Angola: Getting there & around

Direct flights are possible from Paris (Air France), London (British Airways) and Lisbon (TAP). Cheap deals can sometimes be found with Ethiopian Airlines who fly London-Luanda via Addis Ababa twice a week.

You can also fly to Luanda from Addis Ababa, Brazzaville, Harare, Johannesburg, Kinshasa and Windhoek.

By land, the only border that's officially open is with Namibia. You can enter at Santa Clara from Oshikango (Namibia) or at Calai from Rundu (Namibia). Other borders are either only open to refugees or are far too dangerous to cross.

The best air options are SAL Airlines,, Sonair, Gemini, Diexim Expresso and the national carrier TAAG; all have offices at the Luanda airport, or you can book through a travel agent.

With foreign investment, roads are gradually being rebuilt, though you'll need a 4WD to get to most places. There are a number of car-hire agencies in Luanda and other major cities. The only reliable long distance bus route is the 700km trip from Luanda to Benguela. Three different companies currently ply this route which takes nine hours and costs between US$25.00 and US$28.00 .

The few small trains are reasonable but run on limited tracks: Luanda to Dondo; Lobito to Benguela; Lobango to Namibe, and Lobango to Matala.