Angola

The new fourth edition of Bradt's Angola remains the only dedicated, full-length English-language guide to this increasingly popular and now readily accessible southern African nation, which offers a heady combination of wildlife-rich rainforests, world-class surfing and beaches, remote deserts and richly diverse human culture. Luanda is a capital of contrasts, offering everything from colonial Portuguese ruins to $100-a-plate sushi bars, a vibrant carnival to sophisticated nightclubs, and landscaped waterfronts to grand public buildings. Venture beyond the urban bustle, perhaps on the recently rehabilitated Benguela railway, and you can discover attractions ranging from frontier diamond towns to relaxed beach resorts, excellent sea-fishing to some of the world's most enthralling surfing (at Cabo Ledo). The country's Atlantic coast stretches through landscapes as varied as tropical rainforest in the north and desert in the south, and includes over 1,000 km of unspoilt sands. In eight ever-improving national parks, large mammals lost to poaching are being reintroduced. African Parks-run Iona is the jewel in the crown, while Luando remains one of the only places left to spot the critically endangered giant sable antelope, Angola's national symbol. Elsewhere, visitors can discover Africa's third-highest waterfall (Kalandula), numerous highly regarded birding spots and a rich human culture that binds together more than 40 ethnic identities. Unmissable attractions include the 20,000-year-old rock paintings at Tchitundo-Hulo, and M'banza Congo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was formerly the centre of power for the Kilukeni dynasty, who founded the stone city a century before the Portuguese colonisers arrived. Across 19 chapters, Bradt's Angola offers full practical and background information, and incisive coverage of the whole country. This fourth edition has been thoroughly updated to reflect Angola's rapid rate of change, notably the reinvigoration of the tourist industry - including through a new international airport, lower flight costs, high-quality roads and now-straightforward visa processes - as a key plank in Angola's plan for economic diversity and sustainable development. Bradt's Angola is ideal for everyone keen to unveil the secrets of this vast, intriguing country - from surfers visiting independently to birdwatchers on organised tours, adventurous travellers to fishing enthusiasts, and overlanders to NGO workers.