Cheap flights to Angola from £492

Angola is probably not the first destination most tourists think of when looking to go on a beach holiday, nature-exploring or on safari. The country has a troubled past and a history of civil war and, while tourism has soared in other countries in West Africa over the past decade, Angola still remains firmly off the beaten track. However, its very unpopularity is one of its biggest selling points.

Angola is blessed with a varied geography: a long coastline on the Atlantic, studded with white sand beaches; the second-largest waterfall in Africa, and great plains teeming with wildlife. Its cities were shaped by its time as a Portuguese colony, evident in their architecture. Adventurous travellers can explore it all in relative solitude, away from the mass of tourists flooding the more traditional African holiday destinations. Cheap flights to Angola are relatively easy to find, though better deals may be available flying into neighbouring Zambia or Namibia. Once there, the cost of living is minimal.

On the flight to Angola, read up on the country’s history. A ceasefire was reached in 2002, before which the country had been gripped in civil war for 27 years. Along with the subsequent growth in tourism there has been a growth in the country’s economy – its natural oil and diamond reserves helping to steer the country out of poverty caused by war.

Angola climate

Hot, humid and tropical in the north and arid desert in the south. Angola’s rainy months last from October to April and the weather gets drier and cooler from May to September.

What is good to know if travelling to Angola?

• Luanda, the coastal capital of the country, is undergoing a serious period of renovation. Many buildings are being restored in the downtown area and given a lick of fresh paint. As a result, the city is once again starting to appeal to tourists as a destination in its own right, as well as simply the point of disembarkation from a flight to Angola. Many of the buildings are built in a Portuguese colonial style. Take a walk or drive through the streets to see the Central Bank, the Post Office building and the main church. The most peaceful time to see the city is early on Sunday morning.
• Near to Luanda is Ilha do Mussolo – a small island protected from the Atlantic. The beaches are relatively peaceful, and you’re sure to find a good spot of white sand on which to while away a day.
• Parque Nacional da Kissama, also called Quicama, is the only nature reserve in the country and an unusual one as all of its animals were air-lifted in from surrounding countries. Originally founded as a game reserve in 1938, it was declared a natural reserve in the late 1950s, but poaching subsequently all but depleted its stock of animals. In 2001 elephants were flown in from South Africa and since then the park has prospered. The park is just south of Luanda.
• Be prepared before travelling to Angola – the country is far from a developed tourist destination. Years of unrest have created havoc, from which it is emerging. But if you want to see the “real” Africa, meet locals instead of hundreds of other backpackers and experience an African style of life, this is the place to come. Just don’t expect an easy ride…
• It’s important to learn some Portuguese before you go. English is only spoken in a few places.