01 FLIGHT TO LUANDA

International flight to Luanda, the capital of Angola.

DAY 1, 26^TH  LUANDA

Luanda is a lively city, full of contrasts. It is the country's main port and economic center, and was founded in 1576 by the Portuguese explorer Paulo Dias de Novais. Even though Luanda has been regarded in the past as one of the most expensive cities in the world, this is not the present reality. It is now aiming to be a model of progress, which is leaving behind a 30-year-long civil war. Strolling around some of the districts with their colonial architecture is a pleasant experience.

Stop at Iron Palace

Known to have been designed or inspired by the works of Gustav Eiffel in 1880, the Iron Palace is a must see when visiting the City of Luanda. The mystery behind its history and detail of its iron work is complemented by the art work of local artists exhibited in the Palace. 

Drive through Ilha do Cabo  

Ilha do Cabo, Ilha de Luanda or simply Ilha as the locals would call it is a 7 Km long Peninsula, previously known to have been the bank of the Kingdom of Kongo where shells were picked up and sent to the Kingdom to use as currency. Today Ilha is a favourite stop for a day out at the beach, with many options of restaurants and hotels.      

Stop at Fortress of São Miguel 

Built in the 17th century by the first Portuguese Governor of Luanda, Paulo Dias de Novais, the well preserved fortress which in the 17th century stood as an administrative centre of the Portuguese colony, is today the National Museum of the Military History, where you can find displayed military tanks and guns used during the colonial war. The Museum also includes a resume of the history of Angola from the 15th to the 19th century, the fauna and Flora portrayed in Azulejos.    

Drive through Mausoleum of Agostinho Neto 

With its Spaceship inspired architecture, the Mausoleum is the resting place of the First President of Angola, Agostinho Neto, who in 1975 proclaimed the independence of the country.  

Stop at The Moon view point  -   Miradouro da Lua 

The Lunar  like  landscape shaped by years of erosion from r ain and wind is located about  40 km from Luanda City Centre. Its unique beauty  makes it worth the long drive to the  Miradouro.    

Stop  at  Slavery Museum  

The 17th   Century Catholic church, located in the old property of one of the most prominent slave  traders of the Coast of the Atlantic   of its century , where slaves were baptized before being shipped to  the Americas, has since 1977 become a  Museum with the mission of making known the history of  Slavery in Angola.  And the last point will be the market of Art and craft where you can buy your soveviur.  

DAY 2, 27^TH LUANDA – NAMIBE (Domestic flight)

We will take a domestic flight to the southern city of Namibe. Once we have landed, we drive to the hotel or Similar to do check-in, 15 min to drop the luggage and we will do Namibe walking city tour. Namibe, which is inside the territory of the Mucabal tribe. Namibe or Moçamedes, as it is still known, is a pleasant coastal town with a seafront where you can find restaurants serving excellent fish dishes. The afternoon will be a good time to stroll along the beach and visit the 'Independence', a boat which came originally from Cape Verde and is now stranded on the beach. B&B

DAY 3, 28TH NAMIBE- VIREI- TCHITUNDO HULO

After breakfast, we drive (3h30) towards Virei, the neuralgic centre of the Mucubal people. We willmake a brief stop at the market before continuing to Tchitundo Hulo. As we leave Virei behind the landscape changes and rocky knolls become more abundant. The rocks known as the Tchitundo Hulo are considered to be sacred by the Mucuis who share this territory with the Mucubal. The Mucubal tribe is still nomadic due to the difficulties of living in this semi-desert terrain. In the rocks it is possible to find unique paintings and cave engravings, and where we will camp for the night near to a cave with these paintings.

 Camping Site. FB

DAY 4, 29TH VIREI- TOMBUA- PEDRAS VERMELHAS(KAMILUNGA CANYON) 

After packing away the camping gear, we will head to Virei. Here we will make a stop to see the great Mucubal cemetery. Hundreds of horns mark the graves of prominent members of the Mucubal community. Then we will continue our journey to the Fishing town Tombua for Lunch. After lunch we drive to famous red stone, the Kamilunga canyon. Where we will visit the cuepe tribe and spend the night there.

Camping Site. FB

DAY 5, 30TH PEDRAS VERMELHA- TOMBWA – NAMIBE

After breakfast and packing away the camping gear, We will continue our journey to the Arco oasis the curious rock formations and natural lagoons of this oasis, which were formed by the curoca River, make this a unique place to visit. And then we will go to the municipality of Tombwa were we will visit the war trencher and then we will visit the famous fishermen’s viewpoint and the city of Tombwa. After lunch we will head back to Namibe where we will spend the night in a hotel. B&B

DAY 6, 1^ST NAMIBE-BIBALA- GARGANTA (NGUENDELENGO TRIBE)

Before leaving Namibe, we will vist the old Portuguese lighthouse. The lighthouse. And some colonial cinema the lighthouse is still operational and the daily passage of boats is monitored using an old telescope, and recorded in a notebook. We will set off for the small village of Garganta. This mountainous region is the territory of the Nguendelengo tribe, and we will visit some of their settlements. It is a small ethnic group in Angola, and although there are similarities between them and the Mucubal tribe, the women have a different appearance with their own unique hairstyles. They still practice 'Fico' which is an initiation ceremony for women.

Camping Site. FB

DAY 7, 2nd GARGANTA- ALDEIAS MHUILA- HUMPATA– LUBANGO

We will leave our hosts to continue our route towards Humpata. From here we will take the road which crosses the Leba mountain range and takes us to the town of  From Garganta we will head to Lubango and then south to the village of Kahama. Once we arrive here we will take the new road which leads to Otjinjau. We will stop for a break to visit the market. Once we arrive in Mudimba territory, we will go to the village of Hangumbi. During the journey we will locate one of the many Mudimba settlements where we can stay the night. This tribe is also well-known because of the unique hairstyles of the women. They still maintain certain initiation rituals despite many years of Christian influences.B&B

DAY 8, 3^rd  LUBANGO – KANHIME – HOQUE

Plain Mumuila outstand among other tribes for their rich body decoration. From their childhood until their old age, plain Mumuila women do not cease to add bead necklaces, seashells, and metal objects to their necks, forearms and ankles. They are efficient farmers and, although cattle are not a key element in plain mumuila economy anymore, the older generations still worship the bull god. Their culture is in constant pressure due to the increasing presence of Christian missionaries and the emigration of the youth to urban centers. After that we will say goodbye to the flat -earth Mumuila tribe and head to the municipality of Hóquei market and find, the handa tribe. Handa people are artisans and farmers, settled at the heart of the Huila plateau. In the past, the used to decorate the facades of their homes with geometrical patterns that inspired the Portuguese settles the design of the Nyaneka. Back to Lubango city.B&B

DAY 9, 4^th  LUBANGO- CHIBIA-MUCUMA-TCHIKUATITI

After having breakfast, we will head out to the south of Lubango to the pleasant and placid town of Chibia, where we will stop to visit some of its colonial buildings. After that, we will leave road behind in order to enter the territory of the Mumuila mountain tribe. Our second contact with this tribe will be at the Mucuma, market where, the Mumuila women come to trade. From here, we will head towards Jau to learn more about the customs and traditions of these people. The Mumuila women have one of the most spectacular hairstyles in the whole of Africa. They use tree bark from the Eunbao tree mixed with animal fats in order to elaborate these unique hairstyles which are formed with a series of compact plaits. After visiting the mountain mumuila and their villages, we drive to villas of the san. The san are hunters, gatherers and blacksmiths. They are organized in small bands composed of around 20- 30 members. In san society, men and women live together in a non-exploitative manner it is unusual for the san to have a chief in position of power over the other members.

Camping Site. FB

DAY 10, 5^th ONCOCUA – OVATUA SETTLEMENT

After breakfast we drive to Onconcua (5h of driving). The routes in this area change frequently due to the climate and we will have to make sure we choose the route which will take us to Oncocua in a reasonable time. Oncocua is a small village founded by the Portuguese at the beginning of the 20th century and is to be found at the foot of the mountain which bears the same name. It is a special place and serves perfectly as a base from where we can explore all the tribal varieties in the region. On arrival, we will head straight to the market and the neuralgic centre of the village. As many as five different tribes live in the zone and surrounding this small market it will be possible to see: Muhimbas, Muhacaona, Mudimbas, Mutwa and Mugambue, with the first two tribes being the most predominant.

Camping Site. FB

DAY 11, 6^th ONCOCUA MUHIMBA AND MUHACAONA SETTLEMENTS

During this day we will spend time getting to know more about the traditions and customs of the Muhimba y Muhacaona tribes. We will visit their settlements and share some time with them while they go about their daily business. The Himba are predominantly livestock farmers and have the Cunene river as their principal source of water.

They maintain a traditional way of life. The women are characterised by their unique hairstyles with long plaits and their decorations made from cow skins. Animals are extremely important to these people and many solutions to conflicts and disputes involve animals. The Muhacaona people live in the same areas as the Himba, and there are a lot of similarities to be found in their respective customs and traditions. The appearance of the Muhacaona women is different from the Himba and it is easy to tell them apart as the Muhacaona women have black hair styles due to mixing coal with animal fats. These hairstyles are also decorated with coloured beads.

Camping Site at Himba village. FB

DAY 12, 7^TH ONCOCUA – HUMBI- LUBANGO

After breakfast we will say goodbye to the previously mentioned tribes such as Muhacaona, Muhimba and Mutwa. we continue along the road to meet the Humbi tribe. Despite this loss of culture, it is also possible to observe the original Humbi hairstyles during female intiation ceremonies. Girls hairstyle modeled first in the form of a crest and finally in the form of elephant ears, in the period before they are considered marriageable women officially, all humbi are protestant Christians nowadays, although the connection to the vernacular spiritual world and to certain rituals is still alive in the most remote inland town. At Afternoon we drive to Lubango city. B&B

DAY 13, 8^th LUBANGO – LUANDA (Domestic Flight)

Depending on the time of the flight to Luanda, we will make the last visits in Lubango, we will go up the Tundavala, into the heart of the Leba mountain range. Here we will be able to witness the incredible landscape of region of Namibe. This viewpoint is a magnificent vantage point which is over 2,00 metres high with a beautiful access from Lubango. Around 5 o’clock transfer to Mukanka airport.

DAY 14. LUANDA - KALANDULA FALLS – MELANJE

Today we have quite a long drive to reach the magnificent Kalandula Waterfalls - one of the largest waterfalls by volume in Africa and a highlight of any visit to Angola. We will have a short stop in the town of Ndalatando to take a walk around its beautiful Botanical Garden (Rosas de Porcelana). We will arrive at the waterfalls in the early afternoon and spend about an hour or two enjoying the spectacular view. The waterfalls have an impressive drop of approximately 105 meters (344 feet), making them taller than the famous Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River. The width of the falls spans around 400 meters (1,312 feet), contributing to the grandeur of the site. A short, but quite challenging and slippery road takes you to the base of the waterfall to see it from a unique perspective. In the early evening, we are expected to arrive in the town of Melanje, where we will spend the night. B&B

DAY 15. MALANJE - KALANDULA FALLS - PEDRAS NEGRAS- LUANDA

In the morning we are heading to the waterfalls once again and will stop at another viewpoint to see them from the other side. Our next stop will be the impressive rock formation of Pedras Negras (The Black Stones). These hard sedimentary stones remain a geological mystery since they do not fit with the surrounding topography. The region was once the capital of The Kingdom of Ndongo - an African kingdom that existed between the 16th and the 20th century. It is believed that the footprints of King Ngola Kiluanji and Queen Ginga that lived in the 17th century and ruled that kingdom are embedded in the rocks. We will arrive in Luanda in the evening. B&B