes us realise how lucky we are to be from a developed country.

Angola is not geared up for our kind of visit at all (or tourism in general).  There are very few established campsites and so we find ourselves wild camping much of the time, and because of the huge population density, we normally camp close to villages.  The villagers are inquisitive but not at all hostile.

Tundavala

Our first significant stop was Tundavala, just outside Lubango.  It is a very deep canyon cut into the side of a cliff face with an amazing view to the north. Beautiful as it was, we are also aware that many hundreds of people were made to walk over the edge here (or be shot) during the war.

Serra da Leba

To get from Lubango, located on the ‘plano alto’ (high plateau), to the coastal town of Namibe, one must drive the famous Serra da Leba pass which drops 1,845m in just 10km. The upper part of the pass comprises a magnificent set of tight hairpin bends that hug the cliff face.  Suffice to say Big Bertha delivered us safely to the bottom with the help our engine retarder and air brakes.

Namibe

Namibe is the nicest Angolan town we have visited to date. It has many art deco buildings and a wonderful corniche. We spent a couple of days here and got the laundry done.

Lake Arco

Further south Lake Arco is an inland lake surrounded with some interesting rock formations.  The lake was empty for our visit, but it must be magnificent when full.

Lobito

Lobito is a dusty, noisy, dirty town with one redeeming feature – it has a 3 km long spit with nice housing and cool bars.  We spend a day here and then headed for the mountains to get some respite from the coastal humidity.

Kumbira Forest Reserve

This was a beautiful circular drive inland from Sumbe to the Kumbira Forest Reserve. The reserve is on a high plateau and the cooler climate was a relief from the coastal humidity. The scenery was amazing and the people were so friendly.