By Lisa Wolff, Travel Editor

Having lived in South Africa my whole life, I wasn?t entirely confident of what to expect from Namibia. It has fascincated me how overseas visitors have often believed that us South Africans keep lions as pets and all live in mud huts. But on the verge of entering deeper Africa, I couldn?t help wondering whether I?d be sharing my meals with a tame cheetah...

A Namibian pet?
And what about shopping ? I stockpiled on basic medicines just in case there were no pharmacies in the bundus ? and took along my favourite Woolworths snacks (who knows if there?ll be a decent supermarket there). I was pretty dubious about the money situation as well ? I was assured that I would be able to use rands in Namibia, even though the official currency is Namibian dollars. But would they have ATMs? Credit card facilities?...

As it turned out, money was no problem and the country even had the same banks as back home; there were also all the major chainstores ? including Pick ?n Pay and (Hallelujah!) Woolworths and while there were cases where we stumbled across people keeping lions and cheetahs as pets, for the most part cats and dogs were the conventional animal companions.

So, as I discovered ? Namibia offers the tourist the best of both worlds. It has vast rural areas where you can travel for hours and not see another soul (or shop) and there are also oases of civilisation where you can recover from your intense isolated bush experience.

The Capital: Windhoek

Flying into the country on Air Namibia, the nation's official airline (though you can also opt for SAA or British Airways), I was immediately captivated by the immense plains of desert below. But it wasn?t on sand that I stepped when landing in the capital city of Windhoek - before me was a vista of grassy hills and mountains ? the typical vegetation of Central Namibia.

It was a Sunday so the 40km drive to the centre of town was quiet ?punctuated by the sight of baboons amusing themselves on the side of the road (a vision which became quite common-place during my visit).

Apparently the Namibians haven?t caught onto the lucrative concept of weekend shopping so we took advantage of the town?s ghostly atmosphere and did some exploring. There are a number of touristy places of interest in the area, which are worth visiting.

The Sanderburg castle
Must-sees include the three majestic castles in the city ? Sanderburg (which is still a private residence but with our host's connections, we managed to have a look inside); Schwerinsburg (currently the home of the Italian ambassador); and the fantasy Heinitzburg, which is now being used as an exclusive hotel. (Beware ? prices are expensive here - expect to pay at least R50 for a single glass of white wine). All three structures were designed by German-born Willi Sander, who has infused his signature grace in many of the historic buildings in Windhoek.

Windhoek scenery from the castle
We also stopped to look at the Namibian parliament buildings on our way to the Alte Feste (old fort), which was built in the late 1800s to protect the Windhoek settlers and now houses the National Museum of Namibia. We admired a fascinating exhibition of San (perhaps better known by their political incorrect term - Bushmen) history and lifestyle before heading off to central town.

Here, we visited the Kaiserkrone Shopping Centre ? which resembles an outdoor plaza rather than the sophisticated malls we're used to. But what our centres of commerce do not have, is a collection of authentic Gibeon meteorites which fell from the sky in Southern Namibia during the early 1800s and is the largest known shower in the world ? quite surreal really!

The foyer of the Windhoek country club
We also had a tour of Windhoek?s answer to the Lost City ? the Country Club and Resort. Here the architecture is similar to South Africa?s Sun City with its water features, artificial safari ambiance, casino, a golf course and large function venues. The rooms are very top class and the meals are banquets. However, I was left with an after-taste that the whole glitzy concept somehow feels a little out-of-place in a town which still has a charming, rustic feel.

Our first sunset
Turning back to nature, we made our way to Lovers? Hill, aptly named for its stunning views across the entire city. And boy, what an awesome first sunset we were treated to!

Joes Beer House
We then enjoyed a final stop at the ?place to be? on a Sunday evening (every night, in fact!) ? Joe?s Beerhouse. This famed steakhouse is known throughout the world as serving the most scrumptious (and hugest) steaks around. It has fascinating paraphernalia dangling from every spot on the wall and ceiling and an open kitchen where you can salivate over the thick, juicy steaks being prepared. Mention Joe?s Beerhouse, especially in Germany, and you?ll suddenly make a load of new friends.

An amusing sign in Joes
Since we were having dinner back at our guesthouse, it was torture watching delicious-smelling meals pass by our table. We just concentrated on enjoying the traditional Gluwein and the local beer variety, until we couldn?t take it any longer and had to leave.

The pool patio at Kleines Heim
After this brief orientation, we returned to our Windhoek accommodation ? Kleines Heim ? which thoroughly lived up to its reputation of being a home away from home. The gorgeous patio complete with sparkling pool and palm trees give the impression of an exotic paradise rather than central suburbia.

My room at Kleines Heim
The rooms are also multi-starred with en-suite bathrooms, satellite TV and tea/coffee making facilities. The guest house also has excellent conference facilities and the most hospitable owners.

We had a wonderful welcoming dinner which definitely gave Joe?s steaks a run for its money ? the most interesting cuisine being the Kalahari Truffles, a delicacy which resemble sandy potatoes but when cooked have an exotic mushroom taste.

The dinner table set at Kleines Heim
After dinner, we gathered around for the first of many camaraderie chats ? some of which went late into the night - this one cut short with the prospect of leaving at the crack of dawn.

Look out for the next installment of these thrilling adventures in Namibia.
Next up: we head towards the fascinating Otjiwarongo. Watch this space!