Travel Tips

Travelling in Gauteng

Africa Museum, Johannesburg

A museum which encapsulates the history of a land that has so much to tell.

Gain a better understanding of the complex geological, social, economic and political issues that form part of the uniqueness of South Africa. The musem is situated in what used to be Johannesburg's main fruit and vegetable market.

Apartheid Museum, Johannesburg

Experience the Apartheid era firsthand!

Visit SA's first apartheid museum and immediately get thrown into the turmoil of racial intolerance by passing through separate entrances for whites and blacks. See the giant images of passbooks which confined blacks to squalid ghettos. Step eventually into the rooms of hope. They show the triumph over apartheid with Nelson Mandela's release in 1990 from 27 years of imprisonment by the white minority regime.

Castle Lager Shebeen Tour

Shebeens are informal drinking halls, where cheap beer, loud laughter and good friends meet to escape an otherwise harsh existence.

Situated in townships throughout Gauteng, these informal pubs are guaranteed to give you a taste of true township life while you listen to the stories of its people.

Visit the Castle Lager website for more info on tours to various shebeens.

Cradle of Humankind

The Cradle of Humankind, the worlds richest Hominid site, is suprisingly close to the tall skyscrapers of Johannesburg city.

It takes you only 45 minutes to drive out to the country-side where our ancestors roamed millions of years ago. Check out your long distant cousins Mrs Ples and Little Foot - dated at around 3 million years old. Visit the shimmering underground lake, 40m down into the Sterkfontein caves. The lake is believed to hold mystical properties and is believed by the locals to cure a myriad of diseases.

Gold Reef City

A mining theme park with a decidedley unique flavour and the chance to win a million!

Visit Gold Reef City and get to know the workings of an authentic 19th century gold mine. Watch gold being poured and dream …… Come back to reality with a wild ride on one of the many amusement attractions. Enjoy the Victorian Hotel and chance your luck at the casino which boasts 1600 machines and 60 tables.

Lesedi Cultural Centre

Lesedi is a multicultural village set amongst the bushveld and rocky hills less than an hour's drive north of Johannesburg.

There are four homesteads where you can stay overnight and experience traditional Zulu, Xhosa, Pedi or Basotho hospitality. Or just visit for the day and see the many crafts and murals on display, experience African dining at its finest and absorb the warmth of rural african culture.

Melville

London has Soho, New York has The Village and Cape Town has their mountain. Just a spin of the wheel from Jo'burg lies Melville, the social capital of South Africa.

This suburb has a strong cosmopolitan feel and is nestled between the historical Melville Koppies, Westcliff and the Auckland Park Ridge, and a mere stone's throw from the recently renamed Sophia Town.

Melville was declared a township on 1 January 1896, and many of its homes were built around the early 1900's. Architecture varies from strong Victorian to more modern homes. Many of which are set on attractive view sights.

You can relax in the internationally renowned restaurants, bistros, cafes, jazz night clubs or small theatres. Or take a walk in the Melville Village, with its specialty shops, antique dealers and coffee shops. Visit the Melville Koppies, a national heritage site and nature reserve where over 200 bird species and 59 grass species can be found.

So, whether you're in the mood for some great food from award-winning restaurants, or simply feel like getting totally out of it, on a range of cocktails, try any of the following establishments: Trans Sky, Oh, Six, Ratz, Questionmark, Statement, Buzz 9, Unplugged, Xai-Zai or Belin. Live large-just for the sake of it.

Monte Casino

A dazzling array of shops, restaurants and cocktail bars enclose the clamour of the slot machines and casino.

So treat yourself to a sumptious feast at one of the many restaurants, down a few cocktails and if you're feeling lucky head for the casino. Win big and earn yourself a stay at the 5 star Palazzo Inter-Continental Hotel - part of the Tuscan styled Monte Casino village.

More Exciting Info about Gauteng

If money makes the world go round, Gauteng is one of its major axes.

Meaning 'the place whre the gold is' Gauteng is the economic powerhouse of Africa. It is South Africa's smallest, wealthiest and most frenetic province. Everything moves fast - cars zoom down the highways, people walk fast through the malls and offices, and new buildings spring up on the drab brown Highveld like so many glass and chrome mushrooms. The whole place buzzes with the energy of making money and spending money. Johannesburg and Gautheng are virtually synonymous but there's more to this province than the hectic Jozi. Pretoria is a laid back city with some lovely old buildings and a wealth of cultural attractions. The restored mining village of Cullinan is worth a visit for its lovely old buildings as well as mind tour and the opportunity to buy diamonds on site.

There are a number of small nature reserves where you could go for a walk, or even a horse ride, and see some game. You could go hot air ballooning, paragliding or skydiving. Or take a flip in a vintage plane. A tour of the Cradle of Humankind, which is a world heritage site, offers a new way of looking at human history and prehistory.

Being such a small province, Gauteng is virtually a hub, with easy access to attractions in neighbouring provinces, most notably the Free State and North West Province.

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Soweto Tours

Join a Soweto Tour and experience the diversity of one of the most recognisable cities in the world.

From the mansions of Diepkloof to the sprawling shanty towns of Mshengoville - whichever way you look at this city challenges you. It is alive with energy, positively buzzing with attitude. People from all walks of life, from many different tribes all live together in this extraordinary place. Check it out for yourself!