Tour 51 - Angola – the South

Please klick on the map to enlarge and print out the Africa map with our routs.

We cooperate with an Angolan travel agency that helps us with the procurement of visas. Nonetheless, it is complicated and time-consuming to obtain a visa for Angola.

For these reasons, we must set the registration deadline for this trip at 15/05/2012.

It takes more than 2 months, to obtain the Angolan visa in Germany. In other countries it might doesn’t take long. If you book after beginning of April, please ask at your Angolan embassy the time to deal with your claim.

Civil war has raged in Angola for 25 years and finished in 2002.

Since 2004 we travel annually through this country. In the meantime development in all areas has made large steps forward in Angola, but a war lasting a quarter of a century has left visible marks. Large sums of money are being invested in new roading and other infrastructure. But rebuilding a whole country takes time.

Infrastructure for tourists is only recognizable in its infancy. Prices are extremely high for all goods and services of modern standard. A room with a shower and toilet would cost more than US$ 100. A hotel room of international standard would cost at least five times this amount.

The whole of southern Africa has experienced extremely high amounts of rain during the rainy season in the last few years. It will take time to cope with the resulting damages. The rainy season in southern Angola finishes in April or May. How this could possibly affect our trip can´t be predicted.

The traveller in Angola can expect untouched nature, bush camping and meet the Africa as it was known many decades ago.

Our Route and the Highlights

Day 1

• Arrival in Windhoek. . If you arrive early in Windhoek, you may use the afternoon to go for a stroll through the town, simply meandering.
• We will be camping on the grounds of a beautiful lodge with swimming-pool and a restaurant.

Day 2

• Leave Windhoek we drive via Okahandja and Otjivarongo close to the town of Kamanjab where we will stay on a small guest farm.

Angola

Day 3

• Travel on a new tarred road to Ruacana.

• Border crossing to Angola. We will be driving through a countryside which reminds one strongly of the Kaokoveld in Namibia. The tribes of Gambwe and Himba, Makohona, Mondimba and Mutwe – names never heard before – live together here in peace.

• Bush camp near Chitado.

Days 4 - 5

• We will pass through Otchinjau, our second town in Angola, experiencing bush and tree savannah. A few lonely villages are scattered along our route with very friendly residents. At night: African.Bush camp in its purest form.

Day 6

• We reach the newly sealed road which takes us through the mountainous interior to Lubango (1800m). Sight-seeing of the new town centre will be tomorrow´s task.
• 20 km outside Lubango is Tunda Valde (2500m), an escarpment of volcanic origin. Here one seems to be close to the sky, an idyllic place to camp.
• Bush camp

Days 7 - 9

• Returning to Lubango we can admire the beautifully restored buildings of Portuguese colonial times.
• Caconga at 1640m altitude is the next town we will visit. Like in many other regions of southern Angola, German farmers settled here between the two world wars. Farming was thriving! Their origins can be followed back into the 1960s. We leave Caconga and follow a small track in the direction of Chicuma and Ganda. Wanting to discover what is left today of these thriving farms of former times.
• A few of our participants have spent their childhood in this area. It will be very
• interesting to compare their early memories with today´s reality.

Day 10

• Bengula, the capital of the province, offers lots of urban flair, a very nice boardwalk and many places of interest from its 400 years of history. A museum, the slave house, an opera… the city suffered immensely under the long civil war. A lot of money was invested to restore its former appearance.
• Visit of the museum with the house of the slaves
• Bush camp near Baya Farte.

Days 11 -14

• Dombe Grande. A lively market with all we need for the next few days: fruit and vegetables, meat, bread and beer.
• The following stage of our trip to Lucira will be extremely difficult. Depending on what the last rainy season did to the track: Sometimes we will only be able to drive through the mountains at a snail’s pace on tracks that have been washed away by the rain. Every now and then we will run into cattle, but herdsmen are nowhere to be seen. The landscape is fascinatingly sparse and hostile. However, old truck wrecks are evidence that this road was once well-developed. During the civil war, the road was known as the only safe route connecting the north with the south.
• Lucira is surrounded by high mountains. It is just a small fishing town, where time seems to stand still. We will take the time to watch the fishermen unloading their catch, the women bargaining at the market, and let the leisurely pace of the small town sink in.
• Travelling along the coast we will reach the little town of Namibe. At this spotlessly clean seaport with its old buildings of the Portuguese colonial era, we can replenish our drinking water reserves, fuel and fresh food. Namibe is definitely worth a visit.
• The Flamingo Lodge is located south of Namibe. With its secluded location at the ocean, this lodge is an insider's tip. For many years South African off-road drivers and recreational fishermen spent time here. Rooms are available at the Lodge.

Day 15

• The fantastic Leba Pass takes us from an elevation of 2000 m down to almost sea level over a distance of only a few kilometers.
• Shortly before we reach Lubango we will visit the statue of Christ, towering high above the city. The statue was a gift of the Brazilian government and is an exact replica of the statue in Rio de Janeiro. From the top of the statue we have a fantastic view over Lubango.
• Bush camp

Day 16 -17

• Travelling on to the border to Namibia. Most of the road is now tar sealed. Passing Cahama, Xangongo we arrive in Ondjiva. Almost completely destroyed during the war, the city was rebuilt with great efforts to create a modern picturesque city.

Namibia

• Border crossing to Namibia. Camp in the Nakambale museum rest camp. This historical mission with its museum welcomes us with hot showers and cold drinks. Nice, to be back in civilization!

Day 18

• Travel on to the Etosha National Park – the most famous park of Namibia with its gorgeous animal kingdom. We camp near the park entrance on a guest farm.

Day 19

• Crossing of the park. From our high truck we have a magnificent view on both sides. Big herds of springboks and zebras, gnus, kudus, cow antelopes, elephants, giraffes and much more……..In the afternoon we come to the part of the park where we might see lion.
• Just before closing time of the park we leave it to the nearby Etosha Safari Camp.
• We have dinner at the restaurant (buffet).

Day 20

• Visit to Outjo, a friendly little town. Here we find a post office, shops, internet, cheap souvenir shops and a delicious bakery. All we need.
• Travel on to a small farm behind Otjiyarongo. A nice garden with a swimming pool, some ducks, some dogs, a lot of sheep and a nice farmer couple with his workers.

Day 21

• We arrive in Windhoek at noon. There we stay at the Arebbusch Travel Lodge. This lodge is a combined camping and chalet plant with a restaurant and a small swimming pool, some kilometers outside the town.

Day 22

• This day is our buffer day. On a journey like this through countries with poor infrastructure it is always possible that delays may occur. This can be due to the weather, poor roads, delays at border crossings, technical breakdowns or the need of medical aid etc. If we had no delays on our trip, this day you can spent to visit Windhoek. If you think, one day is too short to see the capital of Namibia, just stay another day and don’t leave tomorrow. You can use your tent and our other equipment.

Day 23

• Windhoek, farewell to Africa! Have a safe trip home.Return trip to Windhoek.

Overview and compact travel information:

We are already at the starting point two days before the journey starts. At the end of this trip we will stay one day after the trip has finished. Thus, you can choose your arrival and departure day individually.

At the starting and ending point in Windhoek our kitchen remains closed. On our camping ground there is a restaurant.

The price included:

• All camping fees

• Entrance fee museum in Benguela

• Entrance fee statue of Christ in Lubango

• Entrance fees for the Etosha National Park

• Dinner at the Etosha Safari Camp

• All guided tours

• 16 x 3 meals a day

• 4 x 2 meals a day (breakfast / and lunch or dinner)

Not included:

• Flights

• Visa fees

• Taxi fees

• Hotel in Benguela, 50 US $ -90 US$

• Optional excursions

• Drinks (soft drinks / alcohol)

• Group outings to the restaurant

Visa Information for Namibia

Nationals from the countries listed below are not required to obtain Visas to travel to Namibia for visits shorter than three months:

Australia Brazil Canada Denmark Finland Iceland Ireland Italy Japan Luxembourg

New Zealand Netherlands Norway Portugal Russian Federation Spain Sweden

United Kingdom United States of America and others

Look also at: www.projectvisa.com

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