Overlanding from Namibia to Angola was a total wild card. All we really knew was that this southern African country was a Portuguese colony for ~400 years and was embroiled in a decades-long civil war until 2002. To plan this trip, we figured we’d get to the border town of Rundu, Namibia and gather some local intel on going to the neighboring town of Calai, Angola…but we couldn’t find anyone who had been! Google Maps made it seem like you had to drive eight hours out of the way to cross the river, and Booking.com pulled up zero results for hotels…but this only made us more curious and eager to explore Southern Angola! We walked over the Okavango River border into the great unknown, and hopped on a moto taxi until we found a guesthouse–and a fantastic one at that! We took a canoe trip that even the maritime police were skeptical about, but it turned into an incredible adventure for us and the fisherman who had never taken passengers in his dugout canoe. The rugged Calai village was an adventure enough, but we didn’t want to leave Angola without exploring the countryside. We knew the sandy roads hadn’t been touched since the colonial days, and the prospects of hitching a ride were slim, but if we’ve learned anything in travel…it’s to be bold and lead with a smile. We found an Angolan guy with a 4x4 pickup truck (a total rarity in town) and asked if he wanted to go on a road trip. It turned into a 10-hour scenic tour, with a special stop to meet a regional queen, sunset beers over the river confluence, and an invaluable cultural exchange. We came to Angola with zero expectations (even a few jitters) but were met with pure kindness and unbridled adventure…exactly what we dream of in travel! Check out this gallery and see the blog link in our bio for the complete and wild story of our Angola trip.
