Day 1 - Luanda
Arrive in Luanda and transfer to the hotel. After time to check in and freshen up, begin exploring the key sights of the city, with impressive old colonial buildings, bustling markets and the Forteleza de Sao Miguel. Overnight tourist class hotel.
Day 2 - Lubango
Transfer to the airport and fly to Lubango, the main city in southern Angola. Set in a lush valley guarded by a statue of Christ, Lubango is rich in colonial heritage mixed with the vibrancy of local culture. We explore the city on foot and by vehicle. Overnight tourist class hotel. (BD)
Day 3 - Chibia
Drive to the town of Chibia and explore its old colonial centre. Chibia is a centre for the Muila people, known for their incredible body decorations, and this afternoon we head out to one of their communities to spend the night. Overnight camping. (BLD)
Day 4 - Garganta - Cangolo
Returning first to Lubango we have some time to explore its colonial centre before heading to the desert region of Namibe. In the abandoned Portuguese hamlet of Garganta we meet the Nguendelengo people, who live by hunting, gathering and rearing livestock. We then head to Cangolo to meet the Mucubal people. The Mucabal are semi-nomadic pastoralists with many fascinating customs, including the practice of teeth sharpening. We camp next to the village. (BLD)
Day 5 - Namibe
Drive through the desert towards the Atlantic Coast, to the city of Namibe. After lunch explore the town with its fading colonial architecture. Overnight tourist class hotel. (BLD)
Day 6 - Tchitundu Hulo - Capolopo
Drive towards Virei, stopping en route to see the prehistoric weltwishcia plants. After lunch visit Tchitundo Hulo to discover a vast collection of prehistoric rock art, with paintings of animals, plants and men - possibly up to 20,000 years old, but no-one really knows. These were made by some of Angola's earliest inhabitants, and we spend the night with their descendants, the Mucuis, near the rocks. Overnight camping. (BLD)
Day 7 - Iona National Park
We head for Angola's largest protected area, stopping at Pediva, an oasis in the desert with the ruins of an old elephant hunter's lodge. Once a paradise for wildlife, Iona suffered badly under the civil war and the huge populations which were found here no longer exist. However we hope to see species such as oryx, zebras and ostriches as we cross through the savannah and deep into the heart of the Angolan bush. Overnight camping. (BLD)
Day 8 - Oncocua
Drive through wild landscapes to the small town of Oncocua, a former Portuguese settlement in the middle of a cultural 'island', inhabited by three different ethnic groups - the Himba, the Mucawana and the Mutua. We spend time visiting these communities and learning about their culture. Overnight camping. (BLD)
Day 9 - Cahama - Xangongo
Drive into the territory of the Mudimba people, to gain more of an insight into the rich cultures of southern Angola. From here we head to Cahama where we can see the remains of tanks and other military vehicles abandoned during the war. Here we also meet the Mugambue people, quite different to the people we have met before, and whose women wear thick and elaborate necklaces. Continue to the town of Xangongo for the night, on the shores of the Cunene River. Overnight camping. (BLD)
Day 10 - Lubango - Luanda
Drive back to Lubango, and fly to Luanda. Overnight tourist class hotel. (B)
Day 11 - Luanda
Visit Santiago Beach to see the numerous shipwrecks in the bay, then continue to the Mirador de Lua, with its impressive rock formations. Finally return to Luanda and transfer to the airport for your onward flight. (B)
