Visiting Luanda, Angola
 

Ms. P_man has short (two nights, one day of meetings) trip to Luanda coming up. Any particular tips or suggestions out there? She'll be with a couple of co-workers and client folks from the US and Anglola, so probably set up for a fair amount of structure covering the time she's there.

Edit: Curious about currency. Just exchange on arrival? Can you even get Kwanza in the US?

You can exchange on street but I don't advise it for Luanda novices and/or if you don't speak Portuguese. Kinguila Hoje - Noticias, Dolar e Euro paralelo em Angola - gives you rates. Best to get a fixer from your host's company to change your money or you could ask your hotel's reception to do it but agree in advance the rate you expect.

If you change at an official exchange booth you will get a far worse rate. It is safer though.

The Ilha is the place to go at night. I quite like Club Náutico for early evening drinks as you can see the yachts and the city illuminating as night falls. It is also quite cheap and OK for dinner. Cafe del Mar is also nice for lunch and afternoon drinks. Lookal is nice to splurge on a seafood supper.

Sounds like she will need to stay in Luanda on such a short trip, which is a shame, as there are some great sights a few hours outside the city! Fortaleza de São Miguel and associated museum is interesting, as is the Mausoleum of Agostinho Neto space needle thingy. Plus you can checkout the Angolasaurus at the Museum of Natural History! If you're feeling more adventurous (and the weather is good) get a boat over to Mussulo and go to Bar Ssulo or one of the other beach bars on the peninsula.

For restaurant recommendations check out https://lnl.co.ao/

Agree with cargueiro that changing on the street is not a good idea without some experience, but the difference in official vs street rates right now makes it very tempting (today 1USD = 465 Kwanzas official but 690 street rate!)

Note you can't take Kwanzas in and out of the country. They're very strict with that at the airport.