An hour and a half south of the capital, across the great Kwanza river: baobab savanna and floodplain where giraffe, zebra and elephants have been brought back after the war, and a boat upriver through walls of mangrove.
Kissama (Quiçama), founded in 1957, lost most of its large animals during the civil war. From 2000, a rescue project trucked in elephants, giraffe and zebra from neighbouring countries, and the park is slowly filling again.
The gate lies on the left soon after the Kwanza bridge, about 70 km from the city. Game drives in open vehicles run through baobab savanna and floodplain where reintroduced giraffe, zebra, wildebeest and ostrich are seen, and sometimes elephants. A shared half day costs about US$110 per person, a full day with a boat about US$300, and private tours US$500 or more. June to September is best, and you should book an operator, as signage is minimal.
From the lodge at Barra do Kwanza, at the river mouth about 70 km south of Luanda, boats run upriver for one to two hours between mangrove walls where herons, kingfishers, fish eagles and monkeys live, and crocodiles sometimes appear on the bank. Manatees live in the lower river and are a rare, lucky sighting. A full day usually adds a boat trip on the Kwanza through the mangroves and a stop at Miradouro da Lua on the way home.
A full day from 6am; your operator handles the logistics.
Leave the city at dawn on the coast road south.
Cross the wide Kwanza and turn in at the park gate on the far side.
Drive the tracks through baobab savanna and floodplain looking for giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, ostrich and elephants.
Lunch at the river mouth, then a boat trip upriver through the mangroves.
Stop at the Miradouro da Lua in the late light on the drive back to Luanda.
Book through a Luanda tour operator or the lodges at the Kwanza mouth; they provide open vehicles, guides and park fees.
Shared trips are cheapest; private hire makes sense for families or photographers. Confirm what is included.
Lodges at Barra do Kwanza and inside the park allow an early-morning drive, when animals are most active.
Luanda practical notes →Wikimedia Commons photographs are used under their licences; Pexels photographs under the Pexels licence.
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