1.Serra da Leba, in Lubango
Serra da Leba is a mountain range in the province of Huila, in Angola.
Located near the city of Lubango, Serra da Leba is famous for its altitude, for its beauty and also for the Serra da Leba pass.
Serra da Leba pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1845m above the sea level, located in the province of Huíla, in Angola. The road to reach the summit, a sharply winding and precipitous ascent in a steep and narrow zig-zag road, is a marvel of engineering given the era of its construction.
The surface of the road is asphalted, and chains or snow tyres can be required throughout the year.
The drive is definitely worth it. Legend has it that the Serra da Leba pass is named after a Portuguese woman who designed and built the road, who died after she viewed it on the very day the project was finished. Being one of the country's postcard images for decades, the road is a marvel of engineering given the era of its construction. In spite of its beauty, the road offers little guard-rail protection and has been the venue of many road fatalities; thus bearing the long assigned name 'the beautiful precipice'.
2. Morro do Moco (Mount Moco):
located on Angola’s vast plateau region. Wikipedia reliably informs me that it stands proud at 2640m above sea level which would make it about as high as your top ski lift in an average Alpine resort… Not exactly breaking any records then, but certainly a better effort then England’s most elevated peak.
The mountain is difficult to get to, tricky to identify, sacred to the local population and has no discernable tracks leading to its summit in an area that is strewn with lost minefields and unexploded ordinance… What better way to spend a weekend than an attempt on the summit! In all fairness, things are always easier than they sound in Angola, despite what people may tell you.
Naturally, a healthy dose of positivity is needed when attempting any new adventure in the depths of this fascinating country, but rarely do things end up getting too pear-shaped so long as you abide by a few standard rules:
1. Respect the weather
2. Respect the mines
3. Respect the local population
With these basic principles in mind, a lot can be achieved anywhere in Angola.
3. As quedas de Kalandula ( The kalandula waterfalls):
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 ranking, at 105m high and about 400m wide they are spectacular and well worth making the effort to visit them. For best effect, try to visit during the rainy season from September to April (the rains are heaviest between November and January). Until recently the closest place to stay was Malanje, some 85km to the east, but a hotel has now opened in the nearby town of Kalandula. If travelling by taxi from Malanje, allow one hour to reach the falls. Expect to pay around 5,000AOA. There is a small aerodrome close by but it is not served by scheduled flights.
The falls are reasonably well signed in both directions from the main N’dalatando to Malanje road, but look out for the colonial name of ‘Duque de Bragança’ rather than Kalandula on the broken white signposts. Ignore the signs for the pousada (hotel) as it is derelict and the access bridge has been destroyed. The drive across the green and undulating countryside is depressing as the road passes through many settlements that were destroyed in the war. Heavy fighting broke out here in 1984 and Kalandula was occupied by UNITA several times and for long periods. Most of the town’s infrastructure was destroyed and the majority of the municipality’s population moved to the relative safety of Malanje, Cacuso and Luanda. Driving through the town of Kalandula is particularly sad with its bombed-out cinema, houses and shops.
4.Tunda-Vala
Tunda-Vala (also known as Tundavala) is a breathtaking gorge cut out of the Chela Escarpment looking towards the town of Bibala in the north, and Lubango’s second must-see. Again, there’s no public transport so you’ll need to arrange an informal taxi to get you there. If you have your own car, getting to Tunda-Vala is easy; it’ll take about three hours for a round trip and you can do it in a normal car if driven carefully and if in the dry season. Tunda-Vala is about 17km northwest of the centre of town and you’ll need to leave Lubango on the main road passing the Grande Hotel on your left heading up the gentle hill out of town towards Namibe. About 3.5km after the hotel, Tunda-Vala is signed to the right on a good tarmac road which passes first the N’gola brewery (5km after the turning) and then the Coca-Cola bottling plant 1km further on. Stop for the freshest and cheapest draught beer (40AOA a glass) in Angola at the modest Pérola do Sul bar on the left-hand side of the road between the two bottling plants. 
The road continues and as it ascends, the tarmac disappears and the surface turns first into a gravel road then a dirt track, eventually opening up onto a wide high plain with a moonscape of weird-shaped rocks, many of which have been stacked precariously on top of each other by nature. Tunda-Vala is at the end of this track. A concrete viewing platform has been built at the point where a deep ravine slices into the edge of the vertical cliff. At the bottom of the cliff some 1,000m below is a wide green plateau punctuated with odd-shaped hills that stretches to the sea over 130km away at Namibe. To get a feel for the height of the cliff, toss a stone over the edge and count until it hits the bottom – usually about eight seconds. Here, above the clouds, the air is clear and you may see the occasional eagle and monkey.
5.Pungo Andongo
Further to the east is a second group of rocks called Pedras Guingas. Many of the rocks have been described as looking like animals but at least one looks like an enormous circumcised phallus. Geologically, the rocks are a mystery: they are hard sedimentary conglomerates but are out of character with the surrounding topography. The growth of mosses and algae causes them to change colour during the seasons. Pungo Andongo is a place of myth and legend and served as capital of the Kingdom of Ndongo. The footprints of Rei (King) Ngola Kiluanji and Rainha (Queen) Ginga are said to be embedded in the rocks. Legend has it that while the queen was taking a bath in a brook at the foot of the rocks she was seen by soldiers. As she fled she left behind her footprints. Small impressions that, with a bit of imagination, could be footprints are protected by an ugly concrete shelter and can be found a short drive away though you will need to ask a local to show you the exact spot.
6. Soyo and Congo river
Soyo sits at the extreme northwest of Angola’s mainland at the mouth of the Congo River, barely
above sea level and surrounded by waterways.
Once a sleepy stretch of villages in the low sands along the banks of the river, Soyo is now an important oil town and land reclamation is making room for the influx of oil workers. During the 16th and 17th centuries, Soyo was called Sonyo and rose to become a wealthy and important trading port serving central Africa. Trade passed through its rival M’banza Congo first, then Sonyo. Rivalry between the two towns contributed to the eventual dissolution of the kingdom.
By:
Chiminha Mariza Kintas
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