Information for journalistsThe UNICEF country programme covers interventions working through families and communities in the fields of health and nutrition, water and environmental sanitation, and education, and also covers activities for social mobilization, advocacy and support to policy development. A key motive for UNICEF in facilitating journalists to travel into Angola is to expose them to the range of activities the organization carries out in pursuit of its mandate on behalf of children and women. Consequently to encourage better informed coverage in the media: of both the pressing needs and of the actions communities and the international humanitarian agencies are taking together to improve the situation. Here you will find some advice and answers to few practical questions that will facilitate your preparations for travelling to Angola. Entry visa and journalist accreditation Angola requires entry visa for every nationality. To start processing the visa, the Angolan embassy in your respective country will require a letter of invitation from the Centre of Foreign Press in Luanda. In order to write the invitation letter, the Press Centre needs to receive from you by fax a request letter with information including: name of media, names and passport numbers of persons travelling, names of both parents of persons travelling, reasons for visiting, length of stay in Angola and address, phone and fax number of the Angolan embassy in your country. With the information you provided, the Press Centre will fax the invitation letter directly to the Angolan embassy. Upon arrival you will need to obtain also at the Press Centre a journalist accreditation. Kindly note that UNICEF will only extend letters of invitation to journalists travelling on a UNICEF-facilitated press trip (ie you have a pre-arranged visit programme coordinated through UNICEF Angola Communication Section and/or a UNICEF National Committee press office). In case of such organised trips, UNICEF will also provide logistic support and arrange interviews and briefings with key experts on children related issues and children who are suitable talent for the story pursued. Centro de Imprensa Immunizations Although the only immunization required by Angolan authorities is yellow fever (note that you will need to show your vaccination card with yellow fever for entry in airport), it is advisable to have Hepatitis A and B, Polio, Rabies, Typhoid, Tetanus and Meningitis. Power Power in Angola is 220 volts and plugs are two-pronged. If you’re bringing 120V appliances, you will require a transformer. Some equipment comes as switchable between 120/220V - in this case, make sure you have adapters for the plug-ends and that they’re switched to work with 220V. Money Matters Credit cards are accepted at few, if any, places in and around Luanda or the rest of Angola for that matter. The official currency is called the ‘Kwanza’, but US dollars are widely accepted. Kwanzas are not allowed out of the country, something to keep in mind when traveling in and out of Angola. Transport in Luanda can be problematic as there is no regular taxi service available in the city and you won’t find taxis queuing outside the airport. There are a couple of taxi service companies that work upon pre-arrangement. Name: Macon Taxi – Bairro Golfe, Luanda You may also rent a vehicle with the following companies: Avis Rent a Car – Avenida che-Guevara, Luanda Tel: 2 44 (2) 32 31 82/ 32 15 51 or Angocar - Rua Manuel Caldeira 3, Luanda Tel: 2 44 (2) 39 03 33/ 33 56 35 Note that some of the hotels (see list below) have a shuttle service to and from the airport. Traveling to the provinces Traveling to the provinces is relatively easy. Three companies are now covering most of the country. The cost of the round-trip flights is around 100 USD. The three companies doing the service are the following: Air Gemini: http://www.airgemini.com/ , e-mail comercial@airgemini.ebonet.net, ph. 244(2) 351249 World Food Programme also has a flight service to a number of provinces and the cost is also around 100 USD. If you wish to find out what routes they will be doing during your stay and book a flight you should contact their Communication Officer, Manuel Cristovao. His e-mail is manuel.cristovao@wfp.org and tel: +244 912503197. Accommodation in Luanda Hotels Hotel Presidente Meridien Hotel Tropico Hotel Continental Hotel Tivoli Hotel Avenida Guest houses • Alposa –Rua Anibal Melo, Luanda Tel: 2 44 (2) 44 60 06 Accommodation in the provinces
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