Death Acre and the rest of Angola
Meet and Greet day:
Plan your itinerary to arrive in Ruacana no later than 17:00 today. Accommodation options in the Ruacana area are limited, we will confirm the evening accommodation well in advance before the tour start.
Meet Jakkals and fellow travellers at the lodge. There will be a briefing of what to expect the next couple of days. We will also exchange money for Angolan currencies, followed by a welcome dinner.
Day 01 to Day 03: 439km.
We will have an early morning departure for Ruacana border post as crossing the border can be time-consuming. From Ruacana we head in a western direction toward Oncocua. The road is challenging, and driving will be slow, if you are the 4x4 enthusiast, this is for you. This will allow time to take in the beauty of the area, which might remind you of Namibia’s Kaokoland.
On our journey towards the mouth of the Kunene River we might come across the nomadic people of this area, the Himba. The tribes move around the area and even cross the border back to Namibia depending on water and food for their animals.
We head for the Iona National Park. It covers about 15,200 km², the largest in the country. Before the independence of Angola and the Angolan Civil War, Iona was an animal paradise, rich in game. However, as is true for most Angolan national parks, illegal poaching and the destruction of infrastructure have caused considerable damage to the once rich park. The park is also known for unique flora and incredible rock formations.
Iona is Angola’s oldest and largest national park; it was proclaimed as a reserve in 1937 and upgraded to a national park in 1964. We will be driving through the park to our overnight stop.
O/N Camping: Wild Camping – Hangumbi River – Jheke River – Upper Kunene River.
Day 04: 245km.
Today we reach the mouth of the Kunene River, a spectacular view of fresh water flowing into the ocean, not to mention the birdlife in the area. We turn north, and conditions start to change dramatically as we start to encounter the muddy salt pans of the Death Acre. We will make way to Camp Relieve (This is where many vehicles were lost in the past). The tide will close us in as we set camp for the evening.
NOTE: If conditions doesn’t allow us to travel through the Acre, we will continue through the dunes, we don’t take any chances, safety first.
O/N Camping: Wild Camping – Kunene Camp Relieve.
Today we will have to time the tide correct to exit the Death Acre, which can be very tricky, 90Km where water meet the dunes leaving you with a very small area to drive on. Things can go wrong quickly here, and we must be on top of our game. Don’t worry, you are in good hand with us.
The coastal route takes us further north passing by the Vanessa Seafood an old fishing troller lying dry on the beach. The small town of Tombua, where we will hopefully find fuel again. We make way to Flamingo Lodge where we will see some of the most spectacular Welwitschia plants growing in the Flamingo River.
O/N Camping: Camping – Flamingo Lodge.
Day 06: 257km.
Making way to Namibe, founded in 1842 and until 1985 had the name of Mocamedes. Namibe has the third largest port in Angola, after Luanda and Lobito. It is also the terminus of the Namibe Railway. The town has a gigantic market where you can buy nearly anything, and we will have the opportunity to spend some time shopping here.
We head to Lubango, driving via the spectacular Leba Pass with its awesome hairpin bends and waterfalls. The road rises from the coastal plain to an altitude of over 6 000 feet in just a few kilometers.
Humpata is 20 km from Lubango. It has a strong South African connection as it was here where the Dorst land Trekkers settled in 1881. The “Monumento do Christo Rei” keeps a watchful eye over the city of Lubango. The white marble statue is 30 meters high and situated on a hill near the city. The statue is a smaller version of the one in Rio de Janeiro and Lisbon. We will also have an opportunity to do shopping at a local store today to stock up again on supplies.
O/N Camping: Humpata Area.
Day 07: 408km.
Lobito which dates to 1905 and owes its existence to the bay of the same name, having been chosen as the sea terminus of the Benguela Railway to the far interior. Lobito is a very modern part of Angola with accommodation, many ships and oil rigs at the harbor. The peninsula with its nightlife and variety of small restaurants makes it ideal for a stopover. Here you will get a chance to relax on the beach and enjoy the atmosphere.
We will pass through Benguela and Catumbela on our way.
O/N Camping: Beach camping at Lobito.
Dinner is for your own account and will be enjoyed at the restaurant on the beach. Here you can experience a variety of Portuguese dishes in various restaurants.
Day 08: 413km.
Working our way south via Sumbe, crossing the Keve River, we reach the forestry of Seles and Kumbira. Kumbira Forest is under government protection and serves as an educational example to the locals of how to live in harmony with the forest and not to destroy it. This is a must see. The scenery on this day is spectacular.
O/N Camping: Wild Camping – Binga Waterfalls.
Day 09: 280Km.
Easy drive following the coastal road. We will pass through towns like Sumbe, Porto Amboim, small fishing towns. You will still experience the typical desert climate of the Namib.
Our destination is just short of the “Big Angolan Apple, Luanda”.
O/N Lodging at Barra do Cuanza Lodge. Accommodation based on DBB.
Day 10:
Today we chill, enjoy gyn and tonic drinks, nice swimming pool and just recharge. For the fisherman there will be opportunity to go fishing. (Cost not included).
And if you don’t, there is always the river sundowner cruse enjoying the mighty Kwanza River late afternoon with a cold Cuca.
O/N Lodging at Barra do Cuanza Lodge. Accommodation based on DBB.
Day 11: 200km.
Today we will reach our furthest northern point in Angola, Luanda. We pay n visit to the capital city of Angola. The city is busy but interesting, its a “bucket list” thing, you can’t tour through Angola for two weeks and don’t experience Luanda, “so we are going”. We just might pop-in for a lunch at a local restaurant if time allows and shopping at a mall to stock-up.
Our stopover for the evening will be next to the busy ring road that connects Luanda Norte to Luanda South, a comfortable road making travel easy. The people we stay with have a passion for overlanding and will make for an interesting stay.
O/N Camping at Luanda - Kakuakos Camp.
Day 12: 350Km.
Today will be a long day that will take concentration. The scenery is spectacular with dense forest and Baobab forestry around us. The open street markets make for quite an interesting colorful, but busy, busy, busy.
The provincial capital and province share the name of Mélange. The province sits on the central plateau in the north of Angola, shares its borders with the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Depending on which source you check, the waterfalls on the river Lucala at Kalandula are either the second or third tallest in Africa. Irrespective of its ranking, at 105m high and about 400m wide they are spectacular and well worth the effort to visit them.
O/N Camping: Wild Camping – Kalandula Falls.
Day 13: 140Km.
The colossal blocks of stone that make up Pungo Andongo (Pedras Negra), cover a rectangular area of about 12km x 6km and many of them rise 200m above the surrounding flat savanna.
Geologically, the rocks are a mystery, they are hard sedimentary conglomerates but are out of character with the surrounding topography. The growth of moss and algae cause them to change colour during the season. Sundowners go down well here. We will also have an opportunity to do shopping at a local store today to stock up again on supplies.
O/N Camping: Wild Camping – Pedras Negra.
Day 14: 138Km.
We are making our way into the old coffee plantations route today. We will travel through the fields where thousands previously worked for minimum wage before Independence. Coffee is one of Angola’s most important agricultural products. Prior to independence in 1975, coffee production in Angola reached about 230 000 tons per year, making Angola the fourth largest coffee-producing nation in the world. We wonder deep into the forest on an old two spoor track.
Note: if the track is to wet, we will have to change course for the day.
O/N Camping: Wild Camping – Kabuta Coffee Farm.
Day 15: 439Km.
Today is a long day passing through the city of Huambo, which is the second largest city in Angola and was formerly known as Nova Lisboa. This is a travel day, and our heading is Chinguar, leading us through a mountain pass and retiring on the highlands of Huambo. The scenery makes up for the day.
O/N Camping: Wild Camping - Chinguar.
Day 16: 320Km.
Today our destination is Menonque, the capital of the Cuando-Cubango province where you can still see the remnants of the buildings that were affected by the war. The Kuebe River cascades through the city center in full force. We will stay here for two nights.
Day 17: 378Km.
The battle of Cuito Cuanavale and the Cuban intervention in Angola is one of the turning points in Southern African History. It led to the movement of powerful Cuban armed force, into the west, towards the Namibian border. The fighting in the southwestern part of Angola led to the withdrawal of the South African, ANC and Cuban presence in Angola, and to the Independence of Namibia.
The battle of Cuito Cuanavale is, however, a contentious issue, widely discussed and debated by ordinary people, participants and historians. Depending on where you stand, Cuito Cuanavale is described as the war that no-one won. We spend the day visiting the war museum.
O/N Camping: Menonque.
Day 18 & 19: Making way to Namibia. 560km
Today we turn back and head for Namibia, the road is slow, and we follow the Cubango river all the way to the Namibian border. We won’t make the border today and plan to sleepover between somewhere and nowhere.
O/N Wild Camping: Cubango View.
The next day we should reach the Namibian border round midday, but this is not guaranteed. Therefore, we suggest you head for Rundu and spend the evening there at Kaisosi River Lodge, maybe a good idea for a last visit together.
O/N Accommodation and meals for your own account.
End of tour.
Tour Dates: 2026:
- 12 to 30 May
- 10 to 28 August
Our Price: 2026:
- Adults: N$ 25,800.00
