If deserts and plateaus are what you’re looking for, board a flight to Angola and head to the African country located along the South Atlantic. Angola is more than three times the size of California, but travelers booking Angola flights and accommodations won’t find any similarities here. Bordered by the Republic of Congo, Zambia and Namibia, Angola is mostly desert with forests sprinkled throughout the northwest region.
What keeps travelers booking cheap flights to Angola? The vast supply of the country’s oil. Angola is the second-largest oil producer in sub-Saharan Africa bringing in billions of dollars a year from around the world. It's sometimes shocking for visitors, however, when they find some of the poorest people in Africa living in Angola. More than $4 billion in oil receipts has gone missing from the country’s treasury, according to the International Monetary Fund. Still, many people continue travel to Angola on peace-seeking efforts and try to reestablish the country’s economy.
Since Angola is continually engaged in internal civil wars, it’s a good idea for travelers taking Angola flights to always carry identity papers and passports.
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The Angolan climate differs between the north and south. The country is semi-arid in the south and tropical in the north. Average temperatures in Luando, the capital, in the hot season are around 84F. Average temperatures in the dry season are 68F.
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Peak Season:
The North has a cooler, dry season (cacimbo) from May to September. The mornings are usually misty during the dry season. The dry season lasts for longer in the south, normally from March to October. The coolest months to book flights to Angola and visit are July and August, though this can be too cold at higher altitudes far from the equator. Frost can sometimes form at high altitudes.
Off Season:
The hot, rainy season in the North lasts for nearly seven months most years, starting in September and continuing to April. However, it tends to be cooler along the coast, and less rain falls.
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There is a good network of airports across Angola and the bad state of the roads and railways makes flying by far the easiest method of transportation. Domestic Angola flights throughout the country and through Africa are available from TAAG Angola Airlines, SAL Airlines, Gemini, Diexim Expresso and Sonair.
Roads are not good in Angola. Four-by-fours are necessary for most countryside roads. It’s sometimes necessary to leave the road and take a separate track in places as war damage is so great. If you do so, pay attention to land mine warnings.
Trains are more convenient and faster than traveling by road. However, the network is extremely limited. There are three separate lines, none of which link up.
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- Luanda, the coastal capital of the country, is undergoing a serious period of renovation. Many buildings are being restored in the downtown area. As a result, the city is once again starting to appeal to tourists and more travelers are booking Angola flights and accommodations. Many of the buildings are built in a Portuguese colonial style. Take a walk or drive through the streets to see the Central Bank, the Post Office building and the main church. The most peaceful time to see the city is early on Sunday morning.
- Near to Luanda is Ilha do Mussolo – a small island protected from the Atlantic. The beaches are relatively peaceful, and you’re sure to find a good spot of white sand on which to while away a day.
- Parque Nacional da Kissama, also called Quicama, is the only nature reserve in the country and an unusual one as all of its animals were air-lifted in from surrounding countries. Originally founded as a game reserve in 1938, it was declared a natural reserve in the late 1950s, but poaching subsequently all but depleted its stock of animals. In 2001, elephants were flown in from South Africa and since then the park has prospered. The park is just south of Luanda.
- Be prepared before traveling to Angola, the country is far from a developed tourist destination. Years of unrest have created havoc, from which it is just emerging. But if you want to see the “real” Africa, meet locals instead of hundreds of other backpackers and experience an African style of life, this is the place to come. Just don’t expect an easy ride…
- It’s important to learn some Portuguese before you go. English is only spoken in a few places.
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Luanda Airport (LAD) is 2.5 miles from the city.
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All visitors must carry a valid passport, with at least two empty pages for stamps. Applications for visas should be made in advance in the travelers' home country or at the nearest Angolan embassy or consulate. A yellow fever WHO vaccination certificate is also essential for entry to Angola (the alternative is to face the risky mandatory immunization at the airport). Visitors should also have documents or tickets for return or onward travel.
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U.S. citizens require a visa to enter Angola.
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