Welcome to the companion website to the Bradt Guide to Angola

The Bradt Guide to Angola

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Bradt Guide to Angola was published in October 2009 and is the first ever English language tourist guidebook covering the country. It is available from major online retailers and high street shops.

 

The front page of this site contains an eclectic mix of news and information about Angola for visitors and residents alike. Information for future updates to the Bradt Guide to Angola is added to the various sections on the right hand side of the screen.

 

Please feel free to send me your own contributions for inclusion on this site .

 

Mike Stead

 

October 2009

 

Fazenda Jamba campsite in Humpata

I have just been informed that this campsite has now closed

Website for the French community in Angola

There’s a relatively new website for the French community in Angola.
http://www.vivreenangola.com. Check it out!

Second edition of the Bradt Guide to Angola is now available

The second edition of the Bradt Guide to Angola is now available from Bradt Travel Guides and Amazon.co.uk. It will be available from Amazon.com in April 2013.

 

Bradt Guide to Angola 2nd edition

Ballots cast in Angolan elections

31 August 2012

Angolans have voted in the second national elections since the oil-rich country’s 27-year civil war ended a decade ago.

President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, 70, has been in power for more than three decades and is expected to win another five-year term – but some in the country believe it is time for change.

The BBC’s Louise Redvers sent this report from Luanda.

Q&A: Angolan general elections

Voters in the southern African state of Angola go to the polls on 31 August in the first general election since the coming into force of the country’s new constitution. This abolished direct election of the president, removed the post of prime minister and limited presidential tenure to two five-year terms. More……

Roadtripping in Angola

By Dale Morris

Angola is one of those new-frontier travel destinations, which has been a closed door for decades because of civil wars and nonexistent infrastructure. But when protagonist of war Jonas Savimbi, the head of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (Unita), was killed by the Angolan military in 2002 the stage was set for radical redevelopment.

Now, where there was once danger and uncertainty, there’s a sense of relief and progress, making Angola one of the hottest destinations for adventurous travellers. More……….

MÁRIO JOSÉ DE GRAÇA MONTEIRO PINTO (Zézé)

Message from Paul Wesson

We are posting this video in the memory of Mario Pinto (Zézé), co-founder and partner of Eco Tur Angola, this beautiful film was made in 3D specifically for the Angolan pavilion at Expo Shanghai 2010 and was a project in which Eco Tur, ( I and Mário) were heavily involved. We will shortly also be creating an album here on our facebook page in his memory, please feel free to send any pictures you may wish included in the album to paul@eco-tur.com, this email can also be used for any other messages. We will advise funeral details as soon as they are available.

Our hearts go out to his family at this time of grief.

Paul Wesson – Eco Tur Angola

MÁRIO JOSÉ DE GRAÇA MONTEIRO PINTO (Zézé)

Mensagem de Paul Wesson

Decidimos partilhar este vídeo em homenagem ao Mário Pinto (Zézé), co-fundador e sócio da Eco Tur Angola. Este bonito filme foi criado em 3D especialmente para o pavilhão de Angola na Expo Shangai 2010 e foi um projeto em que a Eco Tur, (eu e Zézé) estávamos bastante envolvidos, e onde percorremos milhares dequilómetros da nossa linda terra juntos.

Dentro em breve, iremos criar também um álbum de fotografias especiais do Mário Pinto na nossa página Todos aqueles que queiram partilhar as suas fotografias e/ou mensagens para inclusão neste álbum, podem fazê-lo enviando para paul@eco-tur.com Haverá um velório, cujo local e hora anunciaremos o mais brevemente possível.

Neste momento de dor e consternação endereçamos a família enlutada os mais profundo sentimentos.

Paul Wesson – Eco Tur Angola

TALA! Visions of Angola exhibition in the UK (May to October)

TALA! – Visions of Angola 12 May – October 2012  TALA! (‘come and see’) – Visions of Angola, is a very special exhibition for 2012 made possible through the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund.  It presents previously unseen artefacts, photographs and film footage drawn from the rich wealth of materials brought back from Angola in the 1930’s by Diana and Antoinette Powell-Cotton, the two pioneering daughters of Major Percy Powell-Cotton. The exhibition curators spent a year of working closely with the Angolan diaspora in the UK, including community groups and official institutions to create this multi-media display of carefully selected historical and contemporary objects as well as film footage that reflects and celebrates some very personal histories including that of the two sisters whose vision is only now being realised. The individual stories that motivate many of the selections have also been recorded and will be available via audio handsets alongside display cases, giving the objects a new voice, representing continuity, change and an evolving Angola.  Commenting on the exhibition, the curators said:  “The objects we had access to, were made by somebody’s great grandmother or great grandfather. They deserve to be seen and remembered by their rightful ancestors as well as the wider public. Just as importantly, the Angolan community here in the UK have a right to be involved in the decisions made about the collection. This is after all their history.” This unique and collaborative form of curation has innovatively mixed old and new to provide a fresh view of Angola and the collection.  For full details of opening hours and admission tickets please visit website or call the museum on 01843 842168.

UNITEL to launch BlackBerry service in Angola

UNITEL has announced it will begin the country’s first BlackBerry service – aimed initially at corporate customers. As yet there are no additional details on the UNITEL website  www.unitel.ao

Full coverage of the Angolan Foreign Minister’s visit to the UK

After decades of domestic conflict a formerly inward-looking Angola is opening up to Africa and the world. Angola is an emerging regional and continental power with increasing ambitions and presence in Africa. At the same time Angola is seeking to diversify its international relations in a multipolar world without neglecting traditional key relationships. The Minister speaks on Angola’s policy agenda for Africa, Angola’s traditional alliances, and the opportunities and tensions that its emergence in Africa may create with other international partners. The transcript is available from the Chatham House website.

For more information please contact the Chatham House  Members Events Team.

Few petrol stations in Angola

For a country that pumps around 1.7 million barrels of oil a day and is twice the size of Texas or 5 times the size of Britain you would expect that finding petrol would not be a problem. Sadly you would be wrong as the country only has 534 petrol stations. So when traveling out of town always make sure you fill up when you can. Source – O Pais.

 

New Angolan cookbook

Angolan African Recipes Cuisine is an introduction to the many cuisines from Angola and includes practical advice and information on cooking techniques, serving ideas and background detail as well as the much loved recipes, which make it an invaluable reference book for all Angolan cooking. To purchase the book now click here. Not sure you like Angolan Food? Give the Free Recipes a try!

As oportunidades de emprego em Angola

Andrea Duarte

Formação, recursos humanos, turismo e construção são alguns dos sectores que procuram quadros.

Angola está a crescer e precisa de profissionais qualificados para as áreas das tecnologias da informação, da formação profissional, dos serviços de ‘back-office’ e do turismo. Com uma economia em desenvolvimento e um mercado florescente, o país acolhe os portugueses que emigram para Angola com salários elevados e um ambiente cheio de desafios.

“Angola encontra-se num período de acelerado desenvolvimento comercial e económico”, considera a AICEP, que aponta um crescimento das importações entre Portugal e aquele país, de 2010 para 2011, na ordem dos 82%. “Assim, no âmbito da diversificação da actividade dos sectores económicos que está a ser desenvolvida por Angola, existe uma necessidade estratégica de recursos qualificados”, acrescenta a AICEP. Mais…….

Angola: Development leads to demands

By Louise Redvers in Luanda

The government is using its oil revenues to build new cities and hire more teachers, but hundreds of people are taking to the streets calling for political change.

The bay of Luanda is being transformed. New pedestrian- and jogger friendly pathways weave past patches of lush green grass, and a giant concrete flyover has thinned the once-notorious traffic jams that clogged the entrance onto the peninsula known as the Ilha.

After dark, wealthy Angolans and expatriates flock to waterside restaurants to sip overpriced cocktails and enjoy the view of the ever-expanding skyline. More………..

New currency regulations come into force in Angola

The National Bank of Angola has announced new regulations about the import and export of foreign currency and Kwanzas which will come into effect on 27 February 2012.

In summary adult residents can take out of Angola the equivalent of USD15000 in foreign currency and non residents can take out USD10000.

The total ban on exporting Kwanzas has been lifted and residents and non residents can take out of Angola 50000 Kwanzas in addition to the dollars or foreign currency mentioned above.

On entering Angola, residents continue to need to declare amounts over USD15000 and non residents amounts over USD10000.

 

Standard Bank opens for business in Luanda

On 27 September 2010, Standard Bank Group opened its first branch in Luanda at Belas Business Park. The branch was opened to initially service the personal banking market. They have since expanded to also offer corporate and investment banking services.

Standard Bank de Angola is part of the financial fabric of the Angolan market with system links to other banks in the country and Angola’s Central Bank. As part of Standard Bank Group, Standard Bank de Angola provides its customers with a connection to the rest of Africa and other key financial markets of the world.

The branch network will grow with new branches opening this year.

Standard Bank de Angola

Condominio Belas Business Park
Edificio Luanda 7 and/Av. Talatona
S/N (ao lado do Belas Shopping)
Luanda
Angola

Tel: 244 222 396355
Fax: 244 222 394641

 www.standardbank.com/cib

There can be few places in the world riper than Angola for an exponential growth in tourism

Until a few years ago, Angola was off-limits to leisure visitors. There was no guidebook and reliable information for travellers was hard to come by. Tourist visas did not exist, decent hotels were rare and outrageously expensive and oil workers filled all the flights into Luanda. In the space of 3 or 4 years, much of this has changed. Although still not an easy destination, Angola remains off the mainstream tourist circuit but will reward visitors with miles of deserted beaches, an extraordinarily rich bird life and stunning examples of Portuguese colonial architecture. Read the rest of my article on the Angola -today website

FACTBOX-Key political risks to watch in Angola

By Shrikesh Laxmidas

LISBON Jan 10 (Reuters) – Long-serving Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos is expected to confirm later this month that he will lead his MPLA party in a general election in the third quarter of the year.

This is unlikely to dispel intense speculation over a possible future successor to the 69-year-old leader, who is the second longest-serving ruler in Africa after Equatorial Guinea’s President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.

With Dos Santos apparently ready to go ahead with a re-election bid, the focus is on the MPLA’s choice for No. 2 on its candidate list for the election to be announced this month. This may signal the choice of a successor.

Anti-government protests last year showed that Angolan youths, inspired by uprisings in North Africa that toppled several leaders, are ready to take their grievances about human rights, social conditions and high unemployment to the streets.

But Angolan authorities have demonstrated they are willing to respond with force.

On the economic front, technical problems in oil production have led the government to slash its growth estimate for 2011, highlighting the need to diversify the economy.

 More………………

 

Living in the world’s most expensive city

By Louise Redvers, BBC News, Luanda

When you think of the world’s most expensive cities, the dusty Angolan capital of Luanda seems an unlikely contender.

Potholed, chaotic and still scarred by decades of civil war, the city has little of the glitz and glamour of Tokyo, New York or Moscow, and an estimated half of Angolans live on less than $2 a day.

But despite the obvious poverty and sprawling slums, Luanda still manages to boast some eye-wateringly high prices.

A house can be $10,000 (£6,500) a month to rent, a basic meal out for two is easily $50, a hotel room can weigh in at $400 a night and a kilo of imported tomatoes a staggering $16.

A basic saloon car without a driver (which foreigners need to negotiate the difficult traffic and parking) will be $90 a day, but upgrade to a SUV (recommended due to the poor quality roads) and you’re looking at $200. More……………