Where to stay in Windhoek

Windhoek is the capital and largest city of Namibia. It is located in central Namibia on the Khomas Highland plateau area, at around 1,700 m (5,600 ft) above sea level in the geographical centre of the country.

The city was spelled Windhuk during the German colonial time and is sometimes still referred to as such in German. The name is pronounced wind-hook, as "oe" in Dutch and Afrikaans is pronounced like "u" in German.

Getting in

The B1, which runs from the north to the south and the B2 (Trans-Kalahari) which runs from the east to the west through Namibia are the primary land routes into Windhoek. Northern towns served by the B1 include Oshakati, Otjiwarongo, and Okahanja. Southern towns include Rehoboth, Keetmanshoop and Lüderitz. From the west the B2 connects Swakopmund and from the east it connects Gobabis. This is the easiest way to get to Windhoek for people without a car. Minibuses run from everywhere in Namibia, and through some combination of different routes, one can always find their way to Windhoek.

Getting around

Most hotels and hostels are close to the city centre, so you can easily walk to most shops, restaurants, clubs and sights. After dark it is not safe to walk, though. Traffic in Windhoek generally flows freely, and driving is generally well ordered. Parking garages are located in the shopping centres and some street parking is available too.

Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.