Yoo,
I'm living at the Chameleon right now. I was staying at the Cardboard Box in a tent and I actually really like the place. Windhoek and Swakopmund are actually kinda expensive. Be prepared to spend around $700-$1000USD/month. As far as safety, everyone else pretty much covered the gist. Just don't blatantly have your money out and about, dress down, unless you're going to the airport, and keep your common sense on high.
My personal Pros and Cons about the Chameleon and the Cardboard Box:
Chameleon -Pros:
-Very clean
-Extremely friendly staff
-closer to the airport & to catch a cab there in the morning
-peaceful after a day at work
-good breakfast (cereal and toast)
-closer to Pick & Pay and Fruit & Veg (grocery stores)
-Very clean kitchen
-quiet at night
-Programmable commons TV room
-Cheaper drinks
Chameleon -Cons:
-Have to pay for internet (and it's slow...TIA)
-More expensive compared to the Box
-Small campground
-relatively boring...
Box -Pros:
-Friendly staff
-Free internet
-Lively, especially at night & the weekends
-lots of girls
-CHEAP (in comparison about $120nad or ~$14USD for a single room)
-Can purchase food @ bar
-definitely a good place to start and feel familiar with Windhoek
Box -Cons:
-Kinda dirty, the kitchen is gross, so is the public fridge
-further from the airport & harder to catch a taxi in the morning
-Chad! (the owner. when he's there, they only play classic rock haha)
-only area to hang out is the bar & they ALWAYS have the TV on
-Loud at night
Personally, I'd recommend the Box to start. You'll meet lots of people and become much more familiar with the area. In both places, they're relatively safe. The advantage to the box is that the area behind the box (Windhoek West) is quite safe & if you like to run or jog in the evening, no need to worry.
However, keep your view realistic. . .
As far as hiring goes, I don't know what to expect at the moment. Don't get discouraged if you don't get any feedback from the companies immediately. They're like women, they pretend to act not interested. Just know that there is no real
hiring season. As soon as a spot opens up, you've gotta be there & READY to go.
Contrary to what has been said, don't necessarily take this as a vacation. This is basically a business trip so be prepared to work. Not that you won't enjoy yourself, but get your $hit in order before you party. I HIGHLY recommend doing a C210 type rating. Why? A). You make yourself familiar with the airspace, rules & regs, the aircraft itself AND you can go online faster. B). You keep yourself busy and focused on what you need to do. It's not cheap! It is definitely not cheap!! BUT, if you've already spent X amount on your qualifications, another $3,000USD shouldn't kill you.
Of course, we're here because we love to fly, but just know that there is also a lot of BS the comes with it, so just be prepared. I'm not going to tell you not to come because if you want this job, and are prepared to wait and work, you WILL get a job out here. Just be ready! If you ever catch yourself just sitting with nothing to do, pick up a book, or hang out at a flight school.
Take care man, and see you soon
