Angola Tourism Guide | Travel to Angola Destination | Angola Trip

Angola is situated on the West coast of Southern Africa, with Luanda as the capital. This country, which is further divided into eighteen provinces, is famous for its rich petroleum and diamond reserves, besides being credited with being the fastest growing economy in Africa. Inspite of its turbulent past arising due to freedom struggles against colonial rulers, Angola has retained its distinction of being a beautiful cultural, tourist destination. At the same time, it is attracting investments and corporates from around the world.

One will find that the people residing here have a strong mix of both African and foreign influences. The original cultural traditions followed here are that of the Bantu tribe and of the Kingdom of Kongo. Angola was in fact an important Portuguese colony since the 16th century, where the Portuguese capitalized on exporting raw materials, trading in rubber and ivory and agriculture. It is only recently in 1975 that the nation got its independence. However, Angola still has strong links with its former ruler as can be seen from the fact that the official language spoken here is Portuguese and most natives are Roman Catholics. The churches here too, bear strong Portuguese influences. At the same time, the ancient traditions have not been forgotten and are still followed. Cultural rituals marking birth, death, harvesting and hunting seasons, etc are celebrated, using ritual masks. The nation’s real literary roots lie in the oral tradition, which faded after the coming of the Portuguese. Ironically, in the 19th century the colonial rule, inspired a freedom movement, which was clearly reflected, in the country’s art and literature, continuing throughout the freedom struggle.

Nature is at its unspoiled best in this country , which ensures that tourists who want to relax and nature lovers will definitely want to keep coming back. The serene beaches, especially in the capital city of Luanda, are the creation of rivers which have deposited sediments to form small islands and bays, where the beaches are located. Benguela too has beautiful beaches such as Morena and Caotina. The local hotels and bars which play local music for tourists, help in appreciating the culture better. Africa has its place in the world for being home to huge forestlands, and woods where animals can be spotted in their natural habitats. Dense forestlands, full of exotic woods, are the natural home of gorillas in Cabinda. In the South of Zaire, one can find beautiful savannah forests, where animals can be seen on elevated plains. In a drive to save rare animals and plants from extinction, there are natural parks and reserves which have also been set up. In the province of Malange, there are two such parks, which are home to the black palanca, an animal found only in Angola. Likewise, one of the main attractions of the National Park of Quissama, which is located South of Luanda, is that it is a breeding ground for endangered sea turtles. The essence of Angola, tourists will find, essentially lies in its history, as well as in its unspoiled natural beauty.

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