Tour Between Namibe Desert, Chela Mountains And Kunene River

Others

Camping equipment (except sleeping bag) and cook during camping days Drinking water All excursions according to the program All entrance fees and national park fees as per program

Transport

all transfers and trips according to the program

Accommodation

10 Overnight: Hotel in double room 3 Ü: tent

Meals

Meals: 13×F, 8×M (LB), 7×A

Guide

DIAMIR tour guide English speaking local driver-guide

Flights

Scheduled flight from/to Frankfurt to Luanda and back with Emirates or other airline in economy class Domestic flights Luanda - Catumbela, Lubango - Luanda *** All other flights are not included.

Not included:

Optional

Other activities and services are not included.

Others

meals and drinks not mentioned optional excursions gratuities personal

Insurance

Insurance is not included.

Start planning your experience

Day 1 Arrival
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Arrival

In the late evening you fly from Frankfurt to Luanda.
Day 2 Arrival In Luanda: Exploring The Ilha Do Cabo
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Arrival In Luanda: Exploring The Ilha Do Cabo

"Bem vindo em Luanda!" At midday, your DIAMIR tour guide will welcome you at the airport in the Angolan capital and assist you with the final preparations for your Angola tour (money exchange, SIM card, etc.). After freshening up in your hotel on the Ilha do Cabo, you can enjoy the afternoon on the beach promenade of the "Ilha", which boasts Copacabana flair and chic bars. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 3 Miradouro Da Lua - Museum Of Slavery - Flight To Catumbela - Lobito
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Miradouro Da Lua - Museum Of Slavery - Flight To Catumbela - Lobito

Today you drive out of Luanda and get an impression of the different realities of life in the city on the way. Affluent housing estates and musseques are sometimes just a stone’s throw away from each other. Your destination is the natural phenomenon Miradouro da Lua, a colorful erosion landscape that wind and rain have eroded into the coast over the course of time. Back from the "moon", you visit the Slavery Museum, where you immerse yourself in the bloody history of the transatlantic slave trade and the colonial conquest of Angola. In the late afternoon, you will then fly to Catumbela and reach Lobito. Lobito is famous for its Restinga headland and is the starting point of the famous Benguela Railway, which winds its way from here via Benguela and Huambo to the Congolese border. Overnight stay in a hotel. (Travel time approx. 3 hours, 140 km).
Day 4 Colonial Traces In Benguela And Catumbela
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Colonial Traces In Benguela And Catumbela

Today you will deepen your search for historical traces and, after a stop at the Rio Catumbela, you will reach Benguela - famous for its wide avenues and diverse colonial architectural ensemble. Benguela has its origins in a royal trading post that was built here in 1617. Lured by the profits of the slave trade with Brazil, merchants, mercenaries and adventurers quickly settled in the Portuguese settlement. On a city tour through the historic center, you can feel the ghosts of the past and immerse yourself in the supposedly glorious but violent times of earlier centuries at the church of Nossa Senhora do Pópulo, the old city park and the city administration. Afterwards, you can visit the Museu Nacional de Arqueologia on your own and explore the famous Praia Morena beach. In the late afternoon, you will return to Lobito. Overnight stay as on the previous day. (Travel time approx. 2 hours, 90 km).
Day 5 Drive Via Chongorói And Quilengues To Lubango
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Drive Via Chongorói And Quilengues To Lubango

Today you have a long journey to cover. Via the villages of Chongorói and Quilengues, you drive 1700 meters up into the highlands of Huíla. In the afternoon, you will reach Lubango, the provincial capital and, with 900,000 inhabitants, the second largest city in Angola. The development of Lubango is closely linked to the prohibition of the slave trade, a time when agriculture became more important in the colonies. The favorable climate of the Chela Plateau had been known to the Portuguese since the 17th century, but they only established a few small settlement posts in the interior of the country. It was not until the end of the 19th century that the plan was made to occupy the area on a large scale. In 1885, the first 222 settlers from Madeira settled and founded Sá da Bandeira (Lubango). In Lubango you can stroll through the town and then drive to your lodge. Overnight stay at the lodge. (Travel time approx. 6-7 hours, 380 km).
Day 6 Museu Regional Da Huíla - Visit To The San - Huíla Mission
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Museu Regional Da Huíla - Visit To The San - Huíla Mission

The morning begins in the center of Lubango with a visit to the regional museum of Huíla. There you will find numerous ethnographic artifacts from the provinces of Namibe, Huíla and Cunene and your tour guide will use maps to give you an introduction to the cultural diversity of the region and the days ahead. After your short ’proseminar’, you will set off for the Chomipapa hills surrounding Lubango, where a few San still live today among dominant Bantu-speaking communities. The San are the oldest inhabitants of southern Africa and today live almost exclusively in the wider Kalahari region, with the exception of a few niches. On your way back to Lubango, you will visit the mission of Huíla, the place where the Portuguese founded the ’outpost’ Alba Nova in 1769. Overnight stay as on the previous day. (Travel time approx. 2 hours, 100 km).
Day 7 Excursion To Chibia: Visit To The Mwila
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Excursion To Chibia: Visit To The Mwila

Today is dedicated entirely to exploring the settlement area of the Mwila (Mumuila), perhaps Angola’s most iconic ethnic group. From Lubango you will travel to the surrounding area of Chibia, where you will visit the market town of Mucuma and various Mwila settlements. The Mwila belong to the Nyaneka-Khumbi language family and still live largely traditionally. They grow maize, beans and yams, keep cattle, goats and sheep and only occasionally sell animals at the market in order to buy the things they need (salt, sugar, blankets, etc.). The Mwhila women in particular are famous for their impressive hairstyles and beaded jewelry. They use tree bark, butter and a paste made from red earth to form four to six compact plaits and their necklaces made from colorful glass and clay beads express their social status (puberty, marriage, etc.). Overnight stay as on the previous day. (Travel time approx. 3 hours, 140 km).
Day 8 Cahama - Visit To The Dimba - Otchinjau - Market Town Of Oncócua - Visit To The Twa
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Cahama - Visit To The Dimba - Otchinjau - Market Town Of Oncócua - Visit To The Twa

Today you set off on a three-day excursion to the Kunene Province in the south. The region is home to various Herero-speaking groups such as the Himba, Dimba, Twa and Hakaona, who cultivate the dry savannahs of the area as semi-nomadic pastoralists. The route takes you via Cahama and Otchinjau to Oncócua - on the way you will visit the Dimba, whose women are famous for their basket weaving and their round, beaded Afro hair style. Oncócua itself is an important market town where all ethnic groups meet, sell goods and exchange news. Your local expert awaits you here to introduce you to the market and the cultural cosmos before setting off with you into the surrounding countryside. You will spend the night with the Twa, an ethnic minority who dress like the Himba but do not own livestock and live more from farming, hunting and gathering. Overnight stay in a tent. (Travel time approx. 8 hours, 350 km).
Day 9 Exploration Of The Oncócua Hinterland - Visit To The Himba And Hakaona
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Exploration Of The Oncócua Hinterland - Visit To The Himba And Hakaona

After saying goodbye to your Twa hosts, you set off for the Himba, who you may know from the Namibian Kaokoveld. The Himba are predominantly pastoralists who keep fat-tailed sheep and goats, but measure their wealth in the number of cattle they have. Members of an extended family live in an onganda, a kind of circular family village with a cattle kraal and a sacred ancestral fire in the center. Himba women in particular still wear their traditional leather clothing, which they rub and care for with ochre-red Otjize paste, just like their skin and hair. In the afternoon, you will visit the Hakaona, where you will also spend the night. The Hakaona are known as the black Himba and often look after the Himba herds as a sign of social submission. Hakaona men are respected traditional doctors and the women are valued as excellent artisans. They make bracelets and anklets from cow horns, which are decorated with fine geometric patterns or animal shapes. Overnight stay in a tent. (Travel time approx. 2 hours, 80 km).
Day 10 Return To Lubango - Visit To The Gambue - Sunset At Cristo Rei
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Return To Lubango - Visit To The Gambue - Sunset At Cristo Rei

Wake up to the smell of smouldering fires and enjoy the bustling morning atmosphere in the Hakaona village. In the early morning, you make the long journey back to Lubango and visit a Gambue settlement on the way. The Gambue share many traditions with the linguistically and ethnically related Mwila and Handa and the married women are known for their massive Vilanda neck hoops. In the afternoon, you reach Lubango, where you enjoy the sunset on the city hill with the large Cristo Rei statue and the "Lubango" Hollywood lettering. The statue from 1957 is 28 m high and one of the most popular domestic tourist attractions and pilgrimage sites. As in Lisbon and Rio de Janeiro, the Cristo-Rei of Lubango spreads his arms protectively over the city and its inhabitants. Overnight stay in the lodge. (Travel time approx. 8 hours, 350 km).
Day 11 Humpata - Serra Da Leba Pass - Moçâmedes
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Humpata - Serra Da Leba Pass - Moçâmedes

Today the road descends steeply as you drive from the highlands back to the Atlantic coast. In Humpata, you follow the ox-wagon tracks of the Dorsland trekkers, South African settlers who once traveled through the Kalahari to Angola. Afterwards, a true work of engineering awaits you - the Serra de Leba Pass road, built in 1915, which bridges 800 meters of altitude in just a few kilometers with its narrow bends. At the foot of the Chela massif, the climate changes abruptly and you find yourself in a hot dry savannah and semi-desert. You rest in the small oasis of Ilha do Mungongo and then reach Moçâmedes, a pleasant harbor town with a lakeside promenade. The bay of Moçâmedes was ’discovered’ as early as 1485 by the Portuguese navigator Diego Cão. During a stroll, you can visit the ruins of the futuristic Cine Estudio Namibe and then enjoy the sunset at a beach bar. Overnight stay at the hotel. (Travel time approx. 4 hours, 240 km).
Day 12 Virei - Rock Engravings Of Tchitundo Hulo - Visit To The Kuvale
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Virei - Rock Engravings Of Tchitundo Hulo - Visit To The Kuvale

Today you penetrate deep into the dry savannah of the hinterland and enter the land of the semi-nomadic Kuvale (Mucubal). The Kuvale are cattle breeders, build temporary settlements and, especially during periods of drought, the young men have to travel long distances to find sufficient grazing land and water for their animals. Via the market town of Virei with its ancestral cemetery, the route leads to the hills of Tchitundo-Hulo, where you can explore the geometric-symbolic rock engravings of early hunter-gatherers, which are up to 20,000 years old. Please pay attention to the path and do not touch the engravings. You will spend the rest of the day and the night in a Kuvale settlement. Get to know the culture of the Kuvale in all its facets and find out how these ’artists of life’ survive in this hostile terrain. Overnight stay in a tent. (Walking time approx. 1h, 2 km; driving time approx. 2-3h, 150 km).
Day 13 Wonders Of The Namibe Desert - Tômbua - Moçâmedes
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Wonders Of The Namibe Desert - Tômbua - Moçâmedes

Today is dedicated entirely to exploring the Namibe Desert. From Tchitundo Hulo you drive via Virei into the Namibe Reserve, where you visit erosion formations such as the Colinas do Curoca and the Lagoa dos Arcos and make the acquaintance of the Methuselah of the desert, the Welwitschia mirabilis plant, which is up to 1000 years old. The Lagoa dos Arcos is a freshwater oasis in the middle of nowhere, framed by the massive sandstone arches of an eroded cliff and making for a fantastic photo opportunity. In the afternoon, continue to the fishing village of Tômbua on the Atlantic (formerly Porto Alexandre). Visit the small chapel on the cliffs, see how salt is extracted north of the town and gain an insight into the everyday life of the fishermen. Overnight stay in a hotel. (Travel time approx. 5-6 hours, 350 km).
Day 14 Visit To The Ngendelengo - Tunda-Vala Rockfall - Flight To Luanda
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Visit To The Ngendelengo - Tunda-Vala Rockfall - Flight To Luanda

Today you say "Tchau!" to the Namibe Desert and wind your way back to the highlands along the Moçâmedes railroad line. First you will visit the Ngendelengo, a small ethnic group on the slopes of the Chela Mountains. The women of the Ngendelengo are known for their chignon hairstyles and the Ngendelengo houses are reminiscent of the architectural style on Indonesian islands. The houses are built on tree trunks and have a lower room for older generations and an upper chamber for the younger ones. You have your lunch picnic at a veritable natural wonder, the Tunda-Vala crevice. The fissure at the edge of the Chela massif is 130 m wide, an incredible 1000 m deep and offers a dizzying view of the vastness of the lowlands. After you have seen your fill, continue to Lubango and fly back to Luanda. Overnight stay in a hotel. (Travel time approx. 4-5 hours, 260 km).
Day 15 Luanda - Departure
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Luanda - Departure

In the morning, you set off on a walk through the historic center of Luanda. You will visit the São Miguel de Luanda fortress and the National Museum of Anthropology. Via the Rua dos Mercadores, one of the oldest streets in the city, you will reach the Cathedral of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios and the curious Palácio de Ferro, a tropical villa from Gustave Eiffel’s workshop, which was probably originally intended to be transported to Madagascar. Unfortunately, it’s time to say goodbye in the afternoon! Your DIAMIR tour guide will see you off at Luanda International Airport.
Day 16 Arrival In Germany
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Arrival In Germany

You land in Germany in the morning.

+13

16 days tour

Between Namibe Desert, Chela Mountains And Kunene River

This tour includes:

Not included:

Start planning your experience

Itinerary of your trip Between Namibe Desert, Chela Mountains And Kunene River

Arrival

Arrival In Luanda: Exploring The Ilha Do Cabo

Miradouro Da Lua - Museum Of Slavery - Flight To Catumbela - Lobito

Colonial Traces In Benguela And Catumbela

Drive Via Chongorói And Quilengues To Lubango

Museu Regional Da Huíla - Visit To The San - Huíla Mission

Excursion To Chibia: Visit To The Mwila

Cahama - Visit To The Dimba - Otchinjau - Market Town Of Oncócua - Visit To The Twa

Exploration Of The Oncócua Hinterland - Visit To The Himba And Hakaona

Return To Lubango - Visit To The Gambue - Sunset At Cristo Rei

Humpata - Serra Da Leba Pass - Moçâmedes

Virei - Rock Engravings Of Tchitundo Hulo - Visit To The Kuvale

Wonders Of The Namibe Desert - Tômbua - Moçâmedes

Visit To The Ngendelengo - Tunda-Vala Rockfall - Flight To Luanda

Luanda - Departure

Arrival In Germany

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