Angola & Namibia: Ethno-photographic route

Day 1 (Friday, August 13): ARRIVAL IN LUANDA
Arrival in Luanda and reception by the guide. Transfer to the hotel. Rest and urban circuit through the most interesting places in the Angolan capital. We will visit the colonial neighborhood of Baixa, the Sao Paulo market and we will discover ‘modern tropical’ style buildings, characteristic of Luanda. Accommodation at the Hotel Ilha Mar. BB

Day 2: LUANDA– LUBANGO (domestic flight 1h)
Breakfast and morning to visit the landscapes of Luba south of the capital. Stop at the museum of slavery back. Lunch and transfer to the airport for domestic flights. Flight to Lubango (1h). Arrival in the south of the country. Transfer to the Vanjul Lodge hotel. HB (dinner)

Day 3: LUBANGO - MUILA DE LLANURA TRIBE - CHIBIA - MUILAS DE MONTAÑA - LUBANGO (2h)
Breakfast. We will initiate contact with the different tribes through the Nyaneka group. First we will go to the territory of the lowland muilas. Visit a town and after chatting with the soba (traditional chief) we will start the photo session with the women of the area. This Muila group is the one that is most decorated with colorful necklaces and complex hairstyles. We will visit the local market and continue to the colonial city of Chibia. Urban tour and afternoon visit to the Mukuma market where the mountain muilas come, more traditional than those of the plains. After the photo shoot in the market we will return to Lubango. Transfer to the Vanjul Lodge hotel. HB (lunch)

Days 4, 5, 6: MUILAS DE MONTAÑA - CAHAMA - ONCOCUA (6h)
Breakfast. Farewell to the mountains of Huila and route south. We will say goodbye to the region and we will enter herero cattle territory. The first tribe of this ethno-linguistic group are the dimbas, famous for their afro hairstyles. We will continue along a dirt track in quite poor condition to the Oncocua area where we can admire the beauty of the Hakaon women, also known as black himba. After a tour of the Oncocua market we will be introduced by the local guide to the socio-cultural reality of this remote region of Angola. The original inhabitants are the túas, a mixture of sanes with Bantu who live from gathering and hunting. They are at the bottom of the social ladder. They are followed by the Hakaonas, goat herders. Finally, the Himba with their large herds are at the top of the social ladder. We will visit and live with the 3 communities to learn about their way of life and to be able to photograph them. Night in tents. FB

Day 7: ONCOCUA - CAHAMA - SANTA CLARA (7h)
Breakfast and after saying goodbye to our hosts, we will continue to the territory of the Mudimba, a Christianized Bantu people whose women retain the typical hairstyles that have an air of Melanesian headdresses. We will spend some time with the Mudimba to learn about aspects of their daily life as well as their music since they are famous for being great lovers of religious songs and dances. We will continue along a track to Cahama and from there we will continue to the Namibian border. Night at a Lodge in Santa Clara, already in Namibian territory. HB (lunch)

Day 8: SANTA CLARA - ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK (6h)
Breakfast and paved route through the bush savanna to the entrance of the largest national park in Namibia and one of the last refuges of the white rhinoceros. Accommodation at the Ombinda country Lodge or similar. HB (dinner)

Day 9: ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK
Breakfast and entry into the protected area. Full day of safari in Etosha, binoculars, hat, camera… all ready for a successful safari. Etosha means "Great White Depression" in the Ovambo language and refers to the spectacular salty plain of almost 5000 km2 that is located almost in the center of the park. In the southern area, at the points where groundwater emerges, there are scattered pools of water and small lakes that constitute an authentic vital magnet and meeting point for the rich fauna that populate the park, especially during the dry season, coinciding with our trip. Namib elephants (Loxodonta africana), the largest subspecies of African elephant, giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis), kudus (Tragelaphus strepsiceros), oryx (Oryx gazella), or the precious sprinboks (Antidorcas marsupialis) flock to quench their thirst , often in the company of predators such as lions (Panthera leo) and jackals (Canis aureus). Night in a lodge inside the park if possible. FB

Day 10: ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK - CAPE CROSS (6h)
Breakfast and route to the skeleton coast (the name derives from the whale skeletons found by the first German explorers who arrived in this inhospitable region of Southern Africa. We will change the ecosystem and leave behind the savannah and the great ungulates. This is the kingdom of the sea lion and predators (hyenas and jackals) that feed on the most vulnerable specimens (young and sick). Powerful smell and spectacle of nature. Night at Cape Cross Lodge or similar. HB (dinner)

Day 11: CAPE CROSS - SWAKOPMUND (2h)
Breakfast. Latest photos of this protected area and its fauna. Route to the nearby colonial town of Swakopmund with a strong German flavor. We seem to be in a German bourgeois city of the early S-XX more than in Black Africa. Quiet, more urban day to taste German-Bantu fusion food. Hotel to decide. BB

Day 12: SWAKOPMUND - SOSSUSVLEI (5h)
Breakfast. Last visits and route to the most iconic place in Namibia, the giant dunes of Sossusvlei. Tour through landscapes of great beauty. Little fauna, adapted to the scarcity of water. Desert Lodge or similar. HB (dinner)

Day 13: SOSSUSVLEI
Full day to enjoy the dunes and the desert landscape, unique in the world. Desert Lodge or similar. HB (dinner)

Day 14: SOSSUSVLEI - WINDHOEK
Breakfast. Last photos and transfer to the Namibian capital with a strong German flavor (1884-1918). Urban tour and last shopping in the center. At the indicated time, transfer to the airport. Flight to home.

END OF OUR SERVICES

TRAVEL INFORMATION


Angola Visa
A valid passport and a visa are required for travel to Angola. Applications for visas can be made online (pre-visa) or in advance in the travelers’ home country. Last Places assists all travelers that need any type of help applying for the online visa or at the embassy. We recommend that passports be valid for six months from date of arrival.



Vaccines and Travel Health
A valid yellow fever vaccination certificate is essential for entry to Angola. Malaria is prevalent in the country. It is wise to take Malaria prophylaxis when travelling through Angola. Water supply is unsafe to drink, visitors should drink bottle water. Visitors should also avoid eating unpeeled, unwashed fruit and vegetables. The milk in Angola is unpasteurized and should be boiled; alternatively use tinned milk reconstituted with bottle water.


Security in Angola
Angola is a safe country in general terms. Land mines have been removed from most of the country except in some remote regions of Cuando Cuvango where Last Places does not normally travel to. We recommend to be aware of pick pocketing in crowded streets of Luanda and not to walk around city centre too late in the night if you are not accompanied by a local guide or group of local friends that are familiar with the streets of Luanda. It is strongly recommended not to drive during the night in the countryside because of the potential risk of your car hitting a wild or domestic animal.


When to go to Angola
Travelers can visit Angola all year around. Last Places Angola offers trips to Angola all year around. Said this, dry season –from June till November- allows the traveller visit all tribal areas while whet season – from December till May- may limit the visit to certain region such as Oncocua. Southwest Angola, where most of the tourism attractions are concentrated, enjoys mild weather during most of the year with daylight temperatures of 24-30 ? that can come down to 10 ? during the night and early hours.


Currency in Angola                                                                                           
The unit of currency is the Kwanza (AOA). Visitors should bring enough cash for their needs. Money can be exchanged at the airport or at the bank. Euros and newly issued US dollars are changed without any problem. Credit cards are only accepted in larger hotels, and cash withdrawals are not possible. Few ATMs in Luanda accept foreign cards.



Time in Angola
GMT +1



Electricity in Angola
Electrical current in Angola is 220 volts, 50Hz. Round pin attachment plugs are in use.



Communications in Angola
The international dialing code for Angola is +244. There are many more mobile telephones than fixed lines and the mobile coverage around Luanda and other main centers is much more reliable than fixed lines. Internet access is available at most major hotels.


Language in Angola
The official language of Angola is Portuguese. About 60 other African languages are spoken. Some French and Spanish is also spoken.



Prohibitions in Angola
Do not take photographs of government buildings, or use binoculars near them, as this could lead to arrest.