Windhuk

Most visitors to Namibia spend one night in Windhoek before and one night after their circuit. The city is understood primarily as a logistical node, the international airport, the car hire desk, the supermarket run before heading north. This understanding is not wrong, but it is incomplete.

Windhoek is a genuinely interesting African capital. At 1,654 metres in the Khomas Highland, it has a climate that is cool and comfortable for most of the year. Its colonial architecture. German Lutheran churches, the Alte Feste military museum, the colonial government buildings, is unusually intact for a former colonial capital. Its food culture is the best in Namibia. And within a 45km radius of the city centre, there are cheetah, leopard, and a range of game species that make half-day and full-day trips more productive than most visitors anticipate.

The argument for two nights at each end is not just logistical (flight timing, last-night dinner, car return); it is experiential. Windhoek rewards time.

Population: Approximately 430,000 Elevation: 1,654 metres International airport: Hosea Kutako International Airport (42km east) City airport: Eros Airport (charter flights, domestic)

What to Do

In the city: The Christuskirche, the Alte Feste, the Independence Museum, the Namibia Craft Centre, Katutura township tour. Full guide: What to see in Windhoek

Day trips: Cheetah Conservation Fund (43km north), Daan Viljoen Game Reserve (25km west), Okonjima and AfriCat (240km north), Okapuka Ranch (40km north). Full guide: Day trips from Windhoek

Eating: Joe’s Beerhouse is the institution; The Stellenbosch Wine Bar and the range of restaurants in the Klein Windhoek and Eros areas provide good diversity. Full guide: Best restaurants in Windhoek

Getting Around

Windhoek is a car city; public transport is limited and taxis are the practical alternative. Most visitors have hired a vehicle for their Namibia trip and use it in the city; parking is available throughout the city centre.