Fascinating city, rich in history and culture

Although its sometimes turbulent past has, for some time, resulted in tourists tending to avoid staying in the area, Johannesburg has worked hard to rectify its shortcomings and improve its image. The result is that the city is rapidly becoming a key destination to visit on many people’s itinerary.

Adventures Africa accommodates all visitors in the northern suburbs of Sandton and Melrose. Here you will find top-class hotels in a safe and friendly environment, as well as excellent restaurants, nightlife for all tastes and a good base from which to discover all that Johannesburg has to offer.

Visit the Apartheid Museum in the southern suburbs for an evocative look into South Africa’s era of segregation. The museum has charted the course of several people who lived throughout this era. Their stories are brought to life with the use of film, text, audio and live accounts.

Soweto (South Western Township) is without a doubt the best known of South Africa’s townships and its role in the struggle for independence is unrivalled. Take a guided tour around the township and see firsthand the area’s new self-confidence and the determination of the inhabitants to put the past where it belongs. A tour will most likely include a visit to Vilakazi Street, where Nelson Mandela’s house is now a museum, as well as poignant sights such as the Hector Pieterson Square.

A more light-hearted attraction is Gold Reef City, which focuses on Johannesburg’s past as a gold mining town. Visitors can go 220 meters down a shaft to see inside an authentic gold mine, watch gold being poured and be entertained by tribal and ‘gumboot’ dancing. The theme park city also features reconstructed buildings of the era, daring rides, a Victorian fun fair and plenty of places to eat and drink.

The Kruger National Park is easily accessible from Johannesburg. There are flights every day to both Hoedspruit and KMIA airports or you can take a scenic self-drive trip, which takes approximately six to eight hours.

About two hour drive in the opposite direction will bring you to the legendary entertainment and hotel complex of Sun City. Here one can enjoy the water park, superb golf courses, casinos and wildlife drives into the neighboring Pilanesberg National Park.