Johannesburg, South Africa – February 2019
I’ve heard the bad rap about Joburg, but when the opportunity arose to travel to South Africa, I wanted to embrace Joburg with an open mind. Johannesburg is the biggest city in South Africa and was once home to Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu. The locals refer to their city by the name Joburg or Jozi.
Safety – There is a lot of poverty here and a lot of wealth, and that disparity has led to a high crime rate. Every property is fenced and/or guarded. You will need to take some precautions to avoid problems but there are places to visit that are safe. I would not recommend traveling solo here, especially as a woman and never walk after dark – always use an uber or taxi.
The most epic things to do
Hop-on, Hop-off Bus
Constitutional Hill
Nelson Mandela Square at Sandton
Hop-on, Hop-off Bus - It is safe and will give you an opportunity to get off where you want to and give you a nice overview of the city. We boarded the bus at Rosebank, which turned out to be an upscale area with shopping, restaurants and coffee shops. I recommend getting off at Constitutional Hill. There you will learn the history of oppression in South Africa as it is the location of the former prison. You can walk into an isolation room and the room where Nelson Mandela was held before he was sent to Robben Island. There is also the Apartheid museum stop and an extra tour on the red bus includes Soweto Township, which is rich is significant historical sites, different lifestyles and cultures. Newtown also looked like a great stop to explore but we just ran out of time.
Nelson Mandela Square is not on the bus route but an iconic square in the financial district with a larger than life statue of Nelson Mandela. There are a ton of restaurants in the square, including Hard Rock Café and some great steak restaurants. Attached is a large, upscale mall, Sandton City, if you want to do any shopping.
Hotels – We flew in and out of Joburg and attended a conference, so we stayed in three different hotels. The first one was near the airport, as we were only on a night layover. It was the Protea Hotel by Marriott near the airport. Cute boutique hotel with an airplane theme. It was built to look like an airplane hangar, with plane photos and wings, an engine, a boarding pass – a super cute hotel that you can rest easy in before you get ready for take-off! Great dinner in the hotel – the chef’s special curry with chicken or lamb was very good. Great selection of SA wines and I tried two – the Merlot – which was peppery and more like a Malbec and a great blend. I had heard that SA wines were amazing, and I was not disappointed! They had a nice pool area too. Good quick stopover. There is nothing else in the area, so plan to camp out if you are staying there.
We also stayed one night at the Hilton Sandton on our way out back home. Because we had a full day to kill before our evening flight, we decided to stay in the city so we could explore a bit more. The hotel offered free shuttle to and from Sandton Square and they also had a fabulous pool.
We also stayed several nights at the D’Oreale Grande at Emperors Palace. This was where the conference my husband was attending was located. It is close to the airport and a huge complex with the conference center, several hotels, casino and many restaurants as part of the complex. It was great for that venue but not handy for sightseeing. The hotel pool was a beautiful oasis though and there was a lovely spa called Octavia’s. Close to the hotel here, we found an epic restaurant with amazing sushi called Wasabi. I highly recommend it and a reservation as it was packed both nights (yes, we went back twice). There are also many other menu options for everyone’s taste.
Flights – Once you are in South Africa you can find inexpensive flights to other cities within the country, so it is worth checking out flying into Cape Town or Durban or another destination if you have extra days. Try Safair Airlines.
Overall – Joburg is not the destination, it is the stopover for your safari at Kruger National Park. Yes, you need to use common sense and be aware and cautious to stay secure but there really are some things to explore here. There is a ton of opportunities to learn about history and apartheid. Take the red bus, soak up the history at Constitution Hall and/or the Apartheid Museum, explore Soweto township or spend a relaxing afternoon at your hotel pool in the warm sunshine. Enjoy a good meal and please order a bottle of the wonderful (and inexpensive) South African wine.
