I'll be heading to Namibia in late July, and would like to pick up some cigars in Windhoek before heading out to camp. Any recommendations either near the airport or heading north toward Etosha?? I'll be stopping in Frankfort on the way- would cigars be cheaper there than Windhoek??

If cigars are that important, (ugh on those nasties), couldn't one just tuck a few in their luggage and solve the preceived problem of finding them somewhere along the way?
Just asking.

Larry Sellers
SCI Life Member

I just pack a box in my luggage. Good Dominicans. IMHO, Cubans are overrated and overpriced. I have never had them stolen. I find that A.Fuente 858s in their hard wooden box travel well. I usually leave them with the PH.

Bud,

You'll find a decent selection of Cubans in Wecke & Voigts Department store on the main street just a door down from the entrance to the Kalahari Sands arcade. (Why anyone would buy those flavorless products of the Dominican Republic is beyond me )

Wecke & Voigts may be online and you may be able to price the cigars. As for Frankfurt, I've not found the duty free shopping there all that much of a bargain...

Regards, Tim

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Thanks, Tim. I didn't want to use the "C" word since I know it's illegal for American citizens to buy them, but the evidence is destroyed in a series of small fires

Come on man, you're going to be in Africa. Haven't you heard the phrase "When in Rome,..."? Have your PH stop off at a local shop up north and pick out some local zebra dung and a discarded newspaper for rolling your own.

It's not illegal when you are on another continent.

Yeah! "BEST BLEND," ["BB"] tobacco. Rolled in old telephone directory pages. At night, it looks like an erupting volcano with the flames and sparks flying. You'll cough like an old Bushman tracker, fart like a zebra raiding a green oats field and never know if you have a cold or flu again. Don't be a wuss, give it a go and a lot cheaper than them damn ceegars.

BGH: You're wrong. Technically, you can't even buy them overseas. See below:

Cuban Cigars Are Illegal at Home and Abroad
Technically, although an American citizen cannot even purchase or smoke a Cuban cigar while traveling abroad, there may not be any practical way to enforce the restriction

stop smoking........and live longer.

hunt safe wisent

Duty Free in Frankfurt is going to have a much better selection and probably better prices than any place in Windhoek. Further, do you really want to be futzing around Namibia hoping to find the brand and size you want. I would rather be hunting! You could also just buy a decent box of smokes in the US, bag them, and throw them in your carry on without too much worry of them drying out. Depending on the length of your hunt, a nice box of eight La Gloria Cubana Churhill tubos might be just the ticket. I took a full box of Hoyo de Monterey Pantelas on my last trip and they were wonderful. I think it was about $60 for the box and I smoked about half of the 25 over 14 days. I then gave some away to the trackers/skinners and dropped two or three in my pocket for the trip home. It worked out beautifully without breaking the bank.

Tendrams: Thanks for the info. I arrive in Windhoek at 5:00AM, so the stores will all be closed anyway. I'll try the Duty Free shops at the Frankfort Airport, then take the train into town and play tourist for a few hours

The duty free in Windhoek airport has a small selection, the Jo'burg airport selection is a lot better.

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Originally posted by Fjold:
The duty free in Windhoek airport has a small selection, the Jo'burg airport selection is a lot better.

I believe he said he was traveling through Frankfurt. Regardless, aren't travelers going through the international terminal in J'burg prohibited from buying duty free items for onward travel to Namibia (or Botswana and Zambia and possibly Zim for that matter)?

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Originally posted by Bud Meadows:

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Thanks, Tim. I didn't want to use the "C" word since I know it's illegal for American citizens to buy them, but the evidence is destroyed in a series of small fires

There is a famous anecdote about former NATO Commander and Secretary of State Alexander Haig who, when observed and chastised for smoking a Cuban cigar said, "I prefer to think of it as destroying their crops."

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Originally posted by Jorge400:

quote:

Originally posted by Fjold:
The duty free in Windhoek airport has a small selection, the Jo'burg airport selection is a lot better.

I believe he said he was traveling through Frankfurt. Regardless, aren't travelers going through the international terminal in J'burg prohibited from buying duty free items for onward travel to Namibia (or Botswana and Zambia and possibly Zim for that matter)?

I bought cigars in Jo'burg's duty free on the way to Zim last summer. I don't know about any restrictions to other countries.

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Originally posted by Fjold:

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Originally posted by Jorge400:

quote:

Originally posted by Fjold:
The duty free in Windhoek airport has a small selection, the Jo'burg airport selection is a lot better.

I believe he said he was traveling through Frankfurt. Regardless, aren't travelers going through the international terminal in J'burg prohibited from buying duty free items for onward travel to Namibia (or Botswana and Zambia and possibly Zim for that matter)?

I bought cigars in Jo'burg's duty free on the way to Zim last summer. I don't know about any restrictions to other countries.

I was not allowed to buy a bottle of scotch at the J'burg duty free once the cashier saw my boarding pass to Namibia. She rattled off a short list of southern African countries that I could not take duty free items to.

We have never been turned down in Duty Free in JNB, but that all depends on who is working. They have a good selection with CUbans, but prices are high for sure. Never have had any problems bringing a box or more with us in luggage or carry on, and we have done both many times. Unless you are just hung up on Cubans, you will be better off price and hassle wise bringing from US...

TIM: Thanks for the response. I wouldn't say I'm "hung up" on Cubans, just really enjoyed them the last time I had some in 2007. My wife and I were in Shanghai, and I got 5 Cubans for 19 yuan (less than $3.00). They were fantastic tasting, and lasted forever. It took me two days to smoke the 5 cigars. I also used to have a cigar from time to time with my Dad on hunting and fishing trips and I associate a good cigar with those pleasant memories.

Well Bud, I understand that. We all have our favorites - and that is what makes the world go around. I hope you find the exact stogies you are looking for in a convenient place and enjoy them to the fullest. Having a nice cigar at the end of the day in Africa has become my favorite ritual over there...

i'd just pick up a 15 capacity herfador and carry your preferred brand. At least you'll know you have an assortment with you. Take a ziploc and some of those little humidification pillows, and if you find something interesting in duty free or windhoek, they will keep fresh until you can get them in your hardcase. I'd take some budget cigars for the trackers- i get some great smokes via the internet for a couple bucks a piece if you buy boxes. Hell, my go to, everday cigar's are $2 ea if you catch a sale and buy boxes.

Having completed my Namibian hunt, I can report on my quest for decent Cuban cigars at a decent price. Long story short, the best prices and selection BY FAR were at the Frankfort Duty Free Shops. I shopped in downtown Frankfort, and their prices were VERY expensive. I bought a box of 25 Cubans for 130 Euros at Frankfort Duty Free. The same cigars were $N990 (about $125 US) at the store next to Kalahari Sands in downtown Windhoek for a five pack. Jo berg Duty Free prices were much higher than Frankfort too. The satisfaction of puffing on a good Cuban and drinking a cold Taffel after bagging my first African plains game (a 40" gemsbok bull) was priceless. I thought of Tim and his kind words while puffing away.

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Originally posted by Tim Herald:
Well Bud, I understand that. We all have our favorites - and that is what makes the world go around. I hope you find the exact stogies you are looking for in a convenient place and enjoy them to the fullest. Having a nice cigar at the end of the day in Africa has become my favorite ritual over there...

First you buy one of these. . .
Nalgene Bottle Then you buy one of these Boveda packs
Fill the bottle with your favorite Cigars and stuff one Boveda pack in there along with a cigar cutter maybe a lighter or book of matches and away you go! So simple!