Things to do in Angola

Drive through riverine forests and open savannah in search of elephants, giraffes, and the rare giant sable antelope just a few hours from Luanda.

Peer down the 1,000-metre sheer drop of the Tundavala escarpment, where the Huíla Plateau fractures into a dizzying abyss overlooking the Namibe plains.

Feel the thundering spray of the 105-metre-high horseshoe cascade as the Lucala River plunges over dark basaltic cliffs, best seen during the rainy season.

Join locals on the palm-lined Avenida 4 de Fevereiro promenade at sunset, watching ships glide across the Bay of Luanda with the Fortaleza de São Miguel towering above.

Climb the thick bastions of this 16th-century Portuguese fortress to see colonial cannons, the tomb of Angola’s first president, and panoramic views over Luanda’s bay.

Gaze at eerie, wind-sculpted orange-and-ochre cliffs plunging into the Atlantic, a lunar-like landscape formed by rain erosion just south of the capital.

Ride consistent, uncrowded surf breaks at one of Angola’s best point breaks, where a long sandy spit juts into the Atlantic backed by red cliffs.

Scramble up gigantic black granite monoliths rising abruptly from the savannah, formations steeped in myths of Queen Nzinga’s kingdom.

Enter the 17th-century chapel where enslaved people were baptised before being shipped across the Atlantic, a sobering memorial on the coast north of Luanda.

Explore pastel-painted colonial-era buildings, the pink Presidential Palace and cobbled squares on the hill overlooking Luanda’s Lower City.

Walk through the deserted streets of a former fishing town swallowed by shifting sands on a remote Namib Desert island, accessible only by boat.

Paddle across a pristine freshwater lagoon fringed by papyrus and dense miombo woodland deep in Lunda Norte, watching rare birds and vervet monkeys.

Join a safari to spot the critically endangered palanca-negra, Angola’s national symbol, in the park created specifically to protect this magnificent antelope.

Examine exquisite Chokwe statuary, masks, thrones and royal regalia from the Lundas, one of Africa’s finest ethnographic collections housed in a northeastern mining town.

Savour freshly caught lobster, prawns and spicy rice at a seaside terrace on the sand-spit of Ilha do Cabo, just minutes from downtown.

Step inside a wrought-iron pavilion with intricate latticework, rumoured to be built by Gustave Eiffel, now housing a vibrant cultural space in central Luanda.

Wade out to a stranded cargo ship carcass at low tide, its rusting hull half-buried in the sand of the long, car-free Mussulo peninsula.

Navigate the breathtaking mountain road that zigzags down a sheer escarpment, framed by jagged rock outcrops and panoramic views of the Namibe desert frontier.

Climb the hilltop statue of Christ the King, reminiscent of Rio de Janeiro, and soak in sweeping vistas of Lubango city and the surrounding highlands.

Hike through lush equatorial forest to a multi-tiered cascade on the Lucola River, where the roar of water echoes through a remote corner of Angola.

Trek beneath towering hardwoods, lianas and giant ferns in one of Africa’s most intact lowland rainforests, listening for chimps and forest elephants.

Stand on the rocky overlook as the Dala River drops over a wide basalt lip into a deep, mist-filled chasm near the diamond city of Saurimo.

Abseil down the vertical quartzite wall of Tundavala with a local operator, descending into the rift for a ground-level view of this geological wonder.

Drift past mangroves, hippo pods and waterbirds as the wide Kwanza River meets the Atlantic, with stops at riverside communities and hidden beaches.

Sway to sensual Angolan kizomba rhythms under palm-thatched roofs, feet in the sand, at the lively beach clubs lining Luanda’s island spit.