How to Find Hotels in Angola

Angola is an amazing country in southern Africa that is currently recovering from very turbulent times. Here you will find beautiful wildlife and scenery, amazing sights and wonderful people.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Portuguese dictionary and phrase book
• Valid visitor's visa
• Passport
• Internet access
• Yellow fever immunization
• International Certificate of Vaccination

Know Your Destination

1. Convert or not to convert, that is the question. The official local currency is the Kwana (Kzr), however, the U.S. dollar is also accepted (see Resources, below).

2. Bring a Portuguese phrase book with you. The official language of Angola is Portuguese.

Organize Your Angola Transportation

3. Land at the Luanda Airport and be close to accommodations in the capital city.

4. Have your sponsor pick you up. There are no taxi services available at the Luanda Airport, so you will need your sponsor to pick you up from the airport.

Lodging in Angola

5. To book accommodations, contact the South African Government of Environmental Affairs and Tourism at 011 ([phone] or visit their Web site (see Resources, below). If you love wildlife then you will definitely want to visit the Parque da Kissama. The best place to find accommodations near the park is in the capital city of Luanda which is about 43.5 miles north of the park.

6. Become a history buff! If you are interested in history and the military, then you will want to find accommodations in Luanda near the area museums. In Luanda, you will find the Museum of Armed Forces and the Museum of Anthropology.

7. Work on your tan! If you like to swim and sunbathe, then you will want to book your accommodations in or near the Luanda city center because the city's bathing beaches are only a few miles away.

8. Go fishing! If you are an avid fisherman, then you will want to arrange for accommodations in the northern part of Luanda.

9. Play in the water! If you are interested in watersports, then you will want to stay near the Mussolo Peninsula. Here is a safe body of water for recreational use.

10. Find romance in Angola! If you are on a honeymoon or romantic excursion, then you will want to find accommodations near the Calandula Waterfalls. This site is very beautiful, especially right after the rainy season.

Tips & Warnings

• All phone numbers include the international prefix "011." When calling internationally but not from the United States or Canada, substitute that "011" with "00." All country codes are within parentheses and begin with a "+" sign.
• Register with the nearest U.S. Embassy when you land in Angola.
• While Angola is now relatively peaceful, it still has several hazards that tourists should be aware of including unexploded land mines, petty and violent crimes and political unrest in some areas.
• Not all the water around Angola is safe to swim in. Make sure that you learn what bodies of water are safe for swimming and which bodies of water should be avoided.
• You should not try to leave the country with any form of local currency. This could get you arrested or fined.
• Don't challenge the authority of any local police officer or government official, even if they are trying to scam you.