ANGOLA

DAY 1: departure from major Italian cities and flight with layover to Luanda

DAY 2: arrival at Luanda airport, immigration procedures, and transfer to the domestic flight terminal. Flight to Lubango and arrival in the late afternoon in the south of the country. Meeting with the local team and transfer to the lodge. Dinner and overnight stay at the lodge in Lubango

Morning: visit to Cristo Rei overlooking the city from above and excursion to the spectacular Tundavala Gap, which opens onto the Namib Desert. Continue west along the famous winding road of Serra da Leba, one of the most scenic mountain passes in the entire African continent, offering unforgettable views over the valley below

Afternoon: encounter with the Mucubal tribe, a Bantu-speaking people of likely Kenyan origin, related to the Maasai. A semi-nomadic pastoral community, the Mucubal live by raising livestock and practicing subsistence agriculture. The women are easily recognized by their distinctive traditional “Ompota” headdress, a wicker structure decorated with cow tails, buttons, shells, zippers, and colorful beads, symbol of beauty and cultural identity

Evening: arrival in Namibe in the evening, dinner and overnight stay in the town

Morning: from this day onward, we leave behind the comfort of a room in favor of the excitement of nights in tents: the true adventure in southern Angola begins! Approach to the coast to reach Baía dos Tigres, leaving behind rocky formations and low mountains. Here the landscape becomes more typically desert-like, where a series of magnificent sand dunes seem to stretch endlessly toward the sea. Visit to the wreck of the Vanessa, now swallowed by the desert sands

Afternoon: lunch stop and, if sea conditions allow, boat excursion to Ilha dos Tigres and the ghost village of São Martinho, once a thriving fishing settlement

Evening: dinner and overnight stay in tents at Baía dos Tigres

Morning: wake-up, breakfast, and departure towards the mouth of the Cunene River, which marks the natural border between Angola and Namibia. Here, there is the opportunity to observe seals, flamingos, and pelicans

Afternoon: lunch and continuation of the journey, gradually moving away from the coast, with mountain zebras, ostriches, springboks, and oryxes appearing in the background. Arrival at Espinheira and setup of the camp for the night

Evening: dinner and overnight stay in tents

Morning and afternoon: long 4×4 transfer to Namibe through breathtaking landscapes that slowly change before the traveler’s eyes. From desert expanses touching the Atlantic Ocean to savannahs dotted with acacias and baobabs, the route offers unique views of the wildest and most authentic Angola. Along the way, photographic stops and moments of relaxation immersed in the silence of these still untouched places.

Evening: dinner and overnight stay in Namibe

Morning: wake up, breakfast, and departure from Namibe to reach the spectacular red Colinas Canyon.

Afternoon: continuation along desert tracks to the scenic Lagoa dos Arcos, an oasis made up of three lakes where natural rock arches stand out. Here the journey enters Iona National Park, which includes the northern part of the Namib Desert, considered one of the oldest deserts in the world, if not the oldest.

Evening: dinner and overnight stay in Lubango.

Two days and two nights camping in the deep south of Angola, near the border with Namibia, in the area of the villages of Moimba and Oncocua, for encounters with several local tribes including the Himba, a semi-nomadic people who have lived for centuries in this region of Angola and northern Namibia, known for their distinctive body paint in ochre and red tones and for the intricate jewellery with which they adorn their bodies. Meeting with the Vatwa hunter-gatherer community, followed by an encounter with the Muhacahona tribe, who, resistant to change, still live and dress in a highly traditional way, focusing on subsistence agriculture and livestock farming. The women’s hairstyles are created using a mixture of cow dung, fat, and herbs, and visit to the Oncocua market.

Morning: morning departure towards the town of Humbe, where the Humbia tribe resides, part of the larger Herero ethnic group. The Humbia are known for their traditional clothing inspired by German colonial style and for the elaborate hairstyles of the women, a symbol of elegance and social status. During the visit, it will be possible to closely experience their daily life, pastoral habits, and deep connection to the land.

Return to the city of Lubango afterwards.

Evening: dinner and overnight stay in Lubango

Morning and afternoon: meeting with the Mumuila tribe, known for their strong cultural traditions and distinctive aesthetic sense, reflected in their unique hairstyles, traditional clothing, and the way they decorate their bodies with ornaments. Afterwards, visit to the colorful local market and the town of Chibia, characterized by its Portuguese colonial buildings, followed by return to Lubango airport for the domestic flight to Luanda.

Evening: dinner and overnight stay in Luanda

DAY 12: early morning departure from Luanda to the Kalandula Falls, the second largest in Africa after Victoria Falls. Along the way, stop at the Ndatalando Botanical Garden. Continue the journey to the Punda Adongo viewpoint. Arrival at Kalandula Falls and check-in at the pousada.

DAY 13: morning dedicated to observing the spectacular Kalandula Falls from different viewpoints accessible via short hikes. Return to Luanda in the afternoon, hotel check-in and last night in Angola.