Angola
After 26 years of conflict, 2002 saw the end of Angola’s brutal civil war. Old news, perhaps, but it may be the last time many people thought about the country. Today, though, this nation is quietly in the ascendant, becoming south-western Africa’s rising star.
The new international airport opened near capital Luanda was a great start; it’s now served by Emirates flights via Dubai. Add announcements of new hotels (Hilton, Marriott) boosting comfort levels, and visa-free access for tourists from 98 countries, and it’s clear tourism is on the up. If plans to add Angola to the mooted multi-country KAZA Univisa system come to fruition, they’ll be the icing on the cake, allowing visitors to explore the wider region with ease.
However, as the new Bradt guidebook to Angola shows, there’s plenty to see and do here already. Founded in 1576, laid-back Luanda turns 450 years old in January. One of Africa’s oldest colonial cities boasts relics of Portuguese churches and star-shaped forts backed by long, meandering beaches. Here you might stumble across a Kizomba na Rua – an impromptu gathering of couples practising the country’s tango-style kizomba dance, shimmying to a blend of samba and zouk music.
You’ll discover incredible variety beyond the capital, too, from the thundering cascades of Calandula Falls to the Namib Desert, home to rock art dating back tens of thousands of years. But even on the city’s doorstep lie surprises: the 12,000 sq km Kissama National Park is one of Angola’s post-war conservation successes, with wildlife populations gradually recovering and promising a brighter future.
Top tip: NGO African Parks took over the running of the country’s oldest and largest conservation area, Iona National Park, in 2020 and has been working to restore species lost during the conflict. Angolan giraffes can now be seen in the country for the first time since the 1990s.
