Entering Angola
5 MAY 2023
Crossing the border from Republic of Congo to Angola.
I did this border crossing from Pointe-Noire heading towards Cabinda in Angola. I took a shared taxi from the market place in Pointe-Noire for 1000CFA. This took passengers through the check points to the village at the border. It was easy to find the right office and to get the exit stamp for Congo. Then its a short walk to the Angolan side and again a straight forward entry stamp issued as long as all your documents are in place. I was hassled a little with guys wanting to change money. It's worth knowing that the rates here at the border are much better than anywhere else within Angola for changing Congo CFA to Angola AOA. I wish I'd known this at the time - I got a very weak rate later in Luanda.
On the Angolan side, I got a shared minibus for 1000AOA, to Cabinda. The road is rough in parts and was wet from the rain. We passed a recent accident site, where a taxi had ended up in a pond by the road. A warning to drivers to take their time on this stretch of road. We rode along the road by the coast and entered Cabinda town. This is built on the hillside facing the coast and has a distinct Portuguese feel and character.
Cabinda
I spent the afternoon in Cabinda as I awaited the evening TAAG flight to Luanda. It's worth noting that people arrive four hours before the flight to check in and get their luggage sent through to the hold. The departure lounge opens a few hours beforehand. It's possible to walk around the airport side of town quite easily. The airport is in walking distance of the town or you can catch a blue / white stripped minibus along the road to it.
TAAG airways.
The flight to Luanda takes 1 hour. TAAG airways was perfect - all on time and friendly staff. Very quick immigration and a well organised distribution of luggage in Luanda.
Arrival in Luanda
There didn't seem to be any airport official taxis. I went with a driver offering a taxi service. He was pretty clueless about the directions to the hotel even though it was close by. He asked for directions from several people along the way - I guided him eventually using maps on my phone. A gave him 3000AOA.
I stayed at the Luanda Inn for 35,100AOA per night. Accommodation is expensive in Luanda - this was about the cheapest for a decent room in the central town area.