Angola Sightseeing Places

By | July 5, 2020

Visa requirements

Passport: is generally required for travel in Angola. The passport must be valid for at least 6 months after the length of stay and contain two blank pages.

Visa: is generally required, except for Cape Verde nationals. Here you can download the visa application for Angola.

Transit: Transit travelers who fly on the next connecting flight and do not leave the transit area do not need a transit visa.

Documents: Tourist visa: passport that is valid for at least 6 months over the duration of your stay – two completed original application forms (no copy, no fax) – two passport photos (no scans) – invitation from Angola or confirmed hotel booking – proof of vaccination for yellow fever – copy of everything always a passport Already existing Angola visa fee

Work Visa: additional company letter from the German company – invitation from the company or institution in Angola (in Portuguese)

When applying by post, a stamped and addressed return envelope and proof of payment should be attached.

Visa fees (identical for tourist and work visas): € 150.00

Validity period: 60 days from the date of issue for a maximum of 30 days stay

Processing time: between one and six weeks, currently no express processing. The Angolan embassy only issues visas 7 days before the planned entry.

Entry with children:

Germans: Children need their own passport to enter Angola (children’s passport or electronic passport).
Austrians: own passport.
Swiss: own passport.
The same visa requirements apply to children as to their parents.

Angola Sightseeing Places

Money

National currency: 1 New kwanza is divided into 100 centimos.

Currency abbreviation: Kz, AOA – ABBREVIATIONFINDER.ORG

Banknotes are issued in the value of 1,000, 500, 200, 100, 50, 10, 5 and 1 kW. There are coins worth 50 and 10 centimos.

In many regions, the US dollar is something of a parallel currency in which you can easily pay (although the currency regulations are designed to prevent this)

Currency exchange: Money should only be exchanged in official exchange offices (casas de cambio), banks or in upscale hotels. Currency exchange on the black market is illegal but widespread. US $ 100 notes are only changed if they were issued in 1996 or later.

Exchange Rate Angolan Kwanza:

Currency converter at OANDA

Credit Cards: Only accepted in some large hotels, restaurants and airlines.

Travelers checks: are practically unknown and are hardly accepted. If it is possible, the fees are high and the exchange rate is unfavorable.

ATMs: there are very few and they only very rarely accept the usual international cards.

Foreign exchange regulations: The export of Kwanza is prohibited. Foreign currency may be imported and exported up to a value of $ 5,000 without registration. Declarations are mandatory.

Bank opening times: Mon – Fri 8 a.m. – 12.30 p.m. and 2 p.m. – 3 p.m.

Health and Diseases

Vaccination protection: The Federal Foreign Office’s health service recommends vaccination protection against tetanus, diphtheria, polio, hepatitis A and typhoid fever, for long-term stays over 4 weeks and special exposure (stay in rural regions and the like) also hepatitis B, meningococcal meningitis (ACWY) and rabies.

According to the WHO, Angola is a yellow fever infection area. The last time an outbreak was reported in Luanda in 1988 was 37 cases and 14 deaths. Vaccination is generally recommended for all travelers. A valid vaccination against yellow fever is required for all travelers older than 1 year from infection areas upon entry. In practice, vaccination is sometimes required for all travelers, especially those arriving outside the international airport.

Malaria was responsible for 20% of hospitalizations and 25% of hospital deathsin Angola in 1998. The transmission takes place through the bite of blood-sucking nocturnal Anopheles mosquitoes. If left untreated, especially the dangerous malaria tropica, is often fatal in non-immune Europeans. The disease can break out weeks to months after your stay. If a fever occurs during this time, an indication of the stay in a malaria area to the treating doctor is necessary. There is a high risk year-round across the country.

Chemoprophylaxis is therefore regularly recommended. Various prescription medications (e.g. malarone, doxycycline, Lariam) are available on the market for malaria prophylaxis. The selection and personal adaptation as well as side effects or intolerance to other medications should be discussed with a tropical medicine / travel medicine before taking them.

Therefore, it is recommended to all travelers

  • wear body-covering clothing (long pants, long shirts),
  • Repeatedly apply insect repellent to all free areas of the body and wear light clothing, especially in the evening and at night
  • to sleep under a mosquito net

HIV / AIDS:Through heterosexual and homosexual contacts and when using drugs (dirty syringes or cannulas) there is always a risk of a life-threatening HIV /AIDSinfection.

Reliable HIV / AIDS data are not available for Angola. UNAIDS estimates the number of patients with HIV / AIDS in 2005 at 320,000. In 2004, 2.8% of women in prenatal outpatient clinics and in 2001 33.3% of urban prostitutes were HIV positive. Between four and twelve percent of the population as a whole are estimated to be HIV-positive. The HIV prevalence is currently lower than in other countries in the SADC region. However, the risk must be taken seriously. Condom use is always recommended, especially for casual acquaintances.

Diarrhea and cholera: As one of the poorest developing countries,Angola has numerous disease risks and an inadequate medical infrastructure. The sanitary conditions favor diseases that are transmitted by contaminated drinking water or food.

In 2006, the largest cholera epidemic in Angola’s history was reported. By the end of September 2006, approximately 56,600 illnesses with approximately 2,314 deaths had been registered. Approx. a third of those affected are children under the age of 5. The capital Luanda and the province of Benguela are particularly affected, but also 16 of the 18 other provinces of Angola.

Appropriate food and drinking water hygiene can prevent most diarrheal diseases. A few basic rules: Drink only water of safe origin, e.g. bottled water, never tap water. Use filtered, disinfected or boiled water in an emergency. Only use drinking water for washing dishes and brushing your teeth. The following applies to food: cooking, peeling or disinfecting. Be sure to keep flies away from your food. Wash your hands with soap as often as possible, but always after bowel movements and always before food preparation and before eating. Disinfect hands where appropriate, use disposable towels.

If the risk is particularly high, swallowing cholera can also be considered.

Other infectious diseases: The risk of transmission of schistosomiasis (schistosomiasis) exists when bathing in fresh water throughout the country.

Poliomyelitis (poliomyelitis): In 1999, the largest polio outbreak in history occurred in Luanda and Benguela with 1,013 cases and 113 deaths. In 2005 there were 10 diseases confirmed by laboratory medicine.

Marburg virus: In 2004/2005, a large outbreak of a virus-hemorrhagic fever occurred in the Uige province, from which 374 people fell ill by August 2005, of which 88% (329) died.

Sleeping sickness: The disease is transmitted in 12 of the 18 provinces by diurnal Tse-Tse flies. There is a risk in the northern provinces of Bengo, Kwanza north and Kwanza south, Luanda, Malange, Uige, and Zaire and since 2003 also in the southern provinces of Kunene, Huambo, Namibe and Huila. Infection is difficult to treat and protection from painful stings is the most important preventive measure.

Medical care: Outside the capital Luanda and some provincial capitals, general medical care is still very poor, and it is scarce in many rural areas of Angola. However, in Luanda there are some better equipped private clinics and also qualified doctors. All diseases that are more common in Angola can be treated there without any problems, albeit at high prices. In any case, necessary medicines are usually available or available in Luanda, but travelers to Angola who are dependent on medications are advised to take them with them

Adequate global health insurance coverage and reliable travel return insurance are strongly recommended.

In addition to my general disclaimer, please note the following important note:

A guarantee for the correctness and completeness of the medical information as well as a liability for possible damage cannot be assumed. You stay responsible for your healthy.

Transportation in Angola

Airplane: the national airline TAAG Angola Airlines (DT) connects all major cities. However, the aircraft are often in poor technical condition and travelers should only use them with machines used by well-known international organizations or companies. SAL Airlines, Diexim Expresso and Sonair also fly between the country’s major cities.

Many regions can only be reached by plane. International companies with business interests in the north of the country or in Cabinda own private planes.

Rail: Due to the civil war, rail traffic practically collapsed. The infrastructure is currently being restored with Chinese help. Trains run between Luanda and Dondo, between Lubango and Namib and between Huambo and Calenga.

Cars: The Angolan road network, which mostly consists of unpaved slopes, is difficult to drive, especially in the rainy season (September to April). A large part of the infrastructure was destroyed by the civil war. It is believed that at least 5,000 km of roads were destroyed in the civil war. Several important routes were mined and two thirds of the bridges were destroyed. In these circumstances, inland travel was very difficult or almost impossible. Since the end of the civil war, bridges have been rebuilt with Chinese support and particularly important routes have been restored. Nevertheless, you should inquire about mine hazards on site. An off-road vehicle is still essential for many regions. The number of Busses have increased significantly in Luanda recently. However, they drive very irregularly and the routes are difficult for travelers who are not familiar with Luanda to understand. The buses are often very crowded. Foreigners also run the risk of being robbed. Taxis are available, but expensive. Waiting times must be expected. Travelers should make sure that they are picked up at the airport upon arrival and are accompanied by local experts for the first few days. Rental cars cost around US $ 100 / day. Documents: the international driving license is accepted.

Highlights in Angola

In Luanda , the Portuguese fortress São Miguel and the Ethnographic Museum are particularly interesting. The formerly magnificent colonial buildings point to the former importance of the port city. A slavery museum about 20 km from Luanda deals with the history of the abduction of slaves from Angola and exhibits objects from this period.

A very interesting market is the Funtogo located outside of Luanda . It is known as the largest craft market in Angola. A visit on the weekend is particularly worthwhile, at this time musicians and dancers in local traditional clothing appear on the market.

Angola Landmarks

Some of the wonderful beaches of Angola can be found on the island of Massula, which is located off Luanda in the Atlantic and can be easily reached by boat. On Massula there are white sandy beaches with palm trees and excellent restaurants with Portuguese and Angolan cuisine. You can also go to the beach of Palmeirinhas. It is located about 44 kilometers south of Luanda and is particularly popular with fishermen due to the abundance of fish. Bathing is possible on, but the sometimes heavy surf and the undercurrents are dangerous.

Angolas had a diverse animal world in colonial times, but this was badly affected by the decades of civil war and is now only a shadow of the past. Attempts are currently being made to rehabilitate Kissama National Park, but this will take a long time. This national park is about 70 km south of the capital and is closed during the rainy season.

The 105 m high Kalandula waterfalls are the third highest waterfalls in Africa. They offer an impressive spectacle, especially after the rainy season to the highest water level. The waterfall is about 85 kilometers south of the city of Malange on the Lucala River.