Windhoek is Namibia’s capital city and lies in the heart of the central highlands in an airy basin surrounded by rolling mountains. It has a combination of innovative modern constructions and old German colonial buildings. In the centre of town is a pedestrian walkway with shops and market stalls, whose wares are displayed on the ground. Several cafes in this area make for great ‘people watching’ and there is such diversity that you can sit there all day. As a result of its Germanic colonial history and the mingling of races, you will see people from albino to darkest black and everybody in between, in all sorts of traditional robes. Many of the women are quite stunning with an amazing assortment of intricate hair styles from long fine plaits to a weave of curly twirly ringlets. It gets quite hot between December to February, but because of its high altitude, humidity is low and nights are pleasantly cooled by a light breeze. It does rain quite heavily in summer but the evaporation rate is extremely high so it does not stay damp for long. Winters can get very cold at night with some frost in low lying areas, but the days are warm, sunny and cloudless. As capital cities go, this is one of the safest and most relaxed in Southern Africa and a perfect place to start or finish a Namibian holiday.
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