Give your travel business the exposure it deserves. Click here to get listed
in GoNOMAD's searchable directory
Want to go? Search for international airfare specials, hotel bargains,group tours and car rentals. We update them every 10 minutes, so you're guaranteed to find the lowest prices from the top providers.
Ask travel questions, get answers on our new Traveler's Forum Try it Now
Check out sustainable and responsible tourism projects around the world
that you can help support
Shop the world for books, world music,
travel accessories, handcrafts and more...
Touring Johannesburg by Day and
dining on Zebra at night
By Kent E. St. John
GoNOMAD Senior Travel Editor
While channel
surfing, I popped a malaria pill and chased it down with a ruby cabernet.
My friendly South African Airways flight attendant continued to stop
by and fuel my growing anticipation of arrival in Mama Africa; South
Africa to be more precise, a long time travel dream.
Beginnings and endings, diversity and diversions are what South Africa
is all about. The value of dollars to experiences makes South Africa
a bargain that any nomad will appreciate. Even a hardcore budget wanderer
needs a little luxury now and then. With that expectation I deplaned
with Paul Simon's "Graceland" playing on my mini disk player.
There
is Gold in Them There Hills
Johannesburg has a reputation that would fit any gold rush town; rowdy,
dangerous and thrilling. What I found was a wonderful city that showcased
the diversity that followed me throughout my journey.
This onetime gold
mining camp has sprouted into a metropolis and South Africa's commercial
center. It is also a city that is dealing with some big problems. It
is a city that is best explored by day yet lodged in the suburbs at
night.
The warning page in Lonely Planet's South Africa should convince you.
Most accommodations are in the satellite towns around the city and they
range from hostels to luxury.
The good news is that the luxury is about
the price of a Holiday Inn in Baltimore. The better news is that the
luxury is in step with New York, London or Rome. From my room at the
Westcliff
I could look across the hill to the city's zoo.
Better yet the roar
of lions while dipping in the horizon pool proved good foil to the six-dollar
bottle of great South African wine cheerfully placed before me. "I
know, I know, six dollars can get you a five-course meal in Budapest."
I am living large and that can best be done in South Africa. This isn't
a contest about budget; I am here to write about value!
Around
Town
Public transportation in Jo Burg is minimal and care should be exercised,
but by all means the city center should be explored. Following the advice
of every guidebook written about the city, I hooked up with a tour company.
In general I am not a, "follow the leader," traveler. The
people at ExecuPlaytime may have given me a useful lesson.
This was most evident when I joined four others to visit the Townships
of Soweto and Newtown, really parts of downtown. The owner of ExecuPlaytime,
Thabiso "Tabs" Magodielo, and guide Patrick were the most
entertaining twosome in guiding I've encountered. Facts, figures and
fun best explain this expedition.
The
Market Theater Complex is Johannesburg's best attempt at revitalizing
downtown. It seems to be working. Included within are the South African
Breweries Museum, Workers Museum and MuseuMAfrica.
There is also a diverse
collection of restaurants, galleries and of course theaters. My favorite
spot was the MuseumAfrica. The museum vividly covers the city from pre
gold rush days through apartheid. This information was invaluable for
our visit to Soweto. Check the links at the right for other Jo'Burg
sites.
Sights
and Sounds on the Township Trail
It's funky and somber, confusing yet revealing. It is also probably
a name that stirs many travelers' thoughts of South Africa. As Patrick
proudly pointed out, Soweto is also the only place in the world where
two Nobel Peace Prize recipients live on the same street, Vilakazi Street.
As we passed Nelson Mandela's house, I had to picture Bishop Desmond
Tutu dropping by for coffee.
My original thoughts of Soweto were one of shanties and slums. In truth
that is a part of the Township. Soweto is much more; it is monument
to the fall of apartheid and a growing vibrant Black South African scene.
Soweto was originally designed as a place to house Black mine workers
and Blacks that served the Whites as workers and domestic help.
The Township was originally called Orlando and was situated about 20
miles from Jo' Burg. Soweto and its encompassed regions cover 120 square
kilometers and is home unofficially to four million people. The services
of specialized tour companies (see right) is the best way to understand
Soweto. Whether with a small group or alone the booklet Soweto Township:
the Complete Guide is a must. It can be purchased at many of the
sites in the town.
Out
of the Mouths of Babes
The most powerful aspect of the battle for freedom for Blacks to me
was the student protest on June 16, 1976. The protest was to be against
the government's instruction that Afrikaans (the language of White oppression)
was to be the medium of instruction.
Pupils at the Naledi and Thomas Mofolo High Schools initiated a massive
peaceful protest that soon drew 10,000 students from the area in front
of the Orlando High School. It turned into gas and guns.
The world was
shocked and by June 24th the death toll was at 140, mostly children.
Hector Pieterson Square and Museum is the best place to understand how
determined children can change the world. Hector was 14 years old and
one of the first shot. The pictorial exhibits provide dramatic looks
into that fateful day.
The other site that awed me was the Regina Mundi Church and Square.
This Catholic Church has been the scene of mass gatherings, including
impassioned speeches by Bishop Tutu and many other leaders against racism.
It is also the home to one of the two Black Madonnas in Africa. On my
visit hundreds of school children were inside the church learning songs
and traditions. Other Soweto websites can be found on the column on
the right.
Crafts
Food and Vibes
Booths and makeshift stands promise everything from bobutie (curry)
to sandals. A haircut under a tarp is also a trip. The best part is
that you are watching a community build and grow. A great experience
in Soweto is stopping at a Shebeen, once illegal drinking establishments
from the days when alcohol was forbidden to Blacks.
Today they sell food and drinks and still remain a gathering place.
The best known is Wandie's Place in Dube. Some of the others are Tyson's
in Pimville, Vardos in Mapetla and The Rock in Rockville. With 60 percent
of the people in Soweto unemployed, it makes good sense and safety to
use a guide. For contact call 011 327-2000 or e-mail tourism@gauteng.net
Seconds on the Giraffe
My Malarone pills (Malaria) had kicked in and it was time to head to
the bush. As a farewell to Jo'Burg Tabs and Patrick decided that I should
experience the taste of some of the animals I would see on safari.
We headed to the town of Muldersdrift to the Carnivore Restaurant. The
rustic restaurant lived up to its name, the smell of grilling meats
drifted through the parking lot. Inside the huge open grill was packed
with various cuts of crocodile, ostrich, giraffe, zebra and kudu. The
waiters circulate with Masaai swords loaded with various meats, and
cut pieces onto your plate. They keep doing it till you drop the little
flag on your table in surrender.
After eating I was ready for part two of my trip, the safari. I could
only hope that the animals I'd be viewing were better looking than they
tasted!
WANT TO GO?
Heritage
Tours offers discounted prices for private South African Safaris
from May through September.
Heritage Tours
121 West 27th St.
Suite 1201
New York, NY 10001
Phone: 800-378-4555 Fax: 212-206-9101 email -- website
South African Travel websites
I used them throughout my Jo' Burg trip and was extremely pleased.
They give you an inside look without making you fell like a tourist.
If possible ask for Patrick or Tabs.
The Westcliff
Hotel, Johannesburg The
Westcliff Hotel was extremely beautiful and located in a great area.
The horizon pool and amenities tamed Jo' Burg's rougher side.
Getting There
South
Africa is a long flight so I chose South African Airways -
flysaa.com -
for my flight. They truly know how to make the trip easier and provide
entertaining ways to pass the time. Food and wine choices were excellent
and attendants very friendly.
Kent
E. St John, GoNOMAD's Senior Travel Editor, has visited nearly fifty
countries so far. He spends the time he isn't traveling in Cottekill,
New York with his wife Lisa and his son Chance.
Rent a car in Europe:
