NAMIBIA – A COUNTRY OF CONTRASTS
The Central Region
Windhoek is the capital of Namibia, with a population numbering around 300 000 souls. A clean city, it has buildings both from the bygone eras as well as modern architecture.
The city lies in the Auas mountain range; hence it looks like a jumble of houses hastily flung together, but that is not the case. Windhoek used to be called !Ai Gams, and served as the headquarters for Jan Jonker Afrikaner.
With a strong fountain and a lot of grazing for his cattle, he stayed here until uprooted by the Germans in the colonial wars. Since then the fountain has seen many different faces and heard many different languages being spoken in the area.
Today Windhoek is a bustling, modern city with shops and restaurants of world standard. One thing in Windhoek stands out though, and that is the pace of the city – or lack of it.
It has a relaxed atmosphere to it, and the visitor will immediately feel this when walking around Windhoek.With many a museum and old buildings present, Windhoek offers a lot for the enthusiastic photographer.
Town tours to Katatura, as well as into the city are a good way to get to know the place. This way you will be able to get first-hand knowledge about who is who and what is where.
The closest park to Windhoek is the Daan Viljoen Game Reserve. Currently, the accommodation facilities are being renovated, but the game reserve is still open for day visitors.
Not to the standard of some of Namibia’s other game reserve, it still offers something to the visitor and is to be enjoyed in that way.
Several lodges compliment the area as well, with well stocked game numbers and beautiful African styles; these lodges can be visited as you travel through Namibia.
If you have a limited amount of time, come and visit Windhoek, and see all the different people of Namibia in one place.
Find history combined with modern life.
Feel the heart throb of a nation.
