Joanna James
The capital of Namibia, Windhoek is more than a halfway point; the place is not merely for picking up your rental car or meeting your tour guide. On the contrary, Windhoek has a number of allures well worth exploring, and settling down for a few days in the capital will be quite rewarding.
Want to take back some authentic souvenirs? Then the Namibia Craft Centre, located within the Old Breweries complex is your one-stop shop. Easy to find in the centre of town, well serviced by a number of international resort chains like AVANI Hotels & Resorts, the craft centre is home to over 40 shops; it is clean and community-minded providing over 4,000 jobs for the talented artisans of Namibia. Of course, prices are higher and haggling is not the way to go, but you can be sure of buying quality items and some of the best crafts in the country.
The name Katutura translates to 'the place where people do not want to live', due to the rather glum history attached to the place. The township is located to the north of the capital, and in case your interest is piqued about the 'unhappy history' of the place, it is attributed to the fact that, in the 1950's black residents living in the suburb – Hochland Park, were relocated, by force under Apartheid law, to Katutura. The relocation was plagued by the fact, these residents were demanded to pay high rents for homes of low standard, and travel long distances to their workplaces. A 3 hour bicycle trip is your safest and easiest mode of exploring this township, which is great for understanding local lifestyles, the extent of poverty, and a chance to buy crafts and taste the popular kapana meat.
This museum chronicles the end of Apartheid and displays an impressive collection of paintings, informative displays and artefacts. There you can understand how strong the resistance to colonisation was and how hard the battle for racial freedom was fought. Two of the most iconic attractions there are the statues of Namibia's first president Sam Nujoma, and the Genocide memorial; both located at the front of the building. Next door is the National Museum of Namibia, where you can admire the famous San Rock paintings of Namibia, while the very building the museum is housed within is also an artefact, an old German fort which dates back to 1890. Remember Namibia is quite up-to-date with modern trends and you can easily [book hotels online, in case you decide to hang around the vibrant capital for a few extra days.
Located across 12 hectares of land the National Botanic Garden of Namibia is located just off Sam Nujoma Avenue. The place serves well as one of the first tastes you will get of the country's ruggedly beautiful environs; for this botanic garden is not the typical manicured lawns once expects. Instead, the place has been left for nature to take care of and is a riot of wilderness which any nature lover will appreciate for its stark beauty. This measure was taken as an effort to conserve water, and to educate visitors on the diversity of the country's beautiful flora. Explore the self-guided trails, and get updated with the brochures on offer at the help desk, these describe the types of birds, and plants, including some desert beauties like cacti to look out for.
If you have a day to spare in Windhoek, do pay this game reserve a visit. Located just 25kms from the city centre, the place is compared to the country's popular Etosha National Park. Besides, the park can be explored on foot as there are no large predators living there.
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