Tchau Angola!!
We spent a wonderful month touring Angola. Big Bertha added 4,426km to its odometer in that time and coped admirably with the high sulphur fuel. Luckily the fuel price is low in Angola – about 34p/litre.
The road condition is very varied and we experienced perfect tarmac recently laid by Chinese contractors, absolute nightmare ‘tarmac’ roads with more potholes than tar, perfect sandy roads and rutted / flooded sandy roads which were a challenge to traverse.
The country is not geared up for tourism and the few resorts/hotels serve the expatriate population that mostly reside in Luanda. We mostly wild camped and with no hassles – people were curious but not hostile at all. The police at the numerous check points were very polite and only ever asked to see David’s driving licence. There was absolutely no hint of bribery. People did occasionally ask for money, but they mostly asked for water. We bought packs of water bottles and people were very happy to receive them.
The countryside is as you would expect Africa to be. Picturesque village after village with people sat under the shady trees watching the world go by. Colourfully dressed women, almost every one with a baby tied to her back, oxen pulling ploughs across the fields and road side vendors selling buckets of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Although I must comment that some places are strewn with rubbish – mainly the markets and the approaches to some of the big towns.
So having visited the magnificent Kalandula Falls and the Pedras Negras in the north, we made a beeline south back to Namibia, crossing the border with a day to spare on our visa.
Highlights for us were meeting fellow overlanders, Thierry & Christine, the Kalandula Falls, the Serra da Leba pass and giving some school kids a lift in a remote area in the rain.
Good bye Angola and thank you, we had a great time.
What an amazing adventure you are having and so great to be sharing the experience with you both. You are both looking so well and relaxed despite some of the minor hiccups along the way like the old pot hole or two or three…hundred. Travel safe … are the days running down too quickly for you now? When does this great story end ?? Then what ???? Helen m.
Hi Helen, well said four years and the first has disappeared in a flash. Three to go and at least one of those will be in Africa. Four years might turn into five or ten. Who knows????
Who would have ever guessed, Angola! would be so good.
What a great opportunity to see a country not yet spoiled by tourism.
Agreed Pauline. We were very surprised too. Beforehand hand we were told ‘why are you going there? Isn’t it dangerous and plagued with landmines?’.
Well done you two, not many people would have the courage to do that journey. Thanks for the report and the photos. Betty
Thanks Betty. We keep pinching ourselves and saying “have we really done this?”. We have never been big risk takers and are rather stayed. Wonders will never cease!
Very interesting. The roads are typical of rural Africa and repairing / replacing the potholed bituminous ones was what I spent a number of years in different countries in east and west Africa doing. The laterite roads may be dusty but they are more easily and cheaply maintained and are much more easily traversed than potholed black top. I started converting roads in Ghana and Tanzania back to laterite which went down well with the locals. Great experience, enjoy!
I agree with what you say from a driver’s perspective. Badly potholed tar is far worse than a nice gravel track. However, when it comes to badly corrugated gravel truck, there is nothing worse!!
Thanks Stuart, for taking the time to read our blog. Dave