Rio Longa Lodge is situated on an island near the mouth of the Longa River on the West Coast of Angola. Only two and half-hours by road, South of the capital city Luanda, the Rio Longa forms the southern most border of the Kisama National Park. This park achieved international recognition following a well-publicized elephant relocation project during the year 2000.

Surrounded by the fresh waters of the Rio Longa, the island is literally only meters away from the Atlantic Ocean. This mighty body of water is kept at bay by a permanent sand split that forms the barrier between the river and the sea.

This unusual marriage between fresh and salt water created a unique ecosystem that abounds with a variety of natural life. Fish eagle and osprey, boabab and mangrove, crocodile and shark all existing in an unusual harmony, unique in its difference and variety.

Built under a canopy of Makalani palms, the lodge consists of a main entertainment area and four twin bedded luxury tents with en-suite facilities. Build from natural materials and raised above the high water mark, on wooden decks, all the tents offer uninterrupted views across the beach onto the Atlantic Ocean.

Each tastefully decorated tent has a relaxing deck, twin beds with mosquito nets and full bathroom facilities with hot and cold running water. Wooden walkways, dimly lit by storm lanterns at dusk, connect all the tents with the main building. This spacious building houses a comfortable lounge, dining area and bar where the days experiences can be related over a cold sundowner drink while the kitchen prepares traditional Portuguese and African delicacies or the fresh catch of the day.

HOW TO GET THERE?

Rio Longa Lodge can be reached by scheduled flights from Johannesburg or Windhoek on South African Airways, TAAG or Air Namibia into Luanda, where guests will be collected by the loge for a road transfer to the docking site on the Rio Longa. Alternatively a private charter can be arranged from Windhoek to Porto Amboim followed by a short road transfer to the docking site on the Rio Longa. As the lodge is situated on an Island a few kilometers down stream, all guests need to be ferried by boat from the docking site to the Lodge.

ACTIVITIES

Fishing.
Thirty years of human absence left the incredible marine resources of rivers and coastline of Angola untouched, waiting to be explored by the enthusiastic and adventurous sport fisherman. Sport fishing activities from Rio Longa lodge caters for any type of fishing. Rock and surf fishing off the beaches and around the river mouths, with either bait or lures, concentrate on species like tarpon, cob, cuberra snappers, jack trevally, threadfin, large sand sharks and a variety of predator sharks. Light tackle and fly-fishing off one of the semi-rigid inflatables or the barge target species like tarpon, cob, and grunter, several bream species and the ever-present catfish. Day excursions to the Quanza river, world famous for record breaking tarpon, threadfin and jack trevally, offers the sport fisherman the opportunity to test his skills against these worthy adversaries. Deep sea fishing off the 26-foot ski-craft targets those warriors of the deep like dorado, sailfish and marlin.

Guided only by stories and accounts of yesteryear, the sport fishing knowledge regarding the area, tackle and species available is currently limited to the efforts of a few adventurous fisherman and the challenge to any visiting fisherman to add a another piece of the puzzle remains.

The best period for fishing is regarded to stretch from October through to April as the floodwaters arrive during April and drastically effects the watercolour and temperature. Rio Longa Lodge actively subscribes to a catch and release policy.

Birding
The side by side existence of a fresh and saltwater ecosystem, densely vegetated river banks and floodplains, wide open savanna grasslands and thick palm forests provide habitat for an incredible variety of bird species. With no recorded or documented account of all the species available in the area, resident or migratory, this remains another exiting attraction for many adventurous bird-watching enthusiasts.
African fish eagle, palmnut vulture, osprey, herons, turns, gulls, pelicans, cormorants, teals, egrets, storks, African jacana, plovers, guineafowl, francolins, variety of eagles and hawks, barbets, louries, kingfishers, bee-eaters, larks, thrushes, tits, weavers and canaries have all been sited in the area.

Day excursions.
Several day excursions are available from the lodge and include activities such as; visits to some of the traditional fishing villages, visits into the Kisama National Park, river cruises, sundowner cruises, crocodile spotting, photography, guided walking trails and sea turtle tracking.