angola

area
population
capital
head of state
official language
currency
exchange rate

(source: lonely planet)

1,246,700 sq km
13 million
luanda
jose eduardo dos santos
portugese
new kwanza
check out oanda.com
for current exchange rates

this information comes from a visit to the country in november 2002. things might have changed since then. these are my personal impressions and it's well possible that other travellers will not share my views.

getting a visa for angola is not easy. it might take 2-3 weeks for it to be processed. some travellers have found it impossible to get their visa at all. a letter of recommendation might be helpful.

after the end of the war, however, things might be chaning rapidly. it's posslible, that the government will soon emphasize on tourism and relax the visa process.

brazzaville:
located just behind the CCF (centre culturel francais)
took us four days
US$ 65.--
two color passport photos
no letter of recommendation was needed
valid for 15 days, extendable up to two and a half months in angolan provincial capitals

you have to fill in a form on the first day but you keep your passport and your money. you only leave your passport at the embassy and pay for the service once the visa has been granted.

we went to the embassy every day and put a bit of pressure on them. this might be one reason why wre issued the visa so quickly.

sao tome: (this information comes from mike who provided me with the info via email, thank's mike!)
apparently it's possible to get a visa in sao tome in two days. i have no information about cost and no details about the procedures. (there had been a coup d'etat in july 2003 - things might have changed)

kinshasa:
not a good place to look for a visa. several of my friends have tried and waited for weeks in vain. (it's not a pleasant enough city to wait for a visa...)

matadi (drc): (this information comes from daisy, owi and muggie. thank's guys!)
(friends of mine managed to get a visa at matadi. apparently it's quite easy to get it there)

lusaka: (this information comes sebastian who's travelling africa on a bicycle.. thank's seb!)
you can get a visa in lusaka but expect to having to hassle the embassy staff for 1 - 2 weeks. apparently you need an invitation or any kind of letter from somebody inside (so that they can't be held responsible). sebastian had been the first tourist, so maybe things are getting easier now.

getting in and out

TAAG flies every wednesday and saturday evening from kinshasa (DRC) to luanda. one way tickets cost 227 dollars. you can transport your motorbike for 2 dollars per kilo plus about 100 dollars for airport and freight fees. if you fly on a saturday you'll have to wait until monday to get the bike out of the airport (leaving the bike at there costs about 10 dollars/day). book at ICARE travel in kinshasa on boulevard 30 de juin, close to the general post office. ask for urbaine. it's a great agency with european standart service.

from matadi (DRC) to northern angola via noqui:
(i didn't take this route. this information comes from olli and corina who are probably the first tourist who have taken that route. thanks for the info, hope to see you soon!)
the border into northern angola via noqui is open. it might be time consuming to get over the border as the angolans are not used to the paperwork which is involved when dealing with europeans. the officials are said to be nice and there should be no problems. after the border follow the road to the coastal town of n'zeto.

from ondjiva (angola) to oschikango (namibia): the border is open on weekdays (don't know about the weekend) until 17:00 (you'll have to be there before 16:00, angolan time, because of the time difference between the two countries). i had no problems at the angolan side, but the namibian officials were complete asswholes. you need to get your carnet stamped and you'll have to pay a road tax 60 namib dollar for a bike (100 for a car).

from ruacana (namibia) to angola: no hassles on both sides. the angolan customs don't have a stamp, so you'll have to get your carnet stamped inside angola - or just do without. i was never asked to present one. inside angola, after crossing the cunene river, about 5 km after the border there is an intersection where you'll have to take a left. you'll know you're there when you see a white wall. this road will take you to ochinjau, from where it's not far to cahama on the main route to lubango. in ochinjau you have to turn east and south, otherwise you'll end up somewhere in nowhere and get out (eventually) in chinage from where it's not far to chibamba on the main road. the roads in the back counrty are extremely beautiful but demanding. you'll pass several sandy riverbeds with stony banks, very stony steep passages and some sandy planes.

luanda: there are several cheap hotels (most of them brothels) in the city centre, close to the angolan national bank. expect to pay usd 20 - 30 for a simple room with shared bath.

lobito: the grand hotel (not so grand) has rooms for usd 16-20. it's behind the port on the peninsular which forms the narrow bay of lobito. turn right after the bridge (S 12*20.766' / E 13*32.715')you can also camp at the zulu bar at the northern tip of the peninsular.

lubango: you should be able to camp for free at somitour, on the way to the namibe road (s 17*26,416' / e 14*20,936)

places to stay in general: if you stay in small towns go to the police or the administrator of the place. they'll find a place to stay for you, sometimes at a police station and usually free of charge.

other

you can get an insurance for your vehicule in luanda at ENSA (empresa nasional de seguras de angola). offices are at the marginale (waterfront) between the BCA tower and the port. one months insurance for a motorbike cost me USD 20.--

it's a good idea to get a color photocopy of you passport and have it certified at the notariat. this way you won't have to risk to have your original passport stolen. the notariat is ont he marginale (waterfront) in the historical building complex that houses the BNA bank (the most beautiful building on the marginale). it on the first floor, next to a pharmacie. it costs about 100 kwanzas (2 dollars) to certify a document.for any problems in lobito: go to the calema bar, avenida de la independencia (200 meters from the grand hotel) and ask for sandro. at the calema you will find great people who will certainly help you with any problem you could have.motorbike mechanic in lobito: ask for elidio at the calema bar. his workshop is not far away.visa extention: an extention (30 days) in benguela takes two days, costs usd 50.-- and you'll need 2 photographs (if you need a recommandation ask sandro at the calema bar in lobito).internet in luanda: shopping chamavo / bar 'a nave' / cybercafe 'san 7000'mirador da lua: a great vantage point, about 80 kilometers south of luanda, on the road to lobito (s 9*13,279' / E 13*05,389')

one of the most beautiful roads in angola ist the one from lubango to namibe. it leads over a high plateau and down 'leiba', a stunning newly paved tarroad which winds down to the coastal desert in hairbends. this road could be anywhere in the swiss alps.