does anyone know if it's possible / advisable to cross angola nowadays?

if not, how do i get around it? shipping possibilities FROM gabon, kongo brazzaville, cabinda TO nabibia or south africa?

cheers!

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west coast to cape town
east coast to zurich

www.contrast.cx

In West Africa in May last year, I heard, from a reliable source that it was possible to take an escorted convoy from the Luanda to Namibia. You take a boat from Accra to Luanda. The situation in Angola seems to be improving last time I checked. Hope this helps. I also heard of some overlanders coming through Congo Brazzaville and Congo Zaire. Let us know if you get anywhere.

Estaban:

I would highly recommend that you avoid Angola entirely, for several reasons:

1) There are too many mines left over from the many decades of conflict there. Although it is not likely you will encounter a mine on a well travelled road, the problem is that the roads are not well maintained, and if you are forced to detour off the road surface, all bets are off. I have driven over an anti-personnel mine once in Angola, and once is enough, thanks very much. You would be badly injured if you went over one on a motorcycle, and there are no medical services available (no ambulances, no hospitals, etc.)

2) There is less conflict in Angola now (by this I mean less warfare), but, sadly, there is a great increase in general lawlessness, robbery, etc. Ten years ago, I lived and worked in Angola, and the only hazard was the warfare. I have recently been back on business, and the hazards from robbery, armed thugs, etc. are far greater than the hazards from the war ever were. Friends of mine who work there have recently been held up in broad daylight on the main street of Luanda. 10 years ago, this would have been unthinkable.

Plain and simple, take a pass on it. Even if you make it through the country without having problems with mines or violence, the logistical problems you will face - fuel, accomidation, security, parts, service, repair, etc. - will be horrendous.

hi

I tend to agree with the idea of giving Angola a miss.
I spent a year there in 1998 and things were pretty rough. True there are mines in a lot of places and most of the travelled roads had been mined at one time or other. Chances of coming across one on a well travelled road are not that likely, but it is the general banditry and lawlessness of some groups. The common people are as generous as any I have ever come across, but the context I was working in was quite different than someone travelling independantly overland with all his own possessions. I think that the areas that you would have to cross to just to get to the Namib province are extremely risky and I wouldn't chance it. The United Nations convoys were getting shot up when I was there, and I have lost friends and colleagues in vehicle ambushes. Even the airlines weren't safe.
Too bad, this is one beautiful country!

Any updates on the situation in Angola? I would love to visit there.

Humans don't judge risks very well - there is always a bias against risks that we are not familiar with, even though those risks may be far smaller that the familiar ones we willingly and regularly take. (I know people who smoke, but are scared of eating beef for fear of CJD!).

If you don't go to the "dangerous" countries, then the landmines won't get you, and the soldiers won't shoot you, and the bandits won't murder you, and the malaria won't kill you. But instead you WILL suffocate on a chicken bone, get hit by a bus, die of a stoke, or, dammit, die of old age.

Adventurers we be.

Regards,

Michael...

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http://www.expeditionoverland.com

Hi Guys,
Let's face it, being alive is dangerous for our health!
I crossed Angola in 2000 with my F650, during my cicumnavigation of Africa (down the west coast; up the east coast), and wrote a book about it (Whitehorse Press). Got my visa in Libreville, Gabon. Went south via Lambarene into Congo (Brazzaville) to Dolisie. Took train (bike in baggage car) to Pointe-Noire (an overnight fun-ride). Crossed border to Cabinda. Took boat to Luanda (2 days). Heeding advice, took another boat to Namibe (2 days), rode from Namibe via Lubango into Namibia. No problems whatsoever. There is lots of coming up from Namibia. So road is free of mines. Security no more problematic than in the US or Canada. I suggest, you go for it! This is adventure biking. Otherwise stay at home and ride on an Interstate or the Autobahn.
Regards, Werner.

hi guys! funny to receive these answere just now! i have just crossed the border between angola and namibia!

angola has been the best surprise in africa so far!!! the people are great, the officers correct and friendly and the country is just beautiful.

you can enter from noqui (DRC, close to matadi) and drive to nzeto at the coast. from there straight down to luanda.

from luanda there is quite a good road to lobito and benguela. there is a terrible road to lubango and after that its quite good again.

visa from brazzaville. 15 days, 65 dollars, 2 photos, in four days.

extention of the visa in bengula 30 days, 2 photos, 50 dollars (!), for 2 days

the border to namibia closes at 17:00 which means that you'll have to be there well before 16:00 because of the time difference in angola.

i can only recommend the trip!

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online diary and travel info from the road in africa:

www.contrast.cx/diary
www.contrast.cx/travel

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online diary and travel info from the road in africa:

west coast to cape town
east coast to zurich

www.contrast.cx

Hi Esteban,

Thanks for the update - it's good to see some really positive comment first hand.

What are your plans now? If you are still travelling for the next year or so, hopefully we will meet you somewhere on the road! We leave Europe on the African leg of a planned RTW, in April 2003. Keep your eyes open for a 6x6 Land Rover Defender with a tilt-up roof tent!

Regards,

Michael.

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Michael & Sandy
http://www.expeditionoverland.com

i expect to be around mosambique in march 2003. you can follow my trip on my website:

http://www.contrast.cx/diary

would be great to meet!

cheers,

steven

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online diary and travel info from the road in africa:

www.contrast.cx/diary
www.contrast.cx/travel

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online diary and travel info from the road in africa:

west coast to cape town
east coast to zurich

www.contrast.cx

just came back from trip SA,namibia,angola,DRC,cabinda, Congo
absolute perfect only bad roads and a few bribes but very nice people (angola) and no feeling of unsaftiness os so.
got a detailed road report, it interested just mail

regards

edgar from berlin

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www.houseboat-berlin.com

[This message has been edited by edafric (edited 25 February 2004).]

[This message has been edited by edafric (edited 25 February 2004).]

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Edgar Schmidt von Groeling
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10623 Berlin
0049-(0)30-3124511
0049-(0)171-6425172

www.houseboat-berlin.com

I am in Luanda, Angola right now, and the situation has certainly improved here in Angola over the last 2 years since the conflict ended. Lots of economic activity, lots of traffic, things are looking up. But, everything is very expensive here - makes Switzerland look cheap by comparison.

I will be getting out to some of the regional towns in the next few days (professional work, not on a moto), will try and post some more info.

Based on what I have seen in Luanda over the last few days, I don't think there would be any problems coming through this city, though you would have to keep your wits about you concerning your personal security, and anticipate very high daily expenses - far higher than Europe - for food and lodging.

PanEuropean

OK, here's the follow-up: I spent 7 days in Angola (for professional reasons) - visited Luanda, Lobito, Menongue, Huambo, Kuito.

The country is in remarkably good shape, and the major roads are open and mostly mine-free. So I suppose one could drive across the country if desired, though it would not be a romp in the park. Security levels vary. The conflict has ended, but problems with corruption and poverty have replaced the conflict as barriers to travel.

If anyone does plan to traverse Angola, don't even think of operating the motorcycle anywhere except within the ruts established by trucks and cars on the main roads only. There are hundreds of thousands of unexploded land mines still scattered everywhere, and people discover them every day, the hard way. There is virtually no health care available outside of Luanda, if you step on a mine, at best you're going to lose your leg below the knee (at worst, you'll bleed to death), because there will be no 'first world' health care available to you, and the local practice is just to identify the highest level of damage on the leg, then make the amputation there.

PanEuropean

Our group of 11 (yes, 11 in five vehicles) crossed Angola from Matadi in DRC in the north to Ondangwa in Namibia about a month ago. After getting the visa, we had fewer hassles with police and officials than in other parts of central and west africa. The roads ranged from good to awful in various parts of the country. We spent about two weeks in Angola. We didn't spend a lot of time doing touristy things, but we didn't rush it either. We saw one marked mine field near a bridge and several abandoned military vehicles. The roads we used were all travelled regularly (if in some cases infrequently). We avoided driving off the road in areas likely to be mined such as near bridges. Check out www.africaoverland.org for an account of our trip.

Witt