What's it like in Soyo

John1 wrote:

Hi,
I am considering a rotation at Soyo and have lots of concerns. Can anyone advise on the following:

- How bad is the health issue, malaria especially?
- Is it a snake infested place?

I will be staying on the Kwanda Base, how is the accommodation, meals, what is there to do.

Thanks in advance for your comments

Hi John, I have been living in Soyo for a year now.  Are you going to be in Kwanda base itself or in the Angola LNG/Bechtel site?  The first is an open base and you can go in and out whereas the second is a closed camp and you can only leave if authorized to do so.

I take a malaria pill every day and will continue to do so for as long as I am here.  Some people dont take any medication at all and some only for the first 3 months.  Since this is an endemic area for the most lethal type of malaria (plasmodium falsiparum) I don´t want to take the risk. There are also weekly pills you can take.  You should check with you local tropical medicine center for the other types of health risks you may encounter here.  As you may already know you need a yellow fever shot to get into the country.  Before coming I also had the following vaccinations:  typhoid, hep A & B, polio, tetanus, and a couple more which I cant remember at this point.  There are several internet sites you can check, including this one:  mdtravelhealth.com/destinations/africa/angola.php.  Since Soyo is an isolated area, bring all the medicines that you will need to take during your rotation as you may not be able to find them here.

Regarding the snakes, I have yet to see one.  However, I understand that when the Angola LNG site was being cleared for construction there were a lot of snakes in the area.  They do tell you to be aware though although the only snakes I have seen are the two legged ones. 

It is not too bad there actually. People are friendly and it is a lot safer than Luanda. In terms of snakes - well have a look at a picture of a 4,5m snake recently captured there - you can find it on the picture site.

Hello
  iam about to relocates in soyo for the angola lng project. Can u please advise about soyo / malaria / indian food / safety. i will staying in the bechtel camp.should i bring my medicines etc how the bechtel camp r all facilities r available there/

I shall like to thank Jotici for her candid posts, which apparently would enable me make an informed decision as regards an employment offer with the Becthel/LNG plant in Soyo, Angola.
I am in negotiation with a recruiting agency with no solid offer yet, but apparently a perfect match for the said employment with the LNG plant as a Senior Lead Laboratory/Field Technician. Would you please advise what a fair wage and remuneration could be, and I do not like the idea of compulsory base living, I am a bloody civilian and never admire the military style living conditions, and more-so would conflict with my religious views, but I shall like to take advantage of this rare opportunity to get into better things. I was supposedly to be on for six months, beginning early January. I do not know how feasible that would be since I have not even began the immigration procedures.

HI Francisade, the Bechtel/Angola LNG project is a closed camp.  Try and see if you can negotiate otherwise but I dont think that will be feasible.  Not sure about the fair wage since I am not familiar with your professional field.  Keep in mind that all expenses are paid for i.e. housing, food, your trip back home, etc. and since you cannot leave the camp there are not too many opportunities to sepend money except at the rec centers and event there the prices are very low compared to the outside.

My work visa took one month but I understand that they are more difficult to get now. 

Good luck!!!

francisade@yahoo.com wrote:

I shall like to thank Jotici for her candid posts, which apparently would enable me make an informed decision as regards an employment offer with the Becthel/LNG plant in Soyo, Angola.
I am in negotiation with a recruiting agency with no solid offer yet, but apparently a perfect match for the said employment with the LNG plant as a Senior Lead Laboratory/Field Technician. Would you please advise what a fair wage and remuneration could be, and I do not like the idea of compulsory base living, I am a bloody civilian and never admire the military style living conditions, and more-so would conflict with my religious views, but I shall like to take advantage of this rare opportunity to get into better things. I was supposedly to be on for six months, beginning early January. I do not know how feasible that would be since I have not even began the immigration procedures.

Hi

I liked a lot Soyo since its the oposite of Luanda that is a chaos.

I lived outside the base and never had any safety problems and also i dont take anything for malaria.

if you stay inside the base the have all medical assistance

Also in one year i only saw two pictures of snakes but never saw one of them there.

dont forget that Kwanda Base had a lot of construction (200 acres) naturally that they have destroyed the snakes habitat but that was some years ago.

even mosquitos i was never bitten by one


what i saw there was ratts

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I just returned from a trip to Soyo. The people there are very friendly. I stayed in an apartment that was gated and guarded at all times. I ate dinner on the Kwanda base one evening and took a tour of the base. The food was outstanding at the cafeteria and the homes on the base were very neat and everything was clean. Outside of the base and where I stayed the living conditions were poor in most of the city. Not many people have electricity but run generators.They have modern technology like cellphones, laptops, IPads, Sat TV's etc. and most dress in nice clothes. The outdoor market is very primitive but there are some nicer stores. I saw no snakes at all but dogs are everywhere and run wild. They are not dangerous that I could tell. There is a beautiful beach off the Atlantic ocean outside of the city. Very secluded. I stayed in Luanda one night and would never want to go there again. I could live in Soyo if I had to especially if I worked on the Kwanda base. They have a network of collegues (sp) that look out for each others families and foreigners at the airports and immigration checkpoints. All in all while i was in Soyo I had most things I needed. My apartment was like a roadside motel in the states but kept very clean. If you are considering working on the Kwanda base you will have it nice.