The main advantage this province
presents to the visitor is its proximity to Luanda, the capital city of Angola.
Caxito is the capital city of this province, which has an area of
33,016 km2. Sixty kilometres from Luanda, it has a tropical, dry
climate with an average temperature of 25°C, March being the hottest month
(33°C) and July being the coldest (17°C). The main municipalities are Dande,
Arnbriz, Icolo e Bengo, Muxima and Nambuangongo. Other important places are Cabo
Ledo, Lagoa do Panguila, Porto Kipiri and Funda. The main economic activity is
agriculture.
The
province has a variety of handicraft, which uses local materials, such as
embroidery, bamboo, woodwork, blackwood (pau preto), canes and bone.The languages spoken are Portuguese,
Kimbundo and Bacongo.
To the
north, Bengo, which surrounds Luanda, is flanked by two provinces, Uige and
Zaire, by Kwanza Norte to the east, Kwanza Sul to the south and by the Atlantic
Ocean to the west.
The
natural beauty of the beaches at Pambala nos Libongos, which is seven kilometres
long, at Cabo Ledo and Arnbriz is staggering, these being among the most
beautiful beaches in Angola.
Nature Reserves
The
Natural Park of Kissama:With an area of 990,000 hectares,
Kissama is one of the largest in the world. It was opened as a hunting
reserve on 16th April, 1938 and was declared a National Park on 11th
December, 1957 with an area of 960 km2.
This park has a wealth of fauna to offer the tourist:
elephants, gunga, pacaça (water buffalo), nunces, golungo, wild boar,
monkeys, red palanca, deer, manatee, talapoim and sea turtles.
The river banks become submerged in the rainy season and
hundreds of birds flock to the area: flamingos, herons, pelicans, wild
ducks, sea-gulls, eagles and crows.
Through the Noah's Ark project, the Kissama Foundation has
replenished the numbers of animals in the Natural Park of Kissama. In the
near future, more animals will arrive from South Africa and Botswana. Two
years ago, ten elephants were brought from these countries to settle in
Kissama.
The objectives of the Kissama Foundation are the defence,
conservation, development and
equilibrium of Angolan flora and fauna, its diversity and
study and investigation projects, for schools or universities, the defence of
man's relationship with nature and the ecological environment of Angola.
The Kibinda Forest Reserve: This forest has an area of 100 km2.
On its northern flank, there is the trail which goes from Nova Caipemba to
Kitexi; to the south, the road which connects Kitexi to the villages. To the
east, there is the River Loge and to the west, the River Vamba.
Manna from Muxima
According to a popular proverb, any visitor to the country who drinks from the River Bengo will never want to leave. Apart from enchanting foreigners, the waters of the river also irrigate Bengo province, which
is Angola’s most fertile agricultural zone.
Bengo is one of Angola’s youngest provinces. Created in 1980, it split the capital from its hinterland in order to enable both provinces to focus on their separate development agendas. But it still feeds
Luanda with an incredible range of agricultural produce everything from tomatoes and other vegetables to tropical fruits and root crops.
Bengo is also as sparsely populated as Luanda is overcrowded. Bengo Governor Isalino Mendes believes that if could help to relieve the population pressure on the capital: “If we had more facilities, we
could easily attract people out of Luanda. Bengo has only ten inhabitants per square kilometre so it could obviously accommodate may people from the capital city and would indeed benefit from a population increase”.
One of Bengo’s claims to fame is that it has attracted investment from Coca-Cola, which has opened a bottling plant in the province. According to Isalino Mendes, “Not only has Coca-Cola brought
employment to Bengo, but it has also enhanced life for everybody in the province by funding a number of community development projects.”The governor is keen for other foreign companies to follow Coca-Cola’s example. He is seeking investment for a vegetable oil
processing plant, which would enhance the profitability of Bengo’s abundant crops, especially maize and sunflowers.
Apart from its agricultural wealth, Bengo has the potential to become a great tourist attraction. It is home to Kissama National Park (www.kissama.org),
Angola’s largest game reserve.
The park is currently being repopulated with elephants donated
from Zimbabwe and South Africa as part of the Noah’s Ark Project.
In addition, the province is not only a destination
for foreigners – for many Angolan’s, Bengo represents something of a
spiritual mecca.
An ancient Portuguese church, Senhora da Muxima, has become the
site for an annual pilgrimage. Every year, thousands of Angolan Catholics flock to this tiny church built in the colonial style. Senhora da Muxima is so famous that it has become an inspiration for many Angolan musicians. “Tomorrow I will light a candle in Muxima
to ask for peace and prosperity” are the words of one of Angola’s most
popular songs.
Rivers
Bengo has a vast network of rivers crossing its territory, among which is the
River Kuanza, the largest in Angola. However, there are others, namely the
Rivers Bengo, Onzo, Dande and Longa.
The province also has a number of lakes, most of these being in
the municipalities of Dande and Icolo e Bengo. There are lagoons at Pangulia and
Ibéndoa, Cabiri and Ulua do Sungui. Other places of interest to tourists are
Barra da Dande and Açude (weir) das Mabubas.
Main Tourist Attractions
The municipality of Ambriz not only has marvellous seaside resorts but also
offers excellent conditions for hunting and sports.In Icolo e Bengo, there is a superb hunting
reserve at Kakulo-Kahango where there are a great number of deer, wild boar,
hare, partridge are water buffalo.
For those who wish to enjoy nature, or photograph it, there is an
excellent ecological or Cruise package along the River Kwanza and Bengo. At
Ongazele, the purity and mineral composition of the waters provide an
exceptional spa for Health Tourism, while for those who are interested in a
cultural package will be fascinated by this province, because it was here, more
specifically in Kachikane, where the former President Agostinho Neto was born.
Ruins
Fostuir da Kissama. Farol de Cal de Bom Jesus (Bom Jesus Lighthouse).
Ruins of the former residence of
the Chief Guard of Bom Jesus. Old Church of the Jesuits of Barra do Dande.
Cultural Tourism
Fortress of Muxima:
The Fortress of Muxima was built in the XVI century on a hilltop, behind
the church. This famous sixteenth century fortress was witness to a page
of the nation's history: it was here that the heavily outnumbered
Portuguese forces fought off the Dutch between 1941 and 1948. Urban centre
from the former Town of Muxima.
Igreja (Church) da Nossa Senhora da Muxima:
The Church of Nossa Senhora da Muxima was built in the XVI century.
The famous sanctuary is witness to the simplicity of
works created by the people, works with a character of humility and
tenderness, yet it also has an expression of intrinsic force, of the power
of life.The church has thick walls with smooth
parameters, reinforced by a triangular pediment and a strong bell tower at
the side.
The bare walls and ceilings focus the visitor' s attention
on the main altar, where the leading image is the point at which the
spirit of all those who visit this church converges, as they search for
something that human will alone cannot bring them.
Old Jesuit Church "Barra do Dande".
Events Festivities of Vila do Ambriz, Festas (Parties) das Lagoas,
Festas de Kilom, Festas de Mbembe Kiba.
24th April Festas da Cidade de Caxito.(City of Caxito
Festivity).The ritual of the
Lagoon (Lagoa) of Ibendua. This is considered as the mother of the other lagoons
and for this reason, on 26th and 27th July every year, there is a ritual which
asks Kianda (a mermaid) to give plentiful "cacuso" and other species of fish to
the fishermen. This ritual is made around the Komba cemetery.
Useful Information
Hospital Provincial do Bengo: Tel.: (034) 81129
Police: Tel.: (034) 81113
Angola Telecorn: Tel.: (034) 81005
How to get There
By aeroplane: Caxito has a
small airport for small aircraft.
By sea: Small boats can moor
at Porto de Ambriz, Barra de Dande and Porto Kipiri.
By road: There is access by
road from all points of the province. Bengo is after all the province which
connects all the country to its capital city, Luanda.