Windhoek Travel Forum

Hi, my daughter will be flying to Windhoek at the end of February. The bank told us only 500 Namibia Dollar can be brought into the country. Could anybody tell us if traveller cheques are a good alternative? Better in Euro or better in US $? Are there ATMs that accept VISA? My daughter will be staying for about 7 weeks, first doing voluntary work at an orphanage, then driving up to Etosha, so she'll need some money.
Thank you very much for your help.
Christine

Thanks a lot for your help. I really appreciate it.
Christine

Christine,

I spent about two months in Namibia a few years ago, and I carried all of my travel funds in AMEX traveler's checks (US dollars). They may not be as easy to work with as an ATM card, but I just wanted to point out that this was a viable alternative. Windhoek is such a well-developed town that any means of carring money is probably fine, whether traveler's checks, ATM card, or good old-fashioned cash. Compared to other African cities, Windhoek is very safe, so having cash in one's pockets is probably not as big a concern as it would be in, say, Johannesburg.

Namibia is such a fantastic place. Your daughter will have the time of her life.

Take care.

Hi Christine. What a wonderful time she's going to have. Agree with all points raised above... she will have no problems with ATMs or visa or TCs in the main towns. If this is the first time she's done a trip like this, it may be useful to make sure she makes a couple of copies of all docs (passport, insurance, driving license etc) - leave 1 copy with you along with a note of the numbers of any cards she has with her, and take the other copy with her - but to keep the copies in separate bags from the originals.

She'ss have a ball - there's quite an international group in Windhoek working for NGOs etc... people are great. Wish I was in her place!

Gillian

Hello,
Also in the northern part of Namibia you can use VISA to take money "from the wall" as my colleague said. It worked fine every single time he used it. It didn't work for me --- but only because I had left my pincode at home!!!!! (well, I saced some money on the trip..).
The town I'm talking about is Oshakati/Ondangwa, two towns that are gradually growing together.
rehards,
Soili

PS I took all my money in euros, and I changed some into South African randi which are accepted in Namibia. I had no problems at the bank to change my moeny later on either.