Beware of the warthogs! I spot the first warning sign just after leaving Windhoek's small but efficient Hosea Kutako International Airport. It's a reminder, if one were needed, that this is the African wild. Other signs warn of antelope crossing the highway, and it's not something to take lightly; every year kudu (a type of antelope) kill several people by colliding with their cars.
The morning after my arrival, I walk downtown to reacquaint myself with a Southern African capital where construction over the past five years has accentuated its transformation into a modern, modestly high-rise city. The streets and coffee shops are filled with people of all races and the mood is relaxed. Qualms exist about venturing on foot into city centres in some parts of Africa, but not here.
As I window-shop outside a bookstore in an upscale arcade, a large and formidable-looking woman buttonholes me. She mistakenly thinks I am waiting, as she is, for the snack bar next door to open. "I have a Russian most mornings," she tells me. Her distinctive garb indicates that she is a member of the minority Herero tribe. Its female members wear modest ankle-length frocks, inspired by 19th-century German missionaries, but combine them with a distinctively African cloth headdress.
"I like to come to this place," she continues. "You can be sure the Russians are always fresh. You should buy one yourself ? you will enjoy." She reads my bemused expression and leads me a few steps into the snack bar. "Show this man a Russian," she bellows. The cook uses tongs to thrust a shrivelled sausage toward me. "You want chips with it?" he enquires, pointing to a sign indicating that a "Russian and chips" will cost me N$10 (86p). "For that price the Russian is on a roll," my new friend whispers. It seems an offer too good to refuse, even though a Russian on a roll sounds more like a controversial Moscow billionaire.
Namibia is where they eat Russians for breakfast. This dietary custom exists throughout southern Africa, a puzzled Russian diplomat confided to me the following week at Johannesburg International Airport. Like me, he has no idea how a bland sausage acquired this name. More intriguing is that it did so during the apartheid era when anything Russian was legally taboo.
Namibia is in many ways similar to South Africa. When German colonisation ended following its World War I defeat, the League of Nations opted in 1920 to mandate South Africa to run South West Africa (as Namibia was then called). South Africa subsequently resisted appeals for independence and a guerrilla war was spearheaded by the South West African People's Organisation (SWAPO), leading to eventual independence in 1990 (shortly before apartheid's demise across the border). SWAPO leader Sam Nujoma, now 75, has been Namibia's elected president since independence.
This vast (825,000sqkm) country, mostly desert and semi-desert, has just 1.8 million inhabitants ? 250,000 of them in Windhoek. Key activities are mining (uranium, cadmium, diamonds, lead, copper, zinc and silver); fishing, in the exceptionally rich south Atlantic fishing grounds; farming of cattle and sheep; and tourism, which is growing almost apace with South Africa, thanks in part to the widely held view that this is a safe destination. English is the official language, but Afrikaans, Damara, German, Herero, Khoisan, Oshivambo (spoken by the Ovambo majority) and Tswana are also commonly heard.
The German colonial heritage is most apparent in the architecture of the coastal towns of Swakopmund and Lüderitz. However, along Windhoek's Independence Avenue, some imposing old buildings ? increasingly elbowed by contemporary edifices ? have a distinctly Germanic appearance. Unsurprisingly, Germans make up the majority of tourists, lured by an African experience within the context of their colonial history. (Germany was a minor player in the European scramble for Africa.) "The Germans come to Windhoek and the British go to Cape Town," is the somewhat oversimplified rule of thumb offered by a banker I met in the capital.
Namibia is one of southern Africa's most prosperous and stable countries and is often compared with neighbouring Botswana, a similarly arid, lightly peopled nation ? also dependent on tourism and minerals. Namibia's infrastructure is more sophisticated than in most African countries: smooth highways link major towns and telecommunications are excellent.
"Tourism is doing well and many hotels and game lodges are in the throes of refurbishment," says Brian Batson, a senior financial officer at Namib Sun, the country's biggest hotel chain. "With the economy sound, there's plenty of construction ? look at Windhoek's new buildings. We're no basket case."
Windhoek's compact centre boasts several air-conditioned shopping malls. Post Street Mall is a pedestrianised and neatly maintained precinct with stalls displaying ornate wooden carvings, leatherwork and other African crafts. Bargaining should be done less aggressively than in Asia or the Middle East, with a one-third "discount" on modest prices usually fair. There are also internet cafes nearby, along with one of the city's two casinos.
While wide-open spaces and cultural diversity are undeniably important, an abundance of game viewing opportunities is the main attraction for visitors. What's more, the country has numerous upscale lodges ? even if these are generally less well known than the best in South Africa, Botswana or Kenya. Adding to Namibia's allure is its off-the-beaten-track status. Wildlife includes the largest concentration of black rhinos in a single place (Etosha National Park), which is home to about one in 12 of the 3,600 endangered black rhinos left in the world. Other beasts include elephants, lions, cheetahs, leopards, white rhinos, wildebeest, African buffalos, giraffes, zebras and 20 types of antelope ? among them the ubiquitous kudu.
I chose the lazy option, deciding my first rural breakaway on this visit would be a 90-minute drive from Independence Avenue through sparsely vegetated countryside. A dirt-road winds through dramatic hill country, its rocky outcrops the habitat of leopards. Stylish Midgard Lodge, is an odd but successful juxtaposition of the African and Germanic in both architecture and decor. A cattle ranch and horse stud, it also encompasses 2,000 hectares where game roams free. Tours yield sightings of antelope, giraffes, zebras and warthogs. Accommodation is of five-star standard and meals include game meats with a tip of the hat to German cuisine. Diversions include hikes along bush trails, lazing by the pool, 10-pin bowling in the lodge's own alley, ambles through a museum of old cars, and browsing in a library rich in material describing Namibia's history.
With wildlife and wilderness to rival any African destination, Windhoek also has much to look forward to in the future.
Restaurants
Windhoek is rich in dining options. Hotel eateries are an extremely popular, if unadventurous option, offering dishes with a clear German influence, as well as some African-style game meats.El Gaucho (tel 264 61 255503) serves giant Argentine-style steaks using high-quality local beef, while O Portuga (tel 264 61 272900) showcases the Portuguese dishes that are popular in neighbouring Angola. African Roots(tel 264 61 232796) offers a mock-tribal setting and African art as a backdrop for cultural shows and nicely prepared game meats. In addition to these, two of the city's finest restaurants are:
Joe's Beerhouse(tel 264 61 232457, www.joesbeerhouse.com) One of Windhoek's most popular (and biggest) restaurants as well as an in-vogue watering hole for residents. It is a place where you see what you'll be eating: the heads of antelope and other feral creatures are mounted on the walls. A long menu includes kudu, gemsbok and zebra, which are mostly served as succulent steaks. The clientele is mostly German, hence dishes such as game knuckle in red wine sauce. Dinner for two costs about £26, including Windhoek Lagers. Add about £9 for a reasonable South African wine.
Abyssinia(tel 264 61 254891) Restaurants serving dishes from elsewhere in Africa are rare in Windhoek. A charming exception is Abyssinia, serving Ethiopian cuisine ? particularly the national dish, wat, which is a peppery stew of chicken, lamb or beef served with injera, a bread somewhat like a chapati that is used for mopping up the sauce. Reservations are recommended. Dinner for two costs about £22 including beers.
Getting there
There are no direct flights from London, but BA has flights via Johannesburg with return fares from £7,666 in first class, £4,116 in business or £806 in economy. There are no through fares for World Traveller Plus, so book London-Johannesburg for £1,027 and buy an economy ticket for £241 to Windhoek. For a review of Windhoek's best hotels go to page 61 of the November edition of Business Traveller magazine.
