On day two, enjoy a leisurely morning to relax and review your gear. After checkout, we’ll transfer to the domestic airport, where a short flight will carry us south to Lubango — the gateway to the stunning landscapes and vibrant cultures of Angola’s interior. Upon arrival, our guide will welcome us and escort us to our hotel, where we can unwind and prepare for the days ahead. We’ll come together for a delicious dinner, sharing anticipation for the immersive photo expedition just beginning. (B, L, D)

After breakfast, we’ll set out along the main road toward Cahama, watching the landscape shift as we pass through rural communities and open countryside. Along the way, we’ll pause in the lively market town of Quihita, where stalls brim with fresh produce, colorful fabrics, and handmade goods. If we’re lucky, we may spot the elegantly dressed Ovangambwe ladies, their traditional attire and beaded adornments offering a wonderful photographic moment. 

By midday, we’ll arrive at our welcoming camp, where lunch will be served under the shade of acacia trees. Our private mobile safari camp is set right beside an Ovadhimba village, giving us the unique privilege of being immersed in local life. That afternoon, we’ll wander through the village, meeting locals, observing daily traditions, and capturing intimate portraits in the soft afternoon light. Each evening, we’ll return to the comfort of our full-board private camp, where hearty breakfasts and warm hospitality await us each morning before the next day’s adventure. (B, L, D)

We’ll rise early to catch the golden first light as we make our way to an Ovadhimba village near our camp. The soft morning sun will illuminate the ochre-toned huts, the intricate beadwork of traditional attire, and the expressive faces of elders and children alike. It’s the perfect time for candid portraits, environmental scenes, and storytelling images that capture the essence of rural life. 

After a relaxed lunch back at camp, we’ll head to Humbe, where many photographic opportunities await. In a nearby village, Ovankhumbi girls are in the final stages of their Fico ceremony—a vibrant rite of passage filled with rhythmic movement, layered textures, and rich cultural symbolism. From the colorful patterns of ceremonial dress to the intense expressions of dancers and singers, every frame will tell a powerful story. As the sun sinks toward the horizon, we’ll work with the warm, directional light to create striking portraits and dramatic silhouettes before returning to our base for dinner and an evening of image review and reflection. (B, L, D)

We’ll start the morning in the golden pre-sunrise glow, making our way to another Ovadhimba village. The soft, low light will enhance the warm ochre tones of the huts, the deep textures of traditional hairstyles, and the intricate beadwork of their adornments—ideal for close-up portraiture and wide environmental shots that tell a cultural story. 

After breakfast, we’ll head toward Oncocua, traveling through sparsely populated landscapes that offer opportunities for roadside photography of passing herders, open savannahs, and rustic settlements. By midday, we’ll arrive and set up our private mobile safari camp just outside Oncocua, perfectly positioned near an Ovahakaona village. 

Lunch will be served in camp, followed by an afternoon visit to meet and photograph the Ovahakaona people, whose distinctive styles, cultural markings, and expressive eyes are captivating through the lens. As the sun drops lower, we’ll work with rich directional light to create dynamic portraits, silhouettes, and richly shadowed scenes before returning to camp. Our private mobile safari camp offers full-board comfort, giving us the perfect base to download, review, and discuss images under the stars. (B, L, D)

We’ll greet the day with a visit to a Ovangambwe village. The morning air will be cool and still, perfect for working quietly among the people as they go about their routines. This is a rare opportunity to capture the Ovangambwe’s distinctive dress—layered fabrics, beadwork, and headscarves—in a setting of mud-brick homes and open courtyards. Low, side lighting will enhance facial textures and bring depth to portraits, while early activity in the village offers candid, storytelling frames.

After breakfast, we’ll make our way to Curoca village and its old market, a vibrant scene for street-style photography. Here, stalls overflow with local produce, handmade goods, and daily necessities, while traders and shoppers create a constant flow of motion and expression. It’s an ideal place to experiment with environmental portraits and layered compositions that capture the spirit of rural commerce.

After lunch in camp, we’ll set out in the late afternoon for a visit to an Ovatwa village. The Ovatwa people, traditionally semi-nomadic, are known for their unique way of life and expressive personalities. As the sun begins to sink, warm, directional light will give portraits a golden radiance and add depth to scenes of village life. We’ll return for dinner and a well-earned rest. (B, L, D)

We’ll set out at first light for an early morning visit to an Ovahimba village, when the low sun casts long, warm shadows across the ochre-colored earth. This is a magical time to photograph the Ovahimba people, whose distinctive hairstyles—coated with a mixture of ochre and butterfat—catch the morning light beautifully. Intricate jewelry, layered leather skirts, and beadwork provide rich textures for close-up shots, while wide environmental portraits will tell the story of their daily life within the village setting.

After breakfast, we’ll head to Curoca village and its old market. The market is alive with movement, conversation, and exchange—an ideal place to concentrate on street photography techniques, capturing both the color and the character of this rural trading hub. Textures from woven baskets, weathered stalls, and patterned fabrics make for excellent compositional elements.

Following lunch back in camp, we’ll return to another Ovahimba village for our afternoon session. This is when the golden-hour light creates a soft, flattering glow, perfect for intimate portraits and detail shots of traditional adornments. As the sun sinks lower, we’ll have the opportunity to create striking silhouettes and warm, atmospheric images before returning to our private mobile safari camp for dinner and overnight. (B, L, D)

At sunrise, we’ll visit an Ovahakaona village, when the first rays of light illuminate the rich reds and browns of the earth. The Ovahakaona tribespeople are known for their distinctive hairstyles, layers of beaded jewelry, and detailed body ornamentation—each telling a story of identity and tradition. Morning light will provide soft, natural illumination for portraits, while the village setting offers endless opportunities for environmental storytelling.

After breakfast, we’ll begin our journey to Lubango, making a special stop at a lively market where we’ll meet women of the Ovamwila tribe. Their elaborate, sculptural hairstyles—crafted from ochre, butter, and intricate braiding—are among the most striking in Angola, and the market atmosphere offers candid, vibrant backdrops for our images.

Upon arrival in Lubango, we’ll check in to our hotel and enjoy lunch. The afternoon will be at leisure, giving time to rest, back up images, or take a short walk for street photography in the city.

As the heat softens toward late afternoon, we’ll head to the breathtaking Tundavala viewpoint, where vast escarpments drop dramatically into the plains below. The sweeping landscape is perfect for wide-angle captures, and we may also encounter young Ovamwila girls from mountain communities—offering another chance for cultural portraits bathed in warm, golden light. (B, L, D)

After breakfast, we’ll set out for Hoque market, where our main focus will be photographing the Ovahanda women. Their distinctive attire, vibrant headscarves, and traditional jewelry provide striking portrait opportunities, while the market itself—alive with movement, barter, and conversation—offers a wealth of candid street scenes. This is the perfect setting to capture a mix of intimate close-ups and layered environmental images that convey the market’s atmosphere.

From Hoque, we’ll travel back through Lubango and onward to the Bibala area, home to the Ovanguendelengo people. Known for their unique adornments and expressive faces, the Ovanguendelengo offer a chance to work with both portraiture and cultural documentary photography. Here, we’ll look for moments that combine human connection with the surrounding landscapes.

We’ll then continue to Namibe for lunch before enjoying a leisurely afternoon in this coastal city. Namibe’s architecture blends Portuguese colonial influence with African color and character—pastel façades, weathered textures, and ornate details that are perfect for abstract compositions and architectural photography. We’ll explore quiet side streets, photograph fishing boats along the shoreline, and capture daily life against a backdrop of ocean light. Dinner will be served at a seaside restaurant, followed by our hotel check-in. (B, L, D)

After breakfast, we’ll make a brief stop at Namibe’s historic Cine-Studio, a faded cinematic relic that offers wonderful opportunities for architectural and detail photography—weathered paint, old signage, and geometric lines that evoke a bygone era. From here, we’ll leave the city behind and journey deep into the desert, where the ochre dunes and open plains gradually lead us into the heartland of the Ovakuvale tribe in the Virei area.

By midday, we’ll set up our private mobile safari camp just steps from an Ovakuvale village. Lunch will be served in camp before we begin our afternoon immersion with the Ovakuvale people. Known for their elaborate hairstyles, vibrant jewelry, and richly symbolic body adornments, the Ovakuvale are among the most visually striking tribes in Angola.

This session will be perfect for creating a diverse body of work—intimate close-ups of facial details, medium portraits framed by traditional clothing, and wide shots that place the subjects within their sweeping desert environment. The late-day light here is extraordinary, painting both people and landscape in warm, golden tones that are ideal for storytelling through photography. We’ll return to camp for dinner, reviewing our images under a vast canopy of desert stars. (B, L, D)

We begin the day with a morning photography session with the Ovakuvale people, capturing them in the soft, early light as they go about their daily routines. This is a perfect opportunity for more natural, candid portraits and environmental storytelling—children playing in the sand, elders gathered in conversation, and details of daily life that give depth to our visual narrative.

After saying our goodbyes, we continue on our journey passing through dramatic desert landscapes, before entering the coastal town of Tombua for lunch. With its fishing heritage, vibrant colors, and oceanfront charm, Tombua offers spontaneous photographic moments even during a brief stop.

From here, we’ll enter the wild beauty of Iona National Park, following the coastline toward our first dune camp. This stretch offers spectacular scenes—towering sand dunes spilling into the Atlantic, bleached driftwood along the shore, and flocks of seabirds in flight. We’ll arrive at camp in time for the golden hour, when the light sculpts the dunes and adds rich texture to every frame. Dinner will be served in camp, with the sound of waves as our soundtrack and the night sky ablaze with stars. (B, L, D)

We start our day before sunrise with breakfast, then set off along the beach at low tide, the only time this rare route is possible. Here, the dunes dramatically meet the Atlantic, creating a surreal landscape where golden sand cascades into churning surf—an unforgettable scene for wide-angle, minimalist, and abstract photography.

Our destination is the launch point opposite Tiger Island, where we board our boat for the 6 mile (10 km) crossing. The island’s history is as fascinating as its scenery. Known as São Martinho dos Tigres, this fishing village was founded in 1860 by Algarve fishermen and abandoned in 1974. The once-bustling community still bears the marks of its past—the 1957 airstrip, still in good condition, runs straight through the village and now serves as its main “street.”

The island was forever changed on March 14, 1962, when a violent gale brought 33 ft (10m) waves that washed away the peninsula, severing the fresh water supply from the Cunene River. Today, it stands as a hauntingly photogenic ghost town, perfect for moody compositions, black-and-white studies, and detailed architectural work.

After exploring and photographing the island, we return to the mainland for lunch at our new dune camp near the launch site. The afternoon is free for climbing dunes, wandering the untouched shoreline, or simply photographing the shifting light and endless horizons. Dinner will be served in camp. (B, L, D)

After an early breakfast, we set out along the beach at low tide, making our way back toward Tombua. Along the way, we stop to photograph the haunting remains of the Vanessa Shipwreck—its rusting hull a dramatic reminder of the wild Atlantic coast.

We then exit Iona National Park near Tombua, where an early lunch awaits. Refreshed, we continue to Arco, home to extraordinary sandstone rock formations and an inland lake—an oasis in the desert where the interplay of light and color is truly magical.

Our journey then takes us to Colinas de Curoca, where striking red sandstone hills rise from the surrounding plains. Here, we settle into our next private mobile safari camp. As the sun sinks toward the horizon, the rocks blaze in shades of crimson and gold, offering unforgettable photographic opportunities. (B, L, D)

After breakfast, we begin our journey toward Namibe, pausing en route to marvel at the giant Welwitschia mirabilis plants in the Flamingo River area. These ancient desert dwellers, some over a thousand years old, are living relics of an otherworldly ecosystem.

Continuing through Namibe, we head toward Lubango, ascending the spectacular Leba Pass—a winding ribbon of road that climbs to the summit of the Chela Mountain Range. From the top, the sweeping views across the valleys and escarpment are nothing short of breathtaking.

In Lubango, we enjoy lunch before setting out for a late afternoon visit to an Ovamwila village, where we are welcomed into the rhythms of daily life. The golden light of sunset bathes the village in warmth, creating ideal conditions for intimate portraiture and cultural storytelling.

We return to Casper Resort for dinner, reflecting on the day’s rich contrasts—from desert plants to mountain heights, and from wild landscapes to the warmth of human connection. (B, L, D)

This morning offers one last opportunity to visit an Ovamwila village, deepening our connection to the people and their traditions while capturing final portraits in the soft morning light.

We return to Lubango for lunch, then enjoy the comfort of our rooms to rest, freshen up, and prepare for the journey ahead. In the late afternoon, our guide escorts us to the airport for our flight to Luanda.

Upon arrival, we are met with private transport to our hotel, where we settle in before gathering for a special farewell dinner—a time to share stories, laughter, and reflections on our extraordinary Angolan adventure. (B, L, D)

After breakfast, we embark on an optional half-day city tour of Luanda, exploring its vibrant streets, colonial architecture, and coastal charm. Along the way, we pause for a final lunch together, savoring the flavors of Angola one last time.

In the afternoon, a private transfer takes us to the airport for our departing flights, carrying home not just photographs, but memories of an unforgettable journey through one of Africa’s most captivating and rarely seen landscapes. (B)