This coastal capital city on the Bay of Bengo has some nice parks and a few hotels, but very little in the way of restaurants or nightlife. What we found to be most interesting were its colorful mosaic sidewalks. Visit the military museum (in a fort) and the National Museum of Anthropology. But Luanda's liveliest attraction is the Roque Santeiro, a sprawling outdoor market that houses some 60,000 vendors. Unfortunately, the market is also famous for its armed thieves. If Angola ever achieves peace—and gets the crime under control—shopping there should be a wonderful experience.
Just outside of town is a museum that documents the slave trade. There are beaches in town, north of town (
Santiago) and south of town (
Palmeirinhas). The town of
Dondo, southeast of Luanda, has a nice ethnographic museum.
The country's best wildlife park is Kissama (Quicama) National Park, about 45 mi/70 km south of Luanda. Look especially for elephants and antelope. Accommodations are available within the park.
