Johannesburg Travel Tips

The destination I would like to tell you all about is Johannesburg South Africa, yes that”s right forget the crime capitals of Columbia, Brazil and Iraq, I have chosen the city of Johannesburg in South Africa.

Why you may ask yourselves and the reason is that after living there for nine months, I can say with complete conviction go to Joburg and you will have one of the best short breaks ever.

Getting there is easy with BA, Virgin, SAA and nationwide amongst other airlines that go, with deals throughout the year.

I would recommend travelling between October and April when the climate is perfect.

So what is there to do? The answer is tons.

If you want a day at an amusement park go to Gold Reef City complete with roller coasters, water flumes and loads of other rides, also it’s built on a gold mine and you can still pan for gold.

For all you shoppers I would suggest Sandton City or Cresta shopping centres and with the pound being strong against the rand diamonds, clothes and gold are great value.

For a flutter, go to Monte casino, built in the stylish Italian rustic town near the Fourways area. This is a great complex which is owned by the owners of several hotels in Vegas. Apart from being a great casino, you can go into the VIP area and bet large amounts, there are many restaurants which offer tasty food, and they have a great onsite crèche which my two year old daughter could not get enough of. Along with this, in the gardens there is a fantastic bird sanctuary where they conduct shows and you can see some endangered animals. There is also a multiplex cinema, a kids’ indoor entertainment centre and even the Moscow circus when I was there. For singles there are four bars and a great nightclub with Thursday and Friday nights the best time to go.

For the kids go to Brightwater Commons in Randburg, its a fab complex built round a waterway and has grass areas for the kids to let off steam, shops and many good restaurants.

For restaurants these are great:

• Dros in Cresta Shopping Centre
• The Butchers Shop in Sandton City Square
• Scrooge in Brightwater Commons
• Thai resturant in Monte Casino
• Spur resturants, great for kids all around
• News Cafe in Rivonia, good for the younger crowd with stars that frequent on a regular basis
• Carnivores, for something different try crocodile and other unusual game
• For slightly further afield I would suggest going to the Lion Park where you can drive through a lion reserve but the best thing is you can go in a cage and hold lion cubs.
• Also Hartlesoport Dam, go there on a Sunday, amazing scenery.
• Soweto is an interesting half-day tour, arrange through your hotel.

And no visit would be complete without a visit to Sun City which is about two hours drive from Joburg. Stay in the Lost City Palace, which is top end, or if on a budget go to the Lion Ranch about five minutes from Sun City. I suggest going to the Waterpark. Once inside the park look for the steep stairs near the pool and then go to the upper pool, which is designed as a Roman spa. Not many people are aware of it and views through the valley are just amazing. There”s also a cool bar to while a way an hour or three in.

Hotels to stay in:

• Michelangelo in Sandton City
• Intercontinental in Sandton City
• Intercontinental in Montecasino
• The Lost City Palace in Sun City
• Cascade in Sun City
• The Lion Ranch Sun City area

You can hire a car but if you’re planning a short break I would strongly recommend using a company called Corporate Cabs. There is a guy called Cliff (telephone number 0027847147269), a great guy with a nice car who will drive you to all the places and meet you at the airport on arrival.

Tips:

Joburg like any city does have crime but here are some tips.

• If you do drive, plan your journey and drive in daylight only. Stop at service stations if you need directions.
• Do not go to Joburg downtown.
• Don”t use public transport or local taxis.
• Just be vigilant and do not flaunt your wealth such as rings and cameras or you may as well wear a ‘mug me’ sign.
• But please don”t be put off as Joburg is great for families and singles alike.

Jason C