Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) has added an eighth destination to its growing Africa network: the first direct service to Angola from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). The flight will fly from JFK to Lusaka in Angola, flying to the capital Luanda and the capital Abidjan. Delta has been flying direct to Luano for more than a decade, most recently from JFK airport in Washington, D.C., to Nairobi.
The flight is also available for other destinations in Africa, such as Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania. It offers more than 1,000 daily flights between the US and Angola, including flights from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Lusaka, Angola's capital.
Baixa de Luanda is located next to the harbour and features narrow streets and old colonial buildings. Before setting off for Angola, take the time to leave Luanda and walk the wide avenues along the bay from Luands to Marginale, a restored colonial building that houses the National Bank of Angola.
Luanda has two museums, the Museu Central das Forcas, which houses the oldest building in the city, and the Museumu de Antropologia, which shows the history of the country and its people from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. There are also most of Angola's educational institutions, including the University of Luanda, the Luanda National College of Arts and Sciences and a number of private schools. Also in and around Luand, of which there are several museums, is the National Museum of Natural History, a museum of art and history, with a large collection of paintings.
Portuguese beer is widely consumed, Heineken and Carlsberg are emerging, and even back-yard restaurants (quintais) sell more Portuguese wine in bottles than they import from Angola. The Portuguese culture has greatly influenced Luanda as a city and in the city centre you will find a wide selection of cozido portuguesa as well as restaurants and bars. Angolan cuisine is influenced by Portuguese cuisine, especially that of the southern and eastern regions of the country, such as Porto Alegre. Enjoy some of the most popular dishes from Portugal and other African countries that have influenced Angolan cuisine.
This is the most expensive city in the world, so if you want to brag, you'll have to pay $936,000 ($018.9), which is the king of all restaurants in Luanda.
With flights to 15 Angolan cities, the city can be visited from anywhere in the world with flights to any of the 15 countries. The African city of Dakar is the second "African city" after Dakars, Senegal, after Accra, Ghana.
The city, one of Africa's fastest growing business destinations, has seen double-digit annual growth in recent years and will grow at a similar rate in the foreseeable future. This is possible because Angola has experienced an economic boom over the last decade, driven primarily by the developing oil industry. Angola has enjoyed a high growth rate, averaging more than 15% per year from 2004 to 2007, boosting the growth of its oil sector, which contributed 85% of gross domestic product. Jobs are available mainly due to a growing number of international and Angolan companies investing in Angola, as peace and stability in the country offer better prospects for development.
Angola has had a currency crisis, but rates are favourable and the dollar and euro are very welcome, especially in view of the recent depreciation of the US dollar.
Angola has changed many laws and regulations and wants to present itself as the democratic and legitimate country of the world, but the reality is that democracy in Angola is far from being felt or understood, which means appreciating the word. Angola is unaware that it is competing with other countries in the region, and its ruling political class has put its political interests first and put the bottom half million people last. If your livelihood depends on it, you are obliged to do so - and if not, you must change it.
African cities, pickpocketing and robberies are a fact, and Luanda is the top region where these crimes can occur in Angola. The colonial parts of the city are safe from violent crime, but there are certain places to avoid. Some of these places are most visited by travelers, such as the old town and the central business district.
Luanda is the terminus of the Luanda Railway, which runs from Malanje, the capital of Malansje province, to the east and reaches Kinshasa, Congo, only in 2009. In addition to the city's port facilities, it is served by the Luanda Railway, which has had its own problems with corruption and misconduct since it was built.
Luanda was founded in 1576 by Paulo Dias Novais and initially settled by the Portuguese. In 1627 it became the administrative centre of the Portuguese colony Angola and was an important outlet for the slave trade to Brazil. In the 1850s, it was Angola's largest port, together with Benguela, exporting more than half of the country's total exports of gold, silver and copper. The city was responsible for the growth of Angola's trade with the rest of South America, Africa and the Middle East, as well as for the export of oil and other raw materials to Europe until 1850.