LUANDA ANGOLAo.J 3 times weekly +244 € 1 = 119 Kwanza (AOA) 260C SLEEP Options include the Talatona Convention Hotel (Rua Luanda Sul, 226424300, hoteltalatona.com), and the Executive Samba Hotel (Rua da Samba, 919863637, executivehotelsamba.com). EAT Kitanda da Esquina (Congresso do MPLA Avenue 39/41, Mutamba, 941907080) has Portuguese cuisine, and you’ll find tasty European food at Seven (Rua Comandante Dangereux 6, Alvalade, 947388700, facebook.com/macau.ilha). SHOP Restaurant Tendinha craft shop (Rua Missão, opposite Hotel Epic Sana) sells unique stone masks, while El Oscar craft market (Rua Rainha Ging) stocks a wide variety of handcraft. CULTURE A visit to the Saint Michael Fortress (pictured right) offers picture perfect views over Luanda city and Luanda Bay. Built in 1576, it now houses the Museum of the ArmedForces. NATURE Discover Angola’s rich ocean life with the Octopus diving school (octopus-lda.com), take a trip to the Kwanza River (90 minutes from Luanda). TIP The dance and music genres of semba, kizomba and tarraxinha have their roots in Angola. Experience it first hand opposite restaurant Espaco Bahia (pictured below) on Luanda Bay every Sunday before sunset. MONROVIA LIBERIA twice weekly +231 € 1 = 95.6 Liberian dollar (LRD) 27 0C SLEEP A safe bet is Royal Grand Hotel (Tubman Boulevard, Sinkor, 888777888, royal-grandhotel.com). Or head 30km out of the city to Libassa Ecolodge, Beach and Lagoon Resort (pictured right, 888555563, libassa.com), in a tropical palm tree forest next to the sea. EAT Mamba Point Hotel Restaurant (UN drive, Mamba Point, 06544544, mambapointhotel.biz) serves a variety of international dishes, while Anglers Bar & Grill (off Camp Johnson Road, 777223223, Facebook.com/anglersbarandgrill) on the beachfront serves American buffets, beef and burgers. SHOP Visit Waterside Market (Water Street, city centre) for textiles, arts and crafts, or the Craft street markets (UN Drive, Mamba Point), where informal vendors ply their trade on the pavements. Remember to hone your bartering skills, as no prices are cast in stone. NEED TO KNOW FROM THE AIRPORT Quatro de Fevereiro International Airport (Airport code - LAD) is 4km from the city. There are the local taxis, called candongueiros, for AOA 50 (€ 0.40). A private company called Afri-taxi (222311754) has cars at the airport, charging a flat fee of AOA 300 (€ 2.40) plus AOA 20 (€ 0.16) per minute. ONLINE welcometoangola.com NEED TO KNOW FROM THE AIRPORT Monrovia Robertsfield International Airport (Airport code - ROB) is 58km east of Monrovia. A taxi costs $40 (€ 30), cash only in US$. CITY CHECK-IN Ecobank Plaza, Ashmun & Randall Streets. Open Mondays & Fridays from 9am to 1pm. Closed on public holidays. ONLINE wikitravel.org/en/Liberia Erik Cleves Kristensen - MARCH/APRIL 2015 - CULTURE The Liberia National Museum (Broad Street, 77232682) for some insight into Liberian cultures, and Providence Island (across the Gabriel Tucker bridge) is the landing spot of freed African slaves from the US. TIP Half an hour’s drive west of the capital’s Chocolate City suburb, you will discover the small town of Careysburg, founded by freed slaves in the mid-1880s. Explore fascinating churches, American architecture and the charming Wulki and Quelu farms. CITY GUIDES BRUSSELS AIRLINES B.SPIRIT MAGAZINE 77