Johannesburg Travel Answers

Hi Lori And welcome to VT! Good questions, which address valid concerns. However, remember that the sites that you have consulted are very conservative, so although the advice that you've received thus far is valid, it's slanted towards highlighting the negatives rather than the positives. As your question is long, I'll split my response into several sections so that it's more digestible. Yes, Johannesburg is safe for a single traveller, provided that you're sensible. You don't say where you're from or whether you have any previous experience of travelling in the developing world, but although South Africa has a reputation for violent crime, it is relatively rare for this to involve a tourist (not sure whether it's a good thing that we save our abuse for each other, but that's the way it is). That's not to say that there isn't petty crime such as pickpocketing, and OR Tambo airport does have a reputation for theft from luggage, although this has been the focus of much effort on the part of the Airports Company of South Africa, and seems to be much less prevalent. The advice about using prearranged cabs is a good idea, as you wouldn't want tot end up in an unroadworthy vehicle or a dangerous driver: if you'd like, I can recommend the guy we have been using for years for both business and personal travel. The lack of decent public transport has long been Jo'burg's Achilles Heel, but has improved considerably with the introduction of the Gautrain rapid rail transit system (and associated feeder buses) and the Rea Vaya bus system. These are safe for tourists, and although the coverage isn't great, it's a good start. Can I suggest you browse my Johannesburg page, where I've written a couple of dozen transport tips which will give you more information? Many shots and vaccines??? Not sure where this came from, but sounds like routine scaremongering based on lumping all of The Dark Continent together! There are no vaccine requirements for visitors, and I think that you'll be surprised how first world the parts of the country you're intending to see are! Regards Cathy

Hi again There is a surprising amount to do in Jo'burg - the Apartheid Museum and the Gold Reef City theme parks are literally across the road from each other south of town, and justify an entire day (so you could just arrange a cab to drop you there and come back tio pick you up). The Newtown precinct just west of the CBD offers lots (World of Beer, MuseumAfrica, the Worker's Museum) and is easy to combine with Constitution Hill/the Women's Prison and the Old Fort. Just north of that is the Zoo (which is indeed excellent) and Rosebank, which is a pedestrian shopping mall and entertainment complex and is a very safe place both during the day and in the evening. All of these can be accessed by using Gautrain and its feeder bus system and doing a little walking - if you don't flash valuables and take sensible precautions, you'll be fine. Sandton City (and adjacent Nelson Mandela Square) offers more retail opportunity and dining options than you can imagine, and again can be access via Gautrain. There are all sorts of day trips available with tour operators. The most popular are trips into Soweto, which include all sorts of permutations: I think that the Hector Petersen Memorial museum to the Soweto student uprising is one of South Africa's best museums, and encourage visitors to select a tour that allows them enough time to appreciate this, rather than being dumped in a shebeen (township tavern) for the majority of their time (I have nothing against taverns, but theý're not much different to what you'll experience in many otehr places worldwide). I rather like the sound of a cycling tour around Soweto, and you can also bungee jump from the towers of the defunct Orlando Power Station. I would recommend doing Soweto on a tour if this interests you, as it's a large and sprawling place where it's very easy to get lost. There are many other daytrips focusing on game viewing: I would highly recommend a couple of days in the Pilanesberg, which is about two hours drive away (the reason I recommend staying overnight is that game viewing is best in the early mornign and late afternoon, which means that your experience is compromised if you try to do it as a day trip). Again, much much more on my Jo'burg page. As to the issue of being back in your hotel by nightfall, well this is partly true. Partly it's a practical consideration, as with very few exceptions, the tourist attractions close down by 17:30, so there's not much to see and do after that time and Gautrain shuts down at 20:30. Jo'burg (with the exception of established entertainment hubs such as Rosebank, Sandton, Melrose Arch and Montecasino, which can buzz until the early hours of the morning) is not like a European city where you can enjoy wandering around after dark just for the ambience, and I wouldn't recommend it. Be aware of the fact that we have relatively short days - especially in August, which is pretty well midwinter - so it will only get light about 06:30 and will be dark by 18:30. Regards Cathy

Hi Lori The gig bit is the hardest to answer, because it's a long time since I did that sort of thing! Kempton Park is one of the outlying eastern suburbs of Jo'burg, located the other side of the airport. There's very little public transport out there, and it probably wouldn't be practical to stay in somewhere like Rosebank and Sandton and commute out and back to the concerts. There is, however, quite a lot of accommodation out that way - particularly B&Bs and hotels geared for travellers transiting through the airport. I would suggest that for that part of your visit, you find one of these B&Bs (I am sure other people's pages on Jo'burg contain accommodation recommendations, since being local, I don't have need of this) and relocate out there for those couple of days. You could catch Gautrain back to the airport and arrange a pick up from there, which shouldn't be too costly (the place you're staying would probably be the best to provide you with a recommendation for a taxi company). By the way, who's playing? Hope this helps! Regards Cathy

From a tourist's perspective I think I can only add a comment or two to Cathy's posts. Firstly, I have been through the Johannesburg airport eight or nine times and have never had anything stolen. Just know that it is big and it's a good idea to have some idea of the different parts of the airport so you know approximately in which direction to go. I believe they have added people to help you find your way. In my four trips to South Africa I have never had a shot. As Cathy pointed out, some people think shots when they think Africa. It really is a very civilised country with modern shopping malls. I heartily endorse the idea of Pilanesberg as you don't want to leave South Africa without seeing a game reserve and the magnificent animals. I have always stayed with friends but on the odd occasion when we were gone overnight, we used B and B's and they were excellent. You will love South Africa but it's too bad you can't bring a friend to share in this awesome experience. Diane

Diane's right about O.R. Tambo airport being fairly big, but it was impressively upgraded in the runup to the World Cup, and is now a pleasant place to transit through (never thought I'd find myself saying that!). If it helps, I have compiled a 'users's guide' to OR Tambo as a travelogue on my Jo'burg page.

Hi there, thanks for all the info! To answer some questions (and then ask more, sorry)... I have traveled to the UK and parts of Europe but this will be my first time in a third world country. I've often gone on trips alone as I tend to go to concerts a lot, particularly one band (the one playing...OMD). I'm used to doing all the research and planning plus sites on my own but lately, espeically with UK gigs, I have made so many friends that I can stay with them and do gigs together. But either way is fine with me ;o) The shots were listed first from travel.gov and then the link to CDC (Center for Disease Control) and, though this isn't S. Africa...my co-worker was in Kenya last year and was also instructed on most of the same things I've found on the sites (not sure where she got it.. I think she went to a travel clinic to get her information, I used the websites). I know August is the winter months so therefore insect bites etc will be limited but I'm still one for taking proper precautions...however, that wasn't a big concern, the safety and how to get around was/is. Thanks for the information on Pilanesburg (and back up post too ;o) I would definitely like to do a safari if I'm out here, can't "see" S. Africa if you don't do one imho. I don't really want to stay overnight though as i will only be in the country for probably 5 nights including the night I arrive and there are 2 gig nights. Can I find a tour that leaves early. I'm more than happy to get up at the crack of dawn LOL. Also, again, because of only being in the country for a few nights, I'd really prefer to book into one hotel and stay there. How much would a cab cost from one of the safe suburbs (say Rosebank) to/from the gig? It's at Emperor's Palace if that helps. Finally, it was suggested to me by a casual friend and also on some one else's forum that Cape Town is much nicer and that I should do that first and then just come into Johannesburg for the gigs. I really was liking the idea of just coming into one town for the gigs and sites with added tour for safari but if this is a better/more convenient (cause then I'd just stay near the concert venue and probably not see much in Johannesburg if it's far from sites but I'd be near for the gigs) and/or safer, could you let me know? Again, many thanks and I have gone and printed out your Johannesburg page so after reading, I may be back one more time ;o) Lori

OK, I'm back....just did much more research and I now see what you mean about how Kempton Park isn't really near any of the interesting sites and also is lacking transportation. This lead me to the following idea... I could try and get a hotel in/near Kempton Park that offers a free airport shuttle, then from airport, hop on the Guatrain to some of the other towns such as Rosebank and Sandton City. This would of course limit my getting into Johannesburg itself and also south to do the Gold Reef City theme park (and I guess also Apartheid Museum :o( But I figured I could worry about getting to some of those later so looked up hotels and found one that sounds almost too good to be true! It's called MoAfrika Lodge and not only does it offer free airport shuttle, full English Breakfast and room rates that are reasonable but apparently it's family run with one of the guys being a local tour guide. They offer a full day (you leave at 6am) tour of Pilanesburg, along with other day tours such as Soweto, Johannesburg and Lions Park (combined with somethig else i can't remember the name of now.) I have just emailed them as I'm not fully sure bedrooms have a private or shared bathroom (I definitely want private) and also asked about the tours (is there a limited number of attendees before they will run it etc) and if we could use their airport shuttle if wanted to get there as a means to Rosebank etc. It's in a suburb that hasn't been mentioned here so I'm wondering if it's safe (though it got RAVE reviews on TripAdvisor.com) Here is the address... 120 Sandham Rd Norton Home Estates Benoni 1501 And website.... http://www.moafrika.com/ Is anyone familiar with this facility and/or the area? This would work out wonderfully but like I said, almost seems too good to be true.... Thanks for (hopefully) the last time, LOL Lori =o)

Hi Lori Inadvertently you've solved your own problem! Maybe it's not obvious, but Emperor's Palace is an entertainment complex which offers a concert venue, casino and hotel, so it would make perfect sense to stay there. It's extremely close to the airport (within sight of each other) and there is a shuttle bus between the two. Well done on your research, but unfortunately Benoni is not a particularly good option - still a 15-30 minute drive from the airport, depending on which part of town it's in, and even further from the main attractions you want to see. Regards Cathy

OK, 5 nights (including the gigs) rather changes things ... The idea of visiting Cape Town is possible, but not particularly practical, and adds extra travel time and expense to your itinerary. Plus it's winter in Cape Town, which has a Mediterranean climate, so gets cool, wet winters (we have glorious weather in winter as we're a summer rainfall area). Cape Town is stunning, but you're not going to do it anywhere near justice in a couple of days, so rather save that for a later trip when you can devote it the time it deserves (Cape Town and the immediate surroundings really deserves at least a week). The vaccinations are really your call. I do a lot of travelling in the developing world - often at short notice - so I always keep my yellow fever and hepatitis up to date (which last 10 years), more for the sake of convenience, and it certainly isn't necessary for any part of South Africa. I also regularly update my tetanus jab, as this is something that you can pick up virtually anywhere in the world if you cut yourself and I'm a klutz! Jo'burg isn't malarial (only the lowlying areas along the east coast and northern border with Zimbabwe are), and it's also winter, so that isn't a consideration. If you can't stay overnight, the Pilanesberg is frankly not worth the effort. Tour operators will happily try to sell you the option as they'll make money on it, but even if you leave at 06:00, you won't be in the park until about 08:30 and will probably have to leave about 16:30. You may see animals, but given that the prime game spotting times are just after sunrise and just before sundown, both of which you'll miss. The Lion Park and the Lion and Rhino Park are alright, but somewhat ín the vein of 'canned wildlife' - particularly the Lion Park, and although you'll see animals, it's little more authentic than going to the Zoo. If you really still want to do this, then look for a tour that combines the Lion Park with something like the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage area (including the Maropeng Discovery Centre) and ideally includes the Hartbeespoort area and the Anne van Dyk Cheetah Breeding Centre (which has genuine conservation credentials). All of these options are pleasant, but are really no substitute for spending time in the bush, so if you're considering a return visit to Cape Town anyway, I would park the wildlife idea and tack it onto your next trip, allowing you to give it adequate time to enjoy and appreciate. My advice would be to take the time you've got to appreciate your time in Jo'burg, which is a very varied and cosmopolitan city that is underrated by most tourists. Follow this link to get an idea of some possible itineraries that you can mix and match depending on your available time, budget and interests, which contains hyperlinks to tips that have more detail on each: "Getting older Moscow" - Estates Tip by Bastet_ The Apartheid Museum and Gold Reef City will require that you take a taxi there and back, but don't sign up for a tour, as this is perfectly possible to do by yourself: either use a taxi recommended by Emperor's Palace or ask me for a recommendation. Similarly, they should be able to recommend reputable companies for other tours (being local, I just do these things myself, so can't offer specific recommendations). However, make sure that you ask questions about the itinerary and exactly what's included with what time allocations before you sign up (for example, adequate time at Hector Pietersen and ideally a visit to the Regina Mundi cathedral in Soweto rather than the majority of the time in a shebeen in Soweto). Regards Cathy

Lori I am just the tourist here but when I read all of the posts and Cathy's very good advice, it seems to me that if you could possibly add two or three more days it would be very worthwhile. That way you could spend maybe a day and a half at Pilanesburg. I am not sure but I wouldn't think you would want to come all of the way to South Africa from (?) and just make it like a tour of any city in the world. South Africa is unique and awesome so it would be a shame to rush your visit. Diane

Hi there, thanks again for the info. OK, you've convinced me to do an overnighter for the Safari.=o) Unfortunately, the Emperor's Palace is a lot more expensive than the Lodge and though I will need to take a cab for the two nights of concerts, the price for Lodge Rooms vs. the Emperor's Palace (there are three hotels, the cheapest didn't have good ratings with many complaints of bathroom issues, rude staff, tiny, not clean. I'm actually pretty laid back and don't care if something is small as I've done enough hotels in the UK that are bare bones but cleanliness and a running toilet I care about LOL). Anyways, even the cheapest is almost double the price for night so I really like the idea of the Lodge. They offer a free airport shuttle and full English Breakfast so my transport to/from airport/hotel is taken care of ;o) I have checked and they offer 3 different 2 day trips to Pilanesburg and their Johannesburg tour sounds really nice too. It seems I'd get the best of both worlds....the ability to see some sites, yet the low level of stress trying to figure out public transport and/or Taxi costs for many of the sites and a reasonably priced room with some transport and meals included. As for Cape Town...well, I'm sure it's lovely and maybe after spending time here in Johannesburg, I'll want to return in the near future but before I found out OMD were playing here, I never even gave S. Africa a thought in regards to visiting so if I can get some of the main highlights in this time, I'll feel good that I at least got a taste of the country. Thanks again for all the help. I agree that the itinerary for the single day won't get us to see animals so am now really excited at the thought of 3 rides (the tour I'm looking at does a ride when we arrive, another one around 3-4pm and then one at 6am the following morning ;o) Cheers, Lori =o)

Glad that you've found something that you believe will suit your needs.