48 hours in Johannesburg
THIRD World meets First in South Africa's largest city, as SAM RICHES discovers.
Article from http://www.news.com.au/
1.Getting around
Johannesburg grew on the South African highveld on the site of one of the world's largest gold desposits. Getting around is an issue and while tourists and locals alike are eagerly anticipating the completion of an underground railway in time for the soccer World Cup in 2010, the best way to see the amazing attractions surrounding the city is to hire a car. It is inexpensive and easy to organise before arriving at the airport or from a hotel. There are two kinds of taxis; the minibus favoured by local workers, or a metered taxi which can be quite expensive. The trouble with the minibus is that it doesn't run to any schedule and if you don't know exactly where you are or need to be, it can be quite difficult.
2. Exploring the city
Crime is rampant. The safest way to explore the city is by sticking to the "safety in numbers" adage, steering clear of the city centre at night and having a local guide. Guided tours can be packaged to anyone's taste. Most hotels can advise on the best or most popular tours. Beer lovers shouldn't miss a trip to South African Breweries' World of Beer in the heart of the city. It costs about $2 and includes a couple of cold ones. It wouldn't be a real visit without a game-park tour, whether a daytrip or a traditional safari. Krugersdorp Game Reserve is home to lion, buffalo, hippo, zebra and giraffe. It is about 40 minutes' drive from the city and open seven days a week. Night tours are also available.
3. Daytripping
Tours are easily organised and most are reasonably priced. It's about an hour's drive to Pretoria, known as jacaranda city. It is home to the impressive Voortrekker Monument and the Paul Kruger House Museum. Sun City was once the place to go to gamble. Now, it's a resort and fun park playground catering for everyone, with water sports, elephant rides, decadent themed hotels and superb greens for the golf nuts. A must-see is the Palace of the Lost City hotel. Gold Reef City is an amusement park.
4. Soweto
Soweto is a satellite city of about two million people on the edge of Jo'burg. It was the centre of efforts to overthrow apartheid and no visit would be complete without stopping at the house where Nelson Mandela lived before his imprisonment, and the former home of anti-apartheid campaigner Desmond Tutu. Organised tours can also involve tourists in local weddings and funerals, to meet the "gangster women" or to see the orphanages. A visit to a traditional shebeen (beer hall) is on almost every tour. Some will take in only the sites of significance, such as the Hector Pieterson Memorial Museum, named in honour of a child killed during a protest in 1976. Other tours are a "no-holds-barred" look at the emergence of wealthier Sowetan areas and the contrast to its poverty-stricken "matchbox" homes.
5. Night-life
Cafes and clubs are in abundance in most suburbs catering for those who want to chill to smooth jazz, dance to popular house music or soak up African beats. At popular News Cafe, in Sandton, long Friday lunches often turn into Friday-night cocktails (the exchange rate making it very easy to over-indulge). For something different, heading to a Sowetan nightclub – with a local or a guide – is a great way to see it as it really is. The White House was a jumping club, complete with the obligatory braai, or barbecue, and outdoor seating area that doubles as a dance floor where the moves of the locals are as much entertainment as the music itself.
6. Markets
Most tourist spots will have souvenirs on sale, but there's nothing like a wander through ad hoc market stalls which can be found almost anywhere. The locals are friendly and, unlike the established shops, welcome fair bartering from tourists.Getting there
There are several airfare options. Singapore Airlines flies from Adelaide to Singapore and then through to Johannesburg. Malaysia Airlines includes a stopover in Kuala Lumpur. Qantas flis to Johannesburg via Perth. Visit your local travel agent for more details. You can expect a return airfare to cost around $2200. Given the climate of crime, secure accommodation is difficult to find in Johannesburg. Most hotels accommodate travellers in gated, secure premises in the suburbs, with Sandton one of the more popular.
Article from http://www.news.com.au/
1.Getting around
Johannesburg grew on the South African highveld on the site of one of the world's largest gold desposits. Getting around is an issue and while tourists and locals alike are eagerly anticipating the completion of an underground railway in time for the soccer World Cup in 2010, the best way to see the amazing attractions surrounding the city is to hire a car. It is inexpensive and easy to organise before arriving at the airport or from a hotel. There are two kinds of taxis; the minibus favoured by local workers, or a metered taxi which can be quite expensive. The trouble with the minibus is that it doesn't run to any schedule and if you don't know exactly where you are or need to be, it can be quite difficult.
2. Exploring the city
Crime is rampant. The safest way to explore the city is by sticking to the "safety in numbers" adage, steering clear of the city centre at night and having a local guide. Guided tours can be packaged to anyone's taste. Most hotels can advise on the best or most popular tours. Beer lovers shouldn't miss a trip to South African Breweries' World of Beer in the heart of the city. It costs about $2 and includes a couple of cold ones. It wouldn't be a real visit without a game-park tour, whether a daytrip or a traditional safari. Krugersdorp Game Reserve is home to lion, buffalo, hippo, zebra and giraffe. It is about 40 minutes' drive from the city and open seven days a week. Night tours are also available.
3. Daytripping
Tours are easily organised and most are reasonably priced. It's about an hour's drive to Pretoria, known as jacaranda city. It is home to the impressive Voortrekker Monument and the Paul Kruger House Museum. Sun City was once the place to go to gamble. Now, it's a resort and fun park playground catering for everyone, with water sports, elephant rides, decadent themed hotels and superb greens for the golf nuts. A must-see is the Palace of the Lost City hotel. Gold Reef City is an amusement park.
4. Soweto
Soweto is a satellite city of about two million people on the edge of Jo'burg. It was the centre of efforts to overthrow apartheid and no visit would be complete without stopping at the house where Nelson Mandela lived before his imprisonment, and the former home of anti-apartheid campaigner Desmond Tutu. Organised tours can also involve tourists in local weddings and funerals, to meet the "gangster women" or to see the orphanages. A visit to a traditional shebeen (beer hall) is on almost every tour. Some will take in only the sites of significance, such as the Hector Pieterson Memorial Museum, named in honour of a child killed during a protest in 1976. Other tours are a "no-holds-barred" look at the emergence of wealthier Sowetan areas and the contrast to its poverty-stricken "matchbox" homes.
5. Night-life
Cafes and clubs are in abundance in most suburbs catering for those who want to chill to smooth jazz, dance to popular house music or soak up African beats. At popular News Cafe, in Sandton, long Friday lunches often turn into Friday-night cocktails (the exchange rate making it very easy to over-indulge). For something different, heading to a Sowetan nightclub – with a local or a guide – is a great way to see it as it really is. The White House was a jumping club, complete with the obligatory braai, or barbecue, and outdoor seating area that doubles as a dance floor where the moves of the locals are as much entertainment as the music itself.
6. Markets
Most tourist spots will have souvenirs on sale, but there's nothing like a wander through ad hoc market stalls which can be found almost anywhere. The locals are friendly and, unlike the established shops, welcome fair bartering from tourists.Getting there
There are several airfare options. Singapore Airlines flies from Adelaide to Singapore and then through to Johannesburg. Malaysia Airlines includes a stopover in Kuala Lumpur. Qantas flis to Johannesburg via Perth. Visit your local travel agent for more details. You can expect a return airfare to cost around $2200. Given the climate of crime, secure accommodation is difficult to find in Johannesburg. Most hotels accommodate travellers in gated, secure premises in the suburbs, with Sandton one of the more popular.
Labels: South Africa - Tourism
