Angola/Luanda

[engineoff]

May be moving out to Luanda ; first time in Africa.... I have read the previous postings on the situation and conditions but was hoping to hear the current status of the place to give me an idea of exactly what to expect. Just read some of the advice available on the web and it doesn't sound like the nicest place in the world to be based...

[Gunship]

Haven't bin there for quite a while engineoff but i am sure the SA's and other there can help you a lot.

Search (on the search page) for Angola - you will find a lot of info as a lot has been said in the past year ...

Ohand GOOD LUCK you will need it to make the place a good one ... if it is not change it to a good one ;)

Brgds,

Gunnsss

[international hog driver]

Depending where you are living you will get to know these places.

The South African Store, Intermarket, Miami, Caribbe, The Vietnamese, Rialto, Bihia, Pub Royal, The Blue Bar, Palos and many more.

The place is expensive to live as an expat, and you will go postal depending on your tour length.

It is warm all year round, traffic is like driving in Paris with far less common sense. There is an active hash, beggers galore, some say personal security is worse now than when during the war.

There is a new band of seriously armed "Blue Cops" on the streets now, haven't seen the ninja's in a while.

Enjoy. ;) :E

[Gunship]

:ok: Told you, you will get good reliable information from felllow PPRUNERS .. like the Pubs ... :E

[engineoff]

Always useful to know about the pubs! Sound like it might be fun for a while anyway... Just got to sort out the wretched visas now. Administration nightmare!!!

[Gunship]

Engine Off seeing that it is your first African trip, please be aware of your inocculations ? Spelling ?

A Missing Yellow Card is worst than a missing passport.

Seriously for your own well - being please make sure your inocculations against Yelllow Fever / Hepetatis A and B, and so on are all up to date. If you need more help - ask I will grab the old passport and give you the exact one's needed for yourself / for corrupt African officials.

Do a search on malaria - many great discussions has been discussed on the Africa forum.

Good luck - and ENJOY - we all love it - that's why we are still here ! :8

http://www.iol.co.za/data/picdb/f/1/picdb3ea3ce294efd1

[soares]

Where are you going to work while in Luanda? I have family and friends there......



Soares

[engineoff]

Presume it's operated out of the airport... Living in Luanda. Offshore heli.... Constantly discovering more!!

[Islander Jock]

I just returned from a 2 month stint there working in the safety training area.

In addition to what International HogDriver said, you will also get to know a nice little place called Masulu (spelling?) it's about 15 mins south of city depending on traffic plus a 10 minute boat ride. Great place to relax and forget the hassles occuring back in town. I believe 8th floor of Meridian Hotel on a Wednesday night is also a good expat RV - it may be one of the bars IHD already mentioned.

I had a swag of innoculations to go there and as per Gunship's post, make sure you have your yellow card. Strongly advise you to acquire some individual Malaria test kits to take in with you. I had a test done locally for 200 kwanza ($3US)which proved positive but I was a bit sceptical as I had no symptoms. When I went to J'burg on my way home I bought a test kit and it came up negative. I suspected they gave me a positive result in Angola just to flog me the anti malarial drugs.

If you find work and are having a work visa processed, make sure you keep on their back. Passport office there had mine for 4 weeks and after making me miss my first flight out promised it would be ready that afternoon. 2 days later with less than 3 hours before the flight I finally get the passport back still with no work visa. Oh well $240USD later and I'm through immigration and outa there. The one important word you perhaps need to know is Gazouzas. That is the money that you pay to make any problems go away... the bigger the problem... the bigger the gazouza.


engineoff,

Drop me a pvt email... I've been doing a bit of work around Sonair and like to keep in touch with any expat pilots I meet over there.

[warp factor]

You can always send a viking raiding party to the British
Embassy club if it,s still there or take a stack of beers down
to ilha and watch the girls on the beach,trade some cokes
for a bucket of prawns... havn,t been since the war ended.:D

[411A]

Whats a good hotel for crew slip in Luanda?
Don't want to be chintzy, only the best will do....:E

Some of our guys are not the adventurious type.....:sad:

[Chuck Ellsworth]

What really amused me was Angola was the only African country that required that I provide a police clearance to prove I was not a crimminal before they issued me a visa.... :D

Amazing simply amazing. I have often wondered had I been a crimminal would they have offered me citizenship. :D

Be careful in Luanda, very careful.

Chuck

[Islander Jock]

I have often wondered had I been a crimminal would they have offered me citizenship.

Yes and probably a senior position in government.

411A,
Tropico Hotel seems to be quite popular.

Warp factor,
Not sure about trading the prawns for a few cokes. These days the locals only want the greenbacks and they must be the new type with the big heads. Apparently they have a thing about the small pictures on the older notes.

[international hog driver]

411
Tropico is probably the place to stay, there is a newish place where BA crews stay that is closer to the airport but I cant remember the name.

IJ is right about $ if you bring US cash it has to be with the Big Head on the bills and the bigger the note the better.
I found the hard way that even the banks won’t change cash with the small head
:{

[126,7]

Just remember: big heads on the notes, but in small denominations. Do not expect to get rid of a US$100 bill. You have to really beg the bank to change that one for smaller ones. I've always used 10s and 20s. They are sometimes even sceptical of the 50 notes!!?

[engineoff]

Thanks for all the info..... Slightly different query. Anyone got any suggestions for good foreign banks??? Payment is in $US and HSBC who I was looking at seems to have no end of charges for this that and the other... Ideally be nice to have a bank where I can draw $ in the UK without paying through the nose.......

[Islander Jock]

Engineoff,
I'm just going through this process back there at the moment. Have opened a Honkers and Shankers account but still trying to figure the best way to get the dosh out of the country. Be aware the local b@stards will debit your account and hold the cash for a week or more before they get off their lazy, corrupt backsides and effect the transfer. Not sure of any foreigh bank branches there but will check it out and let you know.

[flyboy6876]

Talking currency, it's probably also a good thing to look for "newer" dollars, say from 95 onwards as many places are chintzy about taking older currency. I came back with a swathe of dollars I could'nt change in Uganda because it was "too old".

[Jelly Doughnut]

The new hotel is probably the Alvalade, a few km from the airport, very new and with a nice pool/gym which is "open" to non-guests - walk in and pretend to know where you're going - first floor on the right!!
It is possible to have a US$ bank account in Luanda, and also to draw the $$$ in cash. Can't remember which bank we used to use but will find out.
Bring a sense of humour with you, and good luck!
JD

[the coyote]

engineoff, check your PM's.