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Huambo

Also known as Nova Lisboa

Huambo, formerly Nova Lisboa (English: New Lisbon), is the third-most populous city in Angola, after the capital city Luanda and Lubango, with a population of 595,304 (2014) in the city and a population of 836,293 in the municipality of Huambo (Census 2024). The city is the capital of the province of Huambo and is located about 220 km E from Benguela and 600 km SE from Luanda. Huambo is a main hub on the Caminho de Ferro de Benguela (CFB) (the Benguela Railway), which runs from the port of Lobito to the Democratic Republic of the Congo's southernmost province, Katanga. Huambo is serv

AI overview

Huambo is Angola's third-largest city and serves as a major transportation hub on the Benguela Railway, which connects the Angolan port of Lobito to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Located about 220 kilometers east of the coastal city of Benguela, it is the capital of Huambo Province and had a population of approximately 595,000 people in 2014.

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Place details

Locality: Huambo
Region: Huambo
Country: Angola
Population: 595,304
Timezone

Travel guide

Understand

thumb|320px|The Governor's Palace

Huambo sits in the center of the traditional area of the Ovimbundu people (who speak Umbundu). During previous centuries the Ovimbundu were organized into several independent kingdoms. The Portuguese came into contact with these kingdoms in the 1500s, and the Ovimbundu soon proved themselves to be capable traders, creating trade networks from the Portuguese port town of Benguela all the way into modern-day Democratic Republic of Congo (Katanga province) and Zambia. At the beginning of the 1900s, the Portuguese turned from economic to military interests, and soon conquered the Central Highlands. It was in the immediate aftermath of this conquest that Huambo city was built.

Portuguese General Norton de Matos resided at the Quibala fortress while he laid plans for the new city of Huambo, established in 1912. The current layout of the city bears the marks of his Portuguese-style organization, with a monumental rotunda surrounded by government edifices, a beautiful central garden areas, and a commercial division with a clear grid street plan. These areas were devastated during the civil war, but the current government has rehabilitated the area very quickly, giving it an Angolan flair on top of the Portuguese design.

The old Portuguese center of the city is now surrounded by Angolan "bairros" which swelled during the war years with refugees from the surrounding countryside. The bairros are crowded and disorganized, and most roads are still pack…

Get around

The city center is small enough to be explored by foot.

Otherwise, the easiest way to get around Huambo is on motorcycle taxis. They wait at every corner, or you can flag one down as he drives by. Tell the driver where you want to go, and he'll tell you a price. Prices should be standard depending on the distance (usually 100, 200, or 300 kwanzas), but you, as a visitor, won't know what's fair. So try to bargain your way as low as they'll go, then you know you're getting a fair(er) price.

Be aware that motorcycle drivers are not necessarily safe. Many accidents occur. Ensure that the motorcycle you choose looks in decently good repair and has two good quality helmets. Don't climb on a motorcycle taxi without wearing a helmet.

Blue and white taxi vans are another option, useful if you need to cross from one side of the city to another. They run predetermined routes, and can sometimes be slow because they wait for the taxi to fill up. Listen for a taxi calling your destination. It should cost 100 kwanzas to get to that destination. You can get off earlier on the route, but you'll still pay 100 kwanzas.

~14 min read