Tropical thunderstorms battered their convoy on the central Angolan highlands and desert heat scorched them in the lowlands along the west coast. In the second of our three-part series on Angola, Dale Morris pops in at the ruins of Jonas Savimbi’s house on a 1300-km circular loop.

Being a wildlife fan, I never imagined that I would enjoy travelling to Angola as much as I did. Yes, it is true that during a 35-year conflict most of Angola’s animals have been shot, blown up, snared, fished, and then introduced to the digestive enzymes of the country’s human population, but Angola still has an amazing diversity of sights to see.

The country has colourful friendly people too who, despite becoming independent in 1975, still retain a culture and character noticeably influenced by the Portuguese and the Catholic Church. And the cities, although chaotic and ramshackle, are vibrant, exciting and surprisingly safe.

The mountains of the highlands are resplendent with waterfalls and cloudy cliffs, the north feels like the Congo what with its wet red earth and tropical forests, while the arid coastal band to the west is reminiscent of Namibia.

The sea there is turquoise, the beaches are beautiful, the fishing is awesome and the off-road (and on-road) adventuring is good.

Most landmines have been removed, and if you are worried about running into a populace hardened by violence and war, then don’t.

The Angolans I met were among the most open and welcoming Africans I have encountered.

The first instalment last month of the three-part series about travelling in Angola, was about a group of South African tourists travelling in a convoy of six Toyota 4x4s on a southwestern circular route.

We visited the war-ravaged south, the Angolan highlands and the great Namib desert where dunes slope down to the edge of the Atlantic Ocean.

This, the second instalment, is about another circular route of some 1 300 km. The route picks up from Lubango, capital city of the Angolan province of Huíla in the Angolan highlands, and travels inland northeast through beautiful verdant scenery to the frenzied city of Huambo.

After that, one can change course and head west to the coast on perfect new highways before reaching yet more madcap towns such as Benguela and Lobito where slums, bullet-riddled buildings and brand-new buildings sit side-by-side with sandy beaches and picturesque bays.

The route then turns south and passes through arid scenery where orange cliffs drop into a turquoise sea and little fishing villages dot the coastline.

Eventually, one reaches the main east-west highway back to Lubango, courtesy of the winding Leba Pass.

Lubango’s streets thrum with brightly dressed locals. Portuguese-language billboards and dilapidated colonial buildings attest to its Mediterranean influence.

This story is about the journey to and from Lubango. It’s a beautiful, fascinating circuit that requires a good six days of driving, or more if you linger at some of the highlights.