Car Rental in Angola

10:08 AM nero

Angola is booming and car rental at the Luanda Airport provides a perfect means to see much of the city together with other attractions in Angola. There are several car rental companies operating out of the Luanda Airport including Avis, Sixt, Enterprise, EuropeCar, EasyTerra and much more. Apart from the Airport in Luanda, car hire in Angola is also available in the main Luanda city centre together with other cities in Angola such as Huambo, Benguela, Lobito, Lubango, Namibe, Kuito and Menongue. 

Avis Car Rental Luanda
Avis Rent a Car Angola branch is available at the Luanda International Airport in Luanda. In addition to the rental services for very quality cars of every model, Avis also provides additional frills such as Avis Preferred Services which comes with several special services and discounts. There is a range of rental cars available at the Avis Rent a Car Luanda Airport counter ranging from economy to luxury cars. Fuel  is relatively cheap retailing at $0.75 per liter. For information on whether the Avis cars can be driven across the order to Namibia, Botswana or Zambia, contact the local Avis Rent a Car offices in Angola. Avis Angola Contact: +244 222 321551 . The Avis counters at the Luanda International Airport are open from Mon to Sat from 0630 to 2030.
Avis Rent a Car Angola


EuropeCar Car Rental in Luanda
EuropeCar car hire in Angola services is available at six locations in the country. You can rent EuropeCar at the Luanda Hotel Alvalade, the Luanda Hotel Tropico, the International Airport, the Luanda Rianha Ginga, Polo Automovel Talatona Station, TDA Coquieros Workshop Station and Vauco Mayo Workshop Station. For information on EuropeCar Car Rental at the Luanda International Airport, check out the  website. You can make savings of up to 25% by booking online.

Hertz Car Rental in Angola
The world’s largest car hire company also provides car hire in Angola. The Hertz Car Rental Angola service is available at the Rua da Missao in Luanda.You can enjoy special discounts by booking Hertz Car Hire in Angola online.

Sixt Car Rental in Angola
Sixt provides car hire services in Angola. Sixt Car Hire Luanda services are available at two locations in the Angolan capital: the Luanda International Airport and the Luanda Hotel de Convencoes. Make a call or email Sixt. Additional information is also available on the Sixt website. The Sixt Express Card services are available here together with 24h services and after hours return.


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Travel Guide to Luanda in Angola

5:50 AM nero

It is sometimes called the Future Monaco of Africa or the Future Dubai of Africa. The Angolans call it Africa’s Manhattan. These names reflect the fair degree of optimism that people have in the Angolan future as the petrodollars are quickly transforming the skyscrapers, the beaches, the real estate and pretty much everything that you can think of. While the security could still be an issue, the Angolan government takes security matters quite seriously. A few years ago, thousands of West Africans (mostly Nigerians) and Lebanese in Luanda were deported for engaging in petty crime. With so much to see in this booming economy, many might be interested in the Angolan Travel 101. So what you should you take note if you are planning to travel to Luanda?

VISA
This is the hard part. You must have an invitation from someone inside Angola. This could be a friend, your organization or company. Fortress Angola has the most stringent border policy in Africa and people don’t just walk into the country like in East African countries, West African countries or even South Africa. There are cases of people who have waited for months and have still been denied VISAs.  If you are a tourist, the luckiest you can get is a 5 day or 15 day transit VISA that allows to get into the country stay briefly. The Angolan government is enforcing this policy as it fears there will be an influx of immigrants from other countries who might take jobs away from the locals. The best place to get an Angolan Visa is at a nearest Angolan embassy or consulate in your country.

Airlines to Angola
The Angolan capital Luanda is served by numerous airlines including Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, TAAG Angola Airlines, South African Airways, British Airways, Emirates, Brussels Airlines, Lufthansa, TAP Portugal and Iberia. The Angolan Airline Sonair owned by the giant Angolan oil company Sonangol provides express services between Houston and Luanda mainly for oil executives while also serving various domestic routes.

Yellow Fever Certificate
This is mandatory. Without a yellow fever certificate, you will face a lot of difficulty getting past the immigration officials.

Getting Around Luanda
You can get around Luanda in public service vehicles (Candongueiros). There is a fleet of new buses that you can use to get around the city. You may also get around the city in personal cars or through car rental services (Next post on Angola will cover car rental services in the city). While the Angolan roads have undergone renovation in recent years, the traffic in Luanda can be painful. Parking can also be a problem in Luanda. This is a city that was planned for half a million people and now has some 5 million people or 25% of the Angolan population.

Accommodation in Luanda
Accommodation is another of Luanda’s pitfalls. Remember that this is the second most expensive city in the world after Tokyo. A decent hotel will likely set you back some $400 to $600 per night. It is important to make reservation in advance as the hotels are mostly fully booked by various visitors and executives.

Dining in Luanda
Another of Luanda’s main disadvantages is the cost of food. Angola imports almost everything. With such a consumer based economy, prices of common consumer items have skyrocketed. For example, a 500ml soda costs between $8 and $10. In Kenya, the same costs between $0.40 and $2 depending on the establishment. To illustrate further the costs of food in Luanda and  Angola in general, a regular lunch will cost you $30; in Kenya the same costs $7 on average. A great diner in Angola will set you back $70, something that costs $25 in Kenya on average.  To get by on a daily basis, you will need an average of $150 for meals.

Communicating
You need to learn some basic Portuguese if you are visiting Angola. The Portuguese influence in the country is quite extensive. Remember that Portugal had a presence in this country for almost 500 years. In restaurants, you will probably need a translator to make orders. The same applies to everything else. With some basic Portuguese, you can easily get by in Angola.

Sightseeing
There are lots of attractions in Luanda and Angola. Next posts will cover top attractions in Angola.



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Angola Boom sees Development of Africa’s Largest Airport

12:00 PM nero

There is no doubt that Angola is experiencing an unprecedented economic boom that has seen the country build some of the most sophisticated infrastructure in Sub Saharan Africa. The South West African nation has partnered with the China International Fund based in Hong Kong and other global investors in the development of cutting edge infrastructure ranging from railways, airports, a magnificent seat of government, hotels and the soon to be unveiled multi-billion dollar Luanda International Airport which will be capable of handling some 13 million passengers.

Angola is intent on taking the sheen away from South Africa in order to become the top investment destination in Africa in the coming decades.  This ambition has seen the country embark on many ambitious projects aimed at positioning the nation globally and diversifying the economy to attract future FDI.

The Angolan Social Housing Project
Early in last week, the world got a glimpse into Angola’s ambition with what was reported by international media as a “ghost city” built by the Chinese. This “ghost city”, according to BBC, is actually a mega housing project that is still under construction and will house Angola’s burgeoning middle class.  But this is just the tip of the iceberg going by the various real estate development projects lined up in the country most of which are being developed by foreign companies in partnership with the Angolan Government.

Nova Cidade do Kilamba : Housing for the burgeoning Angolan middle class

Africa’s Largest Airport
According to the Angolan Government and the China International Fund, the Luanda International Airport is being constructed to cope with increased business traffic and logistical operations in the country as a result of the economic boom. Long term goals will involve positioning the airport is alternative to OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg for routing passengers to East, Central and West Africa. The New International Airport Luanda will be the largest in Africa with a capacity 13.152 million passengers per year.  The cargo terminal building will have an area of 6200 square metres with a capacity of 35,000 tonnes per year. The airport will be completed within the next two years.
The road to the New International Airport Luanda. The Airport will be the largest in Africa

The New Luanda International Airport
Angolan National Administration Complex
The seat of the Angolan Government will certainly rival that of Washington in terms of the scale and architectural splendor.  Following the reunification of Angola in 2002 after a 26 year civil war, this magnificent seat of power will be a symbol of the country’s renewal. Below is an impression of the future Angolan seat of power already under construction. This new complex is something that has no equal in Africa and will include the Angolan Presidential Place, Parliament House, the Angolan Supreme Courts, Ministerial offices, museums and conference facilities. From the architectural models, this will certainly be one of Luanda’s greatest attractions.
The Angolan National Administration Complex

The Luanda Bay Waterfront
This is probably the most beautiful waterfront in Africa. Construction began some three years ago and today, it is one of the touristiest locations in Luanda and a major attraction for locals and tourists alike.

Luanda Bay Waterfront

Angolan VISA
As many travelers have discovered, getting an Angolan VISA is more difficult than even the US VISA. You to apply 3 months or 6 months in advance and you need an invitation from someone or company inside Angola. This can include a friend or your employer. You can only get an Angolan VISA  inside your country although it is also possible to get one in neighboring countries like South Africa or DRC. However, the effort is worth it as Angola is one of the most beautiful and dynamic nations in Africa. With beautiful landscape, beautiful African culture influenced by 1000 year old Bakongo and Lunda Empires together with a 400 year old Portuguese imprint, Angola offers something that is certainly unique in Africa. Not even East Africa’s safari’s or South Africa’s great attraction will compare to the magnificent Angola with its beautiful Atlantic city now dubbed the future Dubai of Africa or the future Monaco of Africa.



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