"Holiday Town" Lobito by Ramonq

Lobito, is Angola´s second busiest seaport but it has a more sedate lifestyle than its bigger sister, Luanda. The place to be in Lobito is the long peninsula called Rastinga where many old colonial houses still stand and life is breezy. You can´t beat drinking Cuca draught beer at a seaside bar in Lobito. Somehow stress level just subside and Luanda feels like a million miles aways. There is only one major road that runs along the middle of Rastinga, and one can glimpse the sea from both sides. One can see why Lobito has been a favourite holiday destination during the Portuguese colonial era. It is blessed with a warm climate and relaxed atmosphere. Testament to this are the grand vacation houses built in Portuguese colonial style that line both sides of the road in Rastinga. There are nice cozy restaurants and makeshift bars to keep one relaxed and satisfied.

The city centre is undergoing some rehabilitation. It definitely needs one, as many of its infrastructure have been left wanting. Lobito was not only a holiday destination, but it was also a thriving industrial town during the Portuguese colonial era. It had a manufacturing base and the town was served with railway system. All these were neglected during the long drawn out civil war between 1975-2002. Now that peacetime has arrived and with the aid of Chinese expertise, Lobito is slowly but surely developing. The roads and railways to Lobito are very dusty, but Brazilian and Chinese engineers have been rehabilitating them. Lobito does suffer similar problems of Luanda but on a smaller and more manageable scale. There is a housing problem, as observed from the substandard housing around the hills of Lobito. But the roads are quieter with less rubbish on the streets. Lobito is much more livable than its big sister. It is more tourist-friendly and the beaches are cleaner too!