Angola climate
Hot, humid and tropical in the north and arid desert in the south. Angola's rainy months last from October to April and the weather gets drier and cooler from May to September.
When to fly to Angola
Peak Season:
The North has a cooler, dry season (cacimbo) from May to September. The mornings are usually misty during the dry season.
The dry season lasts for longer in the south, normally from March to October.
The coolest months to visit are July and August, though this can be too cold at higher altitudes far from the equator. Frost can sometimes form at high altitudes.
Off Season:
The hot, rainy season in the North lasts for nearly seven months most years, starting in September and continuing to April is the hot. However, it tends to be cooler along the coast, and less rain falls.
In the South, the rainy season begins later in November and lasts until February.
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Angola insider information
- Luanda, the coastal capital of the country, is undergoing a serious period of renovation. Many buildings are being restored in the downtown area and given a lick of fresh paint. As a result, the city is once again starting to appeal to tourists as a destination in its own right, as well as simply the point of disembarkation from a flight to Angola. Many of the buildings are built in a Portuguese colonial style. Take a walk or drive through the streets to see the Central Bank, the Post Office building and the main church. The most peaceful time to see the city is early on Sunday morning.
- Near to Luanda is Ilha do Mussolo – a small island protected from the Atlantic. The beaches are relatively peaceful, and you’re sure to find a good spot of white sand on which to while away a day.
- Parque Nacional da Kissama, also called Quicama, is the only nature reserve in the country and an unusual one as all of its animals were air-lifted in from surrounding countries. Originally founded as a game reserve in 1938, it was declared a natural reserve in the late 1950s, but poaching subsequently all but depleted its stock of animals. In 2001 elephants were flown in from South Africa and since then the park has prospered. The park is just south of Luanda.
- Be prepared before travelling to Angola – the country is far from a developed tourist destination. Years of unrest have created havoc, from which it is emerging. But if you want to see the “real” Africa, meet locals instead of hundreds of other backpackers and experience an African style of life, this is the place to come. Just don’t expect an easy ride…
- It’s important to learn some Portuguese before you go. English is only spoken in a few places.