Angola

Visited: July 2025

Duration of visit: 18 days

Capital city: Luanda

Population: 38 million (2025)

Angola travel blog reading time: 2 minutes

• Luanda – an emerging capital on the Atlantic Ocean with rich Portuguese colonial architecture, some interesting landmarks, beaches and bars on Ilha do Cabo.
• Admiring the impressive Calandula Falls, among the largest in Africa by volume.
• Watching the sunset from the Christ statue, overlooking Lubango.
• Sitting atop a cliff, gazing over Lagoa de Arcos.
• Meeting incredibly honest and welcoming people.
• One of the most affordable countries in Africa, offering high-quality food, comfortable accommodation and transport at very competitive prices.

Angola was the first stop of my three-months trip that also included Namibia, Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique. Traveling from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean was one of my most enjoyable journeys in Africa. Along the way I encountered warm hospitality, reliable infrastructure, delicious cuisine, excellent value for money, and, thanks to perfect timing, I avoided crowds in many areas.

While the contrasts between some countries are substantial, the most notable difference lies in the language: Portuguese-speaking Angola and Mozambique, positioned at opposite ends of the continent, often feel more connected to each other than to their English-speaking neighbors.

After decades of civil war, internal dispute, security issues and lack of interest for foreign visitors, Angola finally released all the restrictions, normalized prices and opened up for tourism in 2024. A year later I was still one of the very few independent backpackers that decided to explore this pearl of Africa.

Pristine nature with some unique landmarks, hospitable people, delicious food, inexpensive travelling and remote tribes in the south. These are just some of the reasons, why Angola is one of my favorite countries in Africa.

Although I’ve visited most of the country’s major attractions, both in the south and the north, many regions remain undiscovered. There are still plenty of places to visit and things to do on my Angola bucket list.

I rarely return to countries I’ve already visited, but Angola might become the first exception in Africa.