Who Are We?

John R Wheeling

Editor

Hi.  Yeah, that's me.  One of my proudest moments, actually.  I dressed up as Santa Claus and jumped out of an airplane to raise money for disadvantaged kids. Upon landing we went to their little school and handed out presents. Exactly what you would expect from a trained teacher, come gymnastics coach, come Shakespeare scholar, come stock broker, come african art dealer, right?  Strange path I suppose, but I'm glad it brought me here. 

I started this magazine because I love writing and I love where I live.  After writing a couple of books that noone as yet wants to publish, I thought I would take matters into my own hands and do my best to make a living as a writer, and Leisure Times was born!

The magazine has taken on a life of its own, and it has taken me places I never thought I would go, and introduced me to many people I otherwise never would have met.  I'm making a living as a writer, and my short attention span and wandering spirit are at last an advantage in my chosen career!  I hope you enjoy reading the magazine and browsing the website half as much as i enjoy putting it together!  Let the Leisure Times Roll!

What is Leisure Times? 

Leisure Times is a guidebook for what to do, where to eat, and where to visit in Namibia. It is also a magazine with topical articles, fun pages, and information about Namibia, its people, and its wildlife.  Until now we have been focusing on the coast of Namibia, but this year we are spreading our reach inland.  We will release an updated version for every quarter of this year, bigger and better each time, adding activities, restaurants, and lodges in every issue. 

What are we not?

Leisure Times is not a book of advertising.  It is a book of reviews.  The critical difference is that we personally review every restaurant, activity, and lodge in our magazine, and each receives our endorsement.  If a restaurant or lodge is not up to Leisure Times standard, we won’t review it, and every activity company in the magazine is hand picked as the best of its kind.  We don’t put direct competitors in the magazine.  We only work with the best.

That being said, we are not critics, either.  It is not our interest to tell you which restaurant is better than the other, but rather, what makes one experience different from another.  We want to give our readers a sense of what they can expect to experience when they arrive.

Who reads Leisure Times? 

Tourists.  For those who are here, we place a free copy of the magazine in every hotel room on the coast and in Windhoek, and every b&b we can find. We are also in transfer vehicles between Windhoek and Swakopmund, coffee shops, information centers, and in the airports.  For those who are on their way, we are contacting every travel agent overseas we can find to tell them what a great resource www.leisuretimesnamibia.com is for their clients.