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This may help for someone contemplating a similar trip. Timeline of our recent fishing trip out of the Kwanza Fishing Lodge located on the Kwanza river just south of Luanda, Angola. Fished on the boat "Giga Bite" with Captain Phil assisted by his nephew and BIL with his wife and SIL running the food department. I did have some laundry that needed attended to and Phil's wife gladly took care of my needs in that deparment. All in all, very satisfied with their attention to detail and efficient operation with no glitches. Had a great time and would stay there again.
Departed home for an overnight stay at a Park 'n Stay hotel near to Dulles airport, departing next day on Emirates via Dubai, 14 hours to Dubai, six hour layover then
8 hours to Joberg. Went to the lounge in Dubai for eats and a shower.
Overnight at Citi-Lodge, store one suitcase at hotel, and rifle case with storage company until return from Luanda.
Day 1: Travel next morning four hours via AirLink to Luanda, pickup up by van driven by Phil's wife. Airport personnel checked our yellow WHO cards fr yellow fever vaccinations and we were good to go. Afterwards, I looked at my passport and there was no stamp for Angola. Go figure.
Settle in to Lodge housing for much needed rest and dinner at 6:00. Buffet style dinners, varied nightly, fish, veggies, rice, salads, pork chops, chicken, casseroles.
Take a half hour tour up river to observe flora and fauna, Reminded me of the movie "African Queen", impenetrable jungle on both sides. Saw a few monkeys and many different birds, names I can't remember.
Day 2: Up early, breakfast at 6:30, on the boat around 7:00, head out to fish for bait, butterfish & sardines, then back to the fresh/salt line (photo) to drift for tarpon, fishing with my longtime PH Kobus de Villiers owner operator of Jakkalskuil Safaris in the Northern Cape and hunting buddy and fellow AH member @Trogon (Ron). No luck on the tarpon.
Day 3: Ron hooks in to a monster tarpon, multiple jumps and line stripping off a really tight drag, he has it within a few feet of the boat and it makes another run, jumps and throws the hook. Bummer but he had a hell of a fight lasting better than a half hour.
Day 4 fishing, same routine, then decide we need some action and go for whatever we can catch. We get a good amount of bait and head out a little further offshore.
I hook in to a good size amberjack, get a photo op then release back in to the water. Ron catches one, then Kobus another and finally, I take a second one. Bait st!ill remaining, we head back to the fresh/salt line and fish for tarpon until 4:30. No luck on the tarpon.
Day 5, out for some bait, back to the salt/fresh line, no action until 3:30, tarpon on! I'm told, "Grab the rod"I ! I get the rod belt on and the line is stripping off like
I hooked the bottom. Five minutes in to the fight, a huge jump and the line goes limp, another thrown hook. The day ends as usual with a sketchy return through the rip where the river and ocean meet and after a shower, and dinner, it's packing for the next day's trip back to Joburg.
Day 6: Back to Luanda through some of the most horrendous traffic I've ever experienced and through what looked like a bombed out city. I'm guessing it was ruins left over from the long civil war. Easy exit through the Airport with just a carry on and an evening arrival and another overnight at Citi-Lodge.
Day 7: We all three retrieve our gear and I my rifles and take an Airlink to Kimberly for eight days of hunting at Jakkalskuil with Kobus. Ron took some trophies and I confined myself to culls and some night hunting of springhares and springbok.
Day 19: Depart the farm for Kimberly flight to Joburg and then our return flights home.
Kudos to Shawn at Gracy Travel for organizing my eight leg flight itinerary, storage arrangements, meet & greet and firearm permitting. All went smooth without a hitch. I flew Emirates business and can't say enough about the outstanding service aboard those flights and the food wasn't bad either.
Day 20: In to Dulles at around 9:00 a.m. and through rifle retrieval easily. Two hour drive through D.C. and Baltimore traffic, arrived home 1:00 p.m.
Great trip with Ron and Kobus, caught fish, took animals, lots of laughs and great hunting and fishing comraderie. I recommend both venues and am itching to make a return trip to Kwanza and catching one of those huge tarpon.
Departed home for an overnight stay at a Park 'n Stay hotel near to Dulles airport, departing next day on Emirates via Dubai, 14 hours to Dubai, six hour layover then
8 hours to Joberg. Went to the lounge in Dubai for eats and a shower.
Overnight at Citi-Lodge, store one suitcase at hotel, and rifle case with storage company until return from Luanda.
Day 1: Travel next morning four hours via AirLink to Luanda, pickup up by van driven by Phil's wife. Airport personnel checked our yellow WHO cards fr yellow fever vaccinations and we were good to go. Afterwards, I looked at my passport and there was no stamp for Angola. Go figure.
Settle in to Lodge housing for much needed rest and dinner at 6:00. Buffet style dinners, varied nightly, fish, veggies, rice, salads, pork chops, chicken, casseroles.
Take a half hour tour up river to observe flora and fauna, Reminded me of the movie "African Queen", impenetrable jungle on both sides. Saw a few monkeys and many different birds, names I can't remember.
Day 2: Up early, breakfast at 6:30, on the boat around 7:00, head out to fish for bait, butterfish & sardines, then back to the fresh/salt line (photo) to drift for tarpon, fishing with my longtime PH Kobus de Villiers owner operator of Jakkalskuil Safaris in the Northern Cape and hunting buddy and fellow AH member @Trogon (Ron). No luck on the tarpon.
Day 3: Ron hooks in to a monster tarpon, multiple jumps and line stripping off a really tight drag, he has it within a few feet of the boat and it makes another run, jumps and throws the hook. Bummer but he had a hell of a fight lasting better than a half hour.
Day 4 fishing, same routine, then decide we need some action and go for whatever we can catch. We get a good amount of bait and head out a little further offshore.
I hook in to a good size amberjack, get a photo op then release back in to the water. Ron catches one, then Kobus another and finally, I take a second one. Bait st!ill remaining, we head back to the fresh/salt line and fish for tarpon until 4:30. No luck on the tarpon.
Day 5, out for some bait, back to the salt/fresh line, no action until 3:30, tarpon on! I'm told, "Grab the rod"I ! I get the rod belt on and the line is stripping off like
I hooked the bottom. Five minutes in to the fight, a huge jump and the line goes limp, another thrown hook. The day ends as usual with a sketchy return through the rip where the river and ocean meet and after a shower, and dinner, it's packing for the next day's trip back to Joburg.
Day 6: Back to Luanda through some of the most horrendous traffic I've ever experienced and through what looked like a bombed out city. I'm guessing it was ruins left over from the long civil war. Easy exit through the Airport with just a carry on and an evening arrival and another overnight at Citi-Lodge.
Day 7: We all three retrieve our gear and I my rifles and take an Airlink to Kimberly for eight days of hunting at Jakkalskuil with Kobus. Ron took some trophies and I confined myself to culls and some night hunting of springhares and springbok.
Day 19: Depart the farm for Kimberly flight to Joburg and then our return flights home.
Kudos to Shawn at Gracy Travel for organizing my eight leg flight itinerary, storage arrangements, meet & greet and firearm permitting. All went smooth without a hitch. I flew Emirates business and can't say enough about the outstanding service aboard those flights and the food wasn't bad either.
Day 20: In to Dulles at around 9:00 a.m. and through rifle retrieval easily. Two hour drive through D.C. and Baltimore traffic, arrived home 1:00 p.m.
Great trip with Ron and Kobus, caught fish, took animals, lots of laughs and great hunting and fishing comraderie. I recommend both venues and am itching to make a return trip to Kwanza and catching one of those huge tarpon.
