9-Day Cultural Tour of Angola with Mwila Tribe and Namibe Desert

1

Day 01

Arrival in Luanda and Flight to Lubango

• After arriving in Luanda, you will meet the rest of the group and your tour leader (if the group has a minimum of 8 people) before taking a flight to Lubango.
• Overnight in a hotel in Lubango.

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Day 02

Lubango City Tour and Tundavala Gap

• Our first day here is dedicated to exploring the city of Lubango and its surroundings.
• It is the second most populous city in the country after the capital.
• It is famous for its picturesque landscapes, including rolling hills, valleys, and the iconic Christ the King statue that overlooks the city.
• Some of the city's highlights include the historic Lubango Train Station, the Cathedral of Lubango (Sé Catedral de São José), the Huila Regional Museum, and others.
• After a short break for lunch, we will head outside the city to the Tundavala Gap viewpoint. This geographical wonder is characterized by a dramatic escarpment that offers stunning panoramic views of the surrounding landscape.
• Upon returning to the city, we will visit the symbol of Lubango - the Christ the King Statue. The 30-meter-tall marble statue was built in 1957 and was inspired by the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is now one of the biggest statues of this kind in the world.

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Day 03

Mwila Tribe Visit and Huila Waterfalls

• We will start the day with a short drive to the village of Kimbo, where we will visit the community of the Mwila tribe. The Mwila are one of the most distinctive tribes in the region.
• They are known for their rich cultural heritage, which includes traditional practices, crafts, jewellery, and body decorations. The women, in particular, have become quite famous for their jewellery and dreads, known as noncombat.
• To create this unique hairstyle, women mix ochre or crushed red stone with cow dung, herbs, oils, and other ingredients.
• The women's hairstyles and jewellery are used for decoration and to show their status in the community.
• In the afternoon, we will visit the Huila waterfalls, where we will have some time to relax before heading back to Lubango, where we will spend the night.

4

Day 04

Serra da Leba Drive to Namibe

• Today we are heading southwest to the coastal city of Namibe.
• We will drive through the picturesque Serra da Leba mountain range and follow the famous Serra da Leba road, also known as Estrada Nacional 280 (EN280).
• It is one of the most famous hairpin roads in the world and has become a symbol of Angola. The road was opened in the 1970s and, according to legend, was named after a Portuguese woman who designed it and passed away on the day it was finished.
• We will have a short stop in one of the local villages in the region to rest and experience a bit of the local way of life before arriving in Namibe in the afternoon.
• The Namibe region is characterized by its diverse landscapes, including coastal areas, desert-like regions, and mountainous terrain, which we will have the chance to explore.

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Day 05

Namibe Desert, Arco Lake, and Camilunga Canyon

• We will start the day with some 4x4 adventures in the Namibe Desert, also known as the Namib Desert in Angola - a coastal desert located along the Atlantic Ocean. The landscape is characterized by vast dunes that reach up to 300 meters in height, rocky plains, and sparse vegetation.
• Afterwards, we will visit Arco Lake, a beautiful oasis fed by the waters of the Rio Curoca River. It gets its name from the characteristic sandstone arches.
• Unfortunately, the lake dried up a few years ago due to the lack of rain in recent years and has remained so ever since.
• However, the region is still picturesque and worth the trip. Less than 30 minutes away is one of the hidden gems of our itinerary - the picturesque Camilunga Canyon.
• In the evening, we will return to Namibe, where we will spend the night.

6

Day 06

Free Time in Namibe and Flight to Luanda

• Today you will have some free time to explore Namibe on your own before we take our flight back to Luanda.
• Overnight in a hotel in Luanda.

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Day 07

Kalandula Falls and Ndalatando Botanical Garden

• Today we have quite a long drive to reach the magnificent Kalandula Waterfalls - one of the largest waterfalls by volume in Africa and a highlight of any visit to Angola.
• We will make a short stop in the town of N'dalatando to take a walk around its beautiful botanical garden (Rosas de Porcelana). We will arrive at the waterfalls in the early afternoon and spend about an hour or two enjoying the spectacular view.
• The waterfalls have an impressive drop of approximately 105 meters (344 feet), making them taller than the famous Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River.
• The width of the falls spans around 400 meters (1,312 feet), contributing to the site's grandeur.
• A short but quite challenging and slippery road takes you to the waterfall's base to see it from a unique perspective.
• In the early evening, we are expected to arrive in Melanje, where we will spend the night.

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Day 08

Kalandula Falls, Pedras Negras, and Return to Luanda

• In the morning, we are heading to the waterfalls once again and will stop at another viewpoint to see them from the other side.
• Our next stop will be the impressive rock formation of Pedras Negras (the Black Stones).
• These hard sedimentary stones remain a geological mystery since they do not fit with the surrounding topography. The region was once the capital of the Kingdom of Ndongo - an African kingdom that existed between the 16th and 20th centuries.
• It is believed that the footprints of King Ngola Kiluanji and Queen Ginga, who lived in the 17th century and ruled that kingdom, are embedded in the rocks.
• We will arrive in Luanda in the evening.

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Day 09

Luanda City Tour and Departure

• Our last day in Angola is dedicated to exploring the capital city of Luanda.
• We will start our tour with a visit to the mausoleum of Augustinho Neto, the first President of Angola. This curious building is not only the final resting place of