Passengers in transit at Luanda Airport
Publicado por: Toni Martins em 2022-03-21
When I decided to buy a ticket from Brazil to Portugal with an 18-hour stopover at Luanda / Angola airport, many doubts, fears and lack of information left me wondering if I had made a good decision. When I bought the ticket I thought that during the 18 hours I could leave the airport, go to a hotel or visit the city. You cannot unless you have obtained your transit visa at the nearest Angolan consulate, but in order to obtain the visa you need to have the yellow fever vaccine certificate. So that others know what to do, I leave here my opinion and some information that I think is very useful. The flight from São Paulo to Luanda was smooth, noting that the plane needed to be better maintained in terms of passenger comfort, the entertainment system does not work, staying next to the emergency exit door which was my case has bad insulation which makes it very uncomfortable due to the cold that comes with lack of insulation, but otherwise everything is normal, friendly crew, good food and nothing else to point out. The problem comes from the 18-hour stopover that we have to do without being able to leave the airport, but if I had had adequate information, those hours would certainly pass better. Starting in the morning. The flight arrives very early, before 5 am, when we arrived in the international area everything is closed, there is no support. When support shops and restaurants start to open, around 7 am the options are not many and everything is very expensive. For smokers, there is only one space (a bar) where you can smoke but they charge 2000 Kwanzas (about 5 usd) to use the space. In the international area there are 2 VIP lounges, one by Pall and one by Taag and this is where the information failed. The Taag lounge is for business passengers, but the Pall lounge can be used by everyone as long as they pay a fee of 16000 Kwanzas (about 35 usd) and then it's worth it. If you take into account the price of a toast and a juice in any of the bars that cost around 10 usd, it is better to pay the VIP room because you have the right to drinks, including beer, toast and other things and you can spend all the time in excellent condition. Another of the problems I found is that the airport does not have internet service nor paying, air conditioning is not even if it works, but all this is in the VIP lounge included in the fee you pay. What I noticed was that the staff is friendly, helpful and some ask for money for coffee or soda but without being bothersome. Another important information is that in the international area they do not accept payments with foreign cards, you must have money (kwanzas or USD or euros) for those who come in transit, it is difficult to have kwanzas, I thought the ideal would be to have USD but I was wrong, better have euros, USD do not have change and refuse to receive change unless you accept change in kwanzas. In my case, I only brought 60usd because I thought I could pay with the card and I was limited, that's when the concierge of the VIP room explained to me how to do it. Go to immigration, say that you need to eat and that you have no money and that you are in transit and that you need to go to the cash machine and they send someone to accompany you to the machine and withdraw the money. That's what I did, the immigration staff was very friendly and helpful, a girl accompanied me to the machine (but I had to give her my passport) I took out the kuanzas and that was it, problem solved. So summarizing: You must have money with you to pay expenses during the period you will spend in transit at Luanda airport (minimum 50 euros or usd). Go to the VIP room (Pall) and buy your ticket, allowing you to sleep, eat and drink with air conditioning and internet, all included in the fee you paid.
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Luanda . Luanda . Angola
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What to know, where to go and what to visit in Ilhabela
Publicado por: Toni Martins em 2022-03-16
Undoubtedly, Ilhabela is one of the most beautiful and popular places on the coast of São Paulo, but everything beautiful also has its things, but Ilhabela does have some things you need to know. First, access to Ilhabela is by ferry, so to get to Ilhabela, you must head to São Sebastião and from there take the ferry that takes about 20 minutes to cross, there is a 24-hour ferry with an interval of 15 minutes. minutes. Then the headaches start, but if the car has an elderly or disabled person, you must take the priority line, another option to take the priority line is to buy the ticket in advance by appointment, otherwise if it is on weekends, holidays or high seasons, be prepared to queue for hours to get in, and to get out even worse, the queue can take more than 6 hours. To take the ferry, you only pay on the São Sebastião -> Ilhabela stretch. Second problem, the island is infested with mosquitoes, having more than one variety (the blackflies and mosquitoes are the most aggressive and the worst part is that they do not attack together, sometimes they attack some, sometimes they attack others), so if you are allergic to the mosquito bite better not to go. Regarding mosquito repellents, only one repellent you buy on the island works, the other repellents don't work and even the ones you buy on the island need to be always using. Third problem, the island has a lot of streets, but roads practically have a road that goes from south to north with a route of 40 km, and when you enter the island by ferry, you can choose to go north or south and the ferry is about halfway. Thus, on special days such as weekends, holidays and high seasons it is practically impossible to move around due to the traffic being so great, and parking even worse. Public and free parking is very little compared to the number of cars that enter the island on these special dates, so you will have to opt for private parking when those are still available and are a little expensive. Another important information is that you must fill up your vehicle before arriving at Ilhabela, fuel on the island is more expensive than on the mainland. The whole island is very beautiful, very green, lots of woods, lots of birds, and you will easily see many green parrots, so the island is a wonder of nature and that's why it is very preserved. It is not possible to go around the island by car, there are only roads on the side facing the mainland, on the side facing the Atlantic, there are no roads. There is a road that crosses the island but it is only accessible by 4x4 vehicles. To visit the Atlantic coast of the island you need to buy a speedboat ride. The most famous boat tours include a speedboat and 4x4 vehicle, you go through the north of the island to Praia dos Castelhanos and return by 4x4 or vice versa, but the most advisable thing is to go by speedboat and return by 4x4. Praia dos Castelhanos has already been classified as one of the most beautiful in Brazil Another place worth visiting is Bonete beach, you can reach Bonete beach by boat (the most comfortable and easy one) or walk about 7 km just to go. The villages you find on the Atlantic coast are small fishing communities that serve some meals mainly of fish and other seafood. Another of the activities you can do on Ilhabela are the trails, there are many trails with different levels of difficulty where you will find waterfalls, viewpoints, natural pools and other interesting places to photograph. The most beautiful beaches accessible by car are in the southern part of the island, the beaches with the longest stretches of sand are in the northern part. The southern part has less infrastructure and road conditions are worse than in the north. If traveling without a car, it is best to stay close to the village (historic center) Another of the island's attractions, mainly for enjoying the night, is in the historic center. Some tours you can do in Ilhabela - Bonete Beach in Flexboat: from R$ 200.00 - 4x4 to Castelhanos beach: from R$ 120.00 - Praia do Jabaquara (north of the Island, with access by dirt road), you can go in your own car, there is the option of taking the boat trip - Praia dos Castelhanos (including Praia da Fome and Saco do Eustáquio) in Flexboat: from R$ 190.00 - Schooner Tour (Jabaquara and Praia da Fome): from R$ 90.00 - Paquetá Waterfall - Juliao Beach (South) - Ilha das Cabras (South) - Curral Beach (South) - Pedra do Sino Beach (North) - Barreiros Beach (North) - Pereque Beach (north) And many others that you can easily find when moving to the north or south of the island, to the south many of them are half hidden and you need to go carefully to find them. In terms of places to eat, the island has some good options, with most and the best restaurants located in the northern part. I personally really liked the Gaudi near Pereque beach. Another restaurant I liked was Pimenta de Cheiro, about 100 meters from Gaudi. Regarding accommodation, I recommend Pousada Catamarã, close to Praia do Curral to the south, excellent quality in all aspects and very good value for money.
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Ilhabela . São Paulo . Brasil
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Visiting Culatra Island
Publicado por: Toni Martins em 2022-03-06
Culatra Island is the only island of the barrier island group in the Ria Formosa that is inhabited all year round and has a resident community. This community is basically formed by fishermen and their families, and today some people who are not fishermen already live on the island. Culatra Island is a community located on the same island where the Hangares and Farol Island are located. For those who like the beach, the coast of the island that faces the sea offers a beach of clean and transparent waters, fine sand and with great extension, on the side of the estuary, the beaches, despite the waters being warmer, the sand contains a lot of shellfish. bivalves as the estuary is very rich in clams, oysters, razor clams and cockles. It is in the vicinity of the island of Culatra that most sailboats anchor to enjoy the calm waters and the island's protection against the winds. One of the good reasons to visit the island of Culatra is the gastronomy, the island of Culatra has good restaurants and, of course, they specialize in seafood. The way to reach the island of Culatra is by boat, from the port of Olhão there is a regular service all year round to the island or if you prefer you can take a taxi boat to get there faster.
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Ilha da Culatra . Algarve . Portugal
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Holidays on Armona Island, Algarve
Publicado por: Toni Martins em 2022-03-06
Armona Island is one of the most pleasant and beautiful islands in the Ria Formosa park. Located near the city of Olhão, this island has a small housing unit, most of which is deserted. Ilha da Armona has one of the most beautiful beaches in the Algarve, both on the coast (sea) and inland (ria). Still little known to foreigners who visit the Algarve, it is very popular mainly by the Portuguese, and by those who have holiday accommodation on the island. This is an island with a lot of movement during the bathing season, but it is hardly inhabited every year. There are few inhabitants residing on the island and there are also no hotel facilities locally. To visit the island you need to take the ferry at the port of Olhão, the trip takes about 20 minutes or if you choose you can take the taxi boat. The best time to visit the island is every year except the months of July and August when the island is full of tourists and residents, when I say full I mean the residential area but the biggest difficulty has to do with transport to the island and back due to the large flow of people, for bathing and getting to know the island, the ideal is September or June. If you want to book accommodation on the island, you need to do it well in advance and you can only get accommodation in private houses as the island does not have any tourist accommodation. Perhaps the best thing is to go to the island and try to talk to someone who can tell you locally how to book a house, especially if you want to in high season (July and August).
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Ilha da Armona . Algarve . Portugal
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Have you ever thought about taking a vacation in the city of Faro, Algarve
Publicado por: Toni Martins em 2022-03-05
Even today Faro is not considered a holiday destination, the capital of the Algarve tourist region continues to be seen as a residential city. Although Faro has a lot more to see, what to do and where to spend their time, few tourists decide to go on vacation to this city. Maybe because Faro doesn't have its foot on the beach is one of the decisions that lead to not being so publicized? I don't think Faro is right with the foot of the Ria Formosa and it takes 15 minutes to the beach by public transport, or the best option is a boat trip to the islands, but Faro has much more beach options than most famous destinations in the world. Algarve and if we analyze the remaining components, it wins in practically all of them, let's see; it has much more options and quality in restaurants, it has a very good nightlife atmosphere, it has better stores, and it has better prices. I personally recommend Faro to those who like to do tourism with more contact with the local population, who like to get involved in regional culture and gastronomy and for those who like good beaches with less confusion than the famous ones.
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Faro . Algarve . Portugal
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Holidays in Alvor in the Algarve
Publicado por: Toni Martins em 2022-03-05
Alvor is a good option for your holidays in the Algarve, located on the banks of the Ria de Alvor, this former fishing village is today one of the most sought after holiday destinations in the Algarve. Mainly the lower part of the village is a very pleasant place, many bars serving specialties mainly fish and seafood. One of the attractions of Alvor are the walkways along the banks of the Ria de Alvor, which offers pleasant walks and bird watching, especially in the estuary of the ria. The old fish market is another attraction widely used by the locals for socializing and for those who simply want to observe the tranquility of the Ria.
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Alvor . Algarve . Portugal
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Landscapes of the Guadiana River
Publicado por: Toni Martins em 2018-12-09
Along the Guadiana river we find very beautiful landscapes, the route starts from Foz do Odeleite always next to the river bank to Alcoutim. Worth it for those who don't know
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Foz do Odeleite . Algarve . Portugal
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Fuseta, the best holiday destination in the Algarve
Publicado por: Toni Martins em 2022-03-05
I've always tried to be neutral in my way of appreciating the hundreds of places I've been and vacationed. But for me, analyzing them all, the Fuseta is what I liked the most. When I analyze a holiday destination, I don't just look at a point, but at everything that surrounds it and that's where I consider Fuseta the best of all. It continues to be a fishing village, it is hardly out of character, it has the best sandy beaches and waters in the Algarve, it has very good restaurants, it has a lot where tourists can spend their time, it has a good nightlife and there is almost no tourist accommodation. Fuseta is the place where tourists come to spend the day or a few hours because there are practically no hotels. Fuseta has the best campsite I know.
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Fuseta . Algarve . Portugal
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Holidays in Albufeira, Algarve
Publicado por: Toni Martins em 2018-12-09
Talking about Albufeira for me should be easy but it is not, Albufeira is the city where I grew up and lived and I have inside me a mixture of Albufeira from before and Albufeira today. Albufeira is considered the capital of tourism in the Algarve and we can even say of Portugal. For those who visit Albufeira today, you will find a younger tourism, a mass tourism, a tourism that lives a lot at night in Albufeira. Albufeira has good restaurants, but the best gastronomy is in the surroundings, that's where you can find the best restaurants, as well as the best hotels. For those who like clubbing, Albufeira is now the destination it has become.
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Albufeira . Algarve . Portugal
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Holidays in Mauritius
Publicado por: Toni Martins em 2021-12-01
Mauritius, or Mauritius, is without a doubt that dream vacation destination. Surrounded by beaches and beautiful landscapes where each beach seems more beautiful than the last, it is a place not to be missed, it is undoubtedly a first choice holiday destination. When you think of a vacation in Mauritius, an expensive and affordable place comes to mind. Maybe I was lucky because I didn't visit the island in high season and I got a resort for less than 50USD a day, but I didn't find the cost of meals expensive either. When I arrived in Mauritius I came from Johannesburg in South Africa and immediately rented a car at the airport, as my intention was not to lay on my stomach in the sun, but to get to know the whole island was the best option. I visited all the beaches, all the places of interest and it was a very intense week to leave nothing behind. The beaches really seduced me, the fine sand, the color and temperature of the waters, and most of them almost deserted. Another of the wonders of the island are the landscapes.
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Port Louis . Port Louis . Maurícias
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2742
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