Places to Visit in Johannesburg, South Africa, Africa

Places to Visit in Johannesburg, South Africa, Africa

Johannesburg is the largest city of South Africa and functions as the capital of the opulent province of the country, Gauteng. It holds the highest economy among any Sub-Saharan African metropolitan regions. Johannesburg is home to the Constitutional Court of South Africa and is internationally recognized as the gold mine capital of the world, with its prosperous gold and diamond resources. Johannesburg is also renowned by holding the largest and busiest airport in Africa, O.R. Tambo International Airport. Johannesburg offers dozens of attractions for visitors, mainly museums that showcases the complete and grand history of Johannesburg’s gold mining.

 

History of Johannesburg:

San people were the indigenous people of Johannesburg, who acquired the surrounding regions of what is the location of today’s Johannesburg. Until the discovery of gold mine in 1880s, Johannesburg had remained as a town and the discovery completely changed its strategic value, promoted as the wealthiest and largest city of South Africa. Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg was the site of the 2010 FIFA World Cup final.

 

How to reach Johannesburg?

The O.R. Tambo International Airport is the most important airport of Johannesburg. Including Mumbai, New York, London, Frankfurt and Singapore, the airport covers all the important world cities. The airport is situated around 40 km away from the centre of Johannesburg city.

Johannesburg is connected by both bus and train to all the major South African cities, including Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth.

Some car rental companies in Johannesburg include:

  • First Car Rental
  • Pace Car Rental
  • Europcar Car Hire

 

Culture, Food and Shopping in Johannesburg:

Johannesburg hosts two highly recognized universities in Africa, the University of the Witwatersrand and University of Johannesburg.

Famous traditional market, African Craft Market is situated on Cnr Cradock and Baker Street in Johannesburg. Some popular restaurant sites of Johannesburg are Greenside, Melville, Norwood and Emmarentia.

 

What to do in Johannesburg?

  • Gold mines tour
  • Township Tour
  • Sophiatown Heritage Tours
  • Shopping

 

What to see in Johannesburg?

 

Johannesburg Art Gallery:

The Johannesburg Art Gallery is located at Joubert Park and is considered as the biggest art gallery in the continental Africa, exhibits artworks belonging both local and international artists. No entry fee.

 

Top of Africa:

The Top of Africa is the tallest building in Africa, situated on 150 Commissioner Street in Johannesburg. It can be climbed through a guide tour between 8AM and 7PM every day. Worth a trip.

 

Mandela Family Museum:

The Mandela Family Museum is a must visit museum in Johannesburg as it was the first house of the great personality, Mandela, now it has been turned into a museum to showcase the life history of Mandela with his belongings.

 

Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens:

The Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens is situated few kilometers away from the city centre of Johannesburg, home to a wide range of bird species, including the endangered Black Eagle. Entrance fee is R25.

 

Old Kromdraai Gold Mine:

The Old Kromdraai Gold Mine was one of the first gold mines to be discovered in Johannesburg. Visitors are allowed with an entrance fee of R1165. The mine is situated around 20 minute drive from the city centre.

 

Other places of interest in Johannesburg include:

  • Workers Museum
  • Ferreira’s Mine
  • Gold Reef City
  • Montecasino Bird Gardens
  • Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve
  • Lesedi Cultural Village
  • Lion Park
  • Constitution Hill
  • Absa Money Museum
  • The Apartheid Museum
  • Chérie De Villiers Gallery
  • James Hall museum of Transport

 

When to visit Johannesburg?

Johannesburg features a subtropical highland climate with sunny days year round. The best time to visit Johannesburg is from May to August.

 

Where to stay in Johannesburg?

Being one of the leading commercial and tourism centre of South Africa, Johannesburg houses dozens of world class hotels with superior facilities and services. Here are some recommended hotels in Johannesburg:

  • Tintswalo at Waterfall
  • The Peech Hotel
  • 54 on Bath
  • The Residence Boutique Hotel
  • African Pride Melrose Arch Hotel
  • The Winston Hotel
  • Thaba Eco Hotel
  • Premiere Classe Suites
  • Valverde Country Hotel
  • 10 2nd Avenue Houghton Estate
  • Genesis Suites and Conferencing
  • Westpoint Executive Suites
  • Garden Court Eastgate
  • Southern Sun Gold Reef City Hotel
  • Garden Court Morningside Sandton

Tourist Places to Visit in Sun City, casino, South Africa, Africa

Tourist Places to Visit in Sun City, Casino, South Africa, Africa

Sun City is a renowned resort with casino, situated in the North West Province of South Africa. It comes under Moses Kotane municipality in the district of Bojanala, covering an area of 4.89 sq. km. Sun City is situated in the vicinity of the city of Rustenburg, bordering the Pilanesberg Game Reserve. Sun City is an award winning resort, won in different categories like travel, heritage and as a wedding venue, number of times. Apart from casino, the resort also features a golf estate, a theme park, a nightclub, an animal farm and so on. Sun City is located at 25°20′25″ S 27°5′27″ E, around 160 km northwest of Johannesburg and 140 km northwest of Pretoria, one of the three capitals of South Africa.

 

History of Sun City:

The famous hotel entrepreneur Sol Kerzner was the developer of Sun City, who developed it as part of his Sun International property group. Officially, Sun City resort was inaugurated on 7 December 1979.

 

How to reach Sun City?

Sun City is served by Pilanesberg International Airport with everyday flights to/from Johannesburg. The airport is situated around 11 km away from Sun City. Taxis are generally available at the airport and if one booked rental vehicle before reaching the airport that would be convenient for comfortable airport travel.

There is a direct road link to Sun City from both Johannesburg and Pretoria. For local travel, train or funicular is an option.

 

Culture, Food and Shopping in Sun City:

Sun City Theatre is a cultural venue in Sun City, where regular and grand concerts take place throughout the year.

Shops can be found inside the hotels of Sun City and some nice restaurants in Sun City are:

  • Villa del Palazzo
  • Santorini Restaurant
  • Peninsula Restaurant
  • Crystal Court

 

What to do in Sun City?

  • Steam Train Rides Stimela
  • Airtrackers Hot Air Balloon Safaris
  • Golfing
  • Watching movies

 

What to see in Sun City?

 

Palace of the Lost City:

The Palace of the Lost City is one of the hotels within Sun City, featuring a wonderful exterior design. Apart from facilities and services, the hotel houses excellent elephant sculptures inside it that are amazing to see.

 

Golf Courses in Sun City:

There are two internationally recognized 18-hole golf courses in Sun City, the Lost City Golf Course and Gary Player Country Club. Gary Player was the designer of both these world class golf courses. The 13th hole of the Lost City Golf Course features 38 Nile crocodiles in the water.

 

Sun City Superbowl:

The Sun City Superbowl is considered as South Africa’s one of the best concert venues, which hosts all kinds of events, including beauty pagents, banquets and sporting events. It is situated at the Sun City Entertainment Centre.

 

Silhouette Nightclub:

Located at Sun City Entertainment Centre, the Silhouette nightclub is a top class nightclub, open from 23:00 onwards on weekends and public holidays. It surely will be a memorable experience for visitors.

 

Cinemas in Sun City:

To offer all kinds of entertainments for visitors in a single site, Sun City houses two cinemas that are situated on the upper level of the Entertainment Center. Including Hollywood and Bollywood, different languages new releases can be viewed here.

 

Other interesting places around Sun City include:

  • The Valley of Waves
  • Kwena Crocodile Farm
  • Shebeen
  • The Waterworld Picnic Lawn
  • Waterworld
  • The Sun City Casino
  • Predator World
  • Animal Farm
  • Motseng cultural village
  • Pilanesburg Game Reserve

 

When to visit Sun City?

Generally from June to October is the best time to visit to enjoy the beauties of world class tourist destination Sun City.

 

Accommodation options in Sun City:

There are four hotels within Sun City and apart from it, visitors can find many guest houses and holiday rentals surrounding Sun City. The prominent hotels in and around Sun City include:

  • The Cascades Hotel
  • The Palace of the Lost City
  • The Sun City Hotel
  • The Kingdom Resort
  • The Cabanas
  • Sundown Ranch Lion Park
  • Boshoek Farm Lodge
  • Sun City Kwena Chalets
  • Bakubung Bush Lodge
  • Kedar Country Lodge, Conference Center & Spa
  • Kwa Maritane Bush Lodge
  • Rustenburg Boutique Hotel
  • Sparkling Waters Hotel
  • ASDA Guesthouse
  • Modizen Guest House

Cape Town Tourist Places to Visit in Cape Town, South Africa, Africa

Cape Town Tourist Places to Visit in Cape Town, South Africa, Africa

Cape Town is the legislative capital and the second largest city of South Africa, following Johannesburg. It is home to Parliament House, functioning as the capital of the Western Cape province. Located on the western coastline in the far southwest of the country, Cape Town is a global city, centre of South Africa’s tourism, highlighted by the iconic attractions Table Mountain and Cape Point.

Designated as the World Design Capital for 2014, Cape Town is also famous for its healthy climate, upgraded infrastructure and striking beaches, which have promoted Cape Town as the capital of Africa’s tourism. Cape Town sprawls over a total area of 2,445 sq. km, while its geographical coordinates measure 33°55′31″ S 18°25′26″ E.

 

History of Cape Town:

The history of Cape Town begins with the arrival of the Dutch in the middle of the 17th century, who developed it as a supply station. The first permanent European settlement in Cape Town was built up by the Dutch colonial administrator, Jan van Riebeeck. Until the discovery of gold mines in Johannesburg, Cape Town had the status of the largest city of South Africa. Currently Cape Town is the cultural and tourism capital of South Africa.

 

How to reach Cape Town?

The Cape Town International Airport is situated around 20 km southeast of the heart of Cape Town and operates flights from Durban, Johannesburg, Mauritius, London, Singapore, Istanbul, Doha and many other world destinations.

By both train and bus, Cape Town is linked to Johannesburg, Durban, Port Elizabeth, East London and Queenstown.

Metro train, public buses, taxis and rental cars are the options for local travel in Cape Town.

 

Culture, Food and Shopping in Cape Town:

Cape Town is the city of dozens of grand festivals, including Cape Town Minstrel Carnival and Cape Town Jazz Festival. Green Market Square is one of the best traditional markets of Cape Town. V&A waterfront in Cape Town is famous for plenty of typical traditional and modern food corners.

 

Things to do in Cape Town:

  • Climbing Table Mountain
  • Surfing
  • Kite Surfing
  • Swimming

 

What to see in Cape Town?

 

Cape Town City Hall:

The Cape Town City Hall is a landmark structure, featuring the Edwardian style of architecture. This iconic building was constructed using honey-colored oolitic limestone in 1905 during the British colonial rule.

 

Bo-Kaap:

Bo-Kaap is one of the residential areas of Cape Town, highlighted by houses of different colors. Other than houses, the neighborhood is also famous among visitors for antique buildings, mainly mosques. Atlas Trading in Bo-Kaap is one of the best traditional shops in Cape Town.

 

The Castle of Good Hope:

Being the oldest surviving structure of South Africa, the Castle of Good Hope is one of the identities of both South Africa and Cape Town. Constructed between 1666 and 1679, the castle is located at Buitenkant Street. Entrance fee is R28.

 

Two Oceans Aquarium:

Situated on V&A Waterfront, the Two Oceans Aquarium is open for visitors from 9:30AM to 6PM. It features seven exhibition galleries with a wide range of sea creatures, including sharks. Scuba diving can also be enjoyed here. Admission fee is R105 (adults) and R48 (adults).

 

Groot Constantia:

Groot Constantia is South Africa’s one of the oldest wine estates, situated in the suburb of Constantia in Cape Town. It is allowed for visitors from 10AM to 5PM on all days of the week and admission fee is R8.

 

Other places of interest in Cape Town include:

  • Masque Theatre
  • Baxter Theatre
  • Armchair Theatre
  • South African National Gallery
  • South African Jewish Museum
  • District Six Museum
  • Victoria and Alfred Waterfront
  • South African Parliament
  • Rhodes Memorial
  • Robben Island

 

When to visit Cape Town?

Cape Town features a warm-summer Mediterranean climate and the best time to visit Cape Town is from October to May.

 

Where to stay in Cape Town?

Hundreds of hotels in Cape Town, ranging from hostels to world class hotels with amazing amenities. Mid range hotels in Cape Town generally charge between R500 to R1000. Some top end hotels in Cape Town are listed below:

  • Dysart Boutique Hotel
  • Queen Victoria Hotel
  • Victoria & Alfred Hotel
  • An African Villa
  • Cape Royale Luxury Hotel & Spa
  • Kensington Place
  • Blackheath Lodge
  • Four Rosmead
  • Villa Zest Boutique Hotel
  • Cape Heritage Hotel
  • More Quarters
  • The Cape Cadogan
  • Sugar Hotel & Spa
  • Antrim Villa

Tourist Places to Visit in Knysna, Western Cape, South Africa, Africa

Tourist Places to Visit in Knysna, Western Cape, South Africa, Africa

Knysna is a town in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, situated around 480 km east of the city of Cape Town. Knysna is a paradise for tourists, blessed with opulence greenery, healthy climate and many winsome natural attractions, including beaches. Its world class golf courses, including Simola Golf Course and many renowned annual events, including Pick n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival, have uplifted Knysna a year round tourist destination.

Knysna is located between 34°02′08″ S latitude and 23°02′56″ E longitude, covering an area of 108.77 sq. km. Knysna features a temperate climate with hot summers and mild winters.

 

History of Knysna:

Khoikhoi were the indigenous people of Knysna. Knysna was first visited by European explorers in 1760 and it is believed that, the first European settler of Knysna was Stephanus Terblans, who involved himself in establishing a farm in the area. Though, it is considered as, the founder of Knysna was George Rex, who gained the right of granting a substantial amount of loan to construct farms in Knysna, during the colonial period.

 

Getting Knysna:

The George Airport is the closest airport to Knysna, situated around 70 km west of the centre of Knysna. The airport operates flights from/to Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban.

George is well connected by bus to all the important southern cities of the country, including Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. Minibuses and rental bicycles are the options to get around Knysna.

 

Culture, Food and Shopping in Knysna:

Knysna is a town with dozens of festivals and the most famous being Pick n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival. Shops are plenty in Knysna, concentrated on Main St. and the Waterfront.

Some nice restaurants Knysna are:

  • Zachary’s Restaurant
  • Persello’s Pizzeria
  • Ile de Pain
  • The Dry Dock

 

What to do in Knysna?

  • Oyster Tour
  • Knysna RIB Adventures
  • Emzini Township Tour
  • Festival celebrations

 

What to see in Knysna?

 

Pledge Nature Reserve:

Located a half kilometer away from the city centre of Knysna, the Pledge Nature Reserve is a great place for nature lovers and hikers. It features a 3.5 km of pathways and also offers a striking view of the blue waters of the sea.

 

Millwood Gold Fields:

The Millwood Gold Fields is one of the first gold mines discovered in South Africa. There is a museum, named Millwood Museum, which showcases the history and importance of the gold mine. Tours of old gold mines are provided.

 

The Knysna Forest:

Spread over an area of around 80.000 hectors, the Knysna Forest is dominated by a tree called ‘King Edward VII”, which is at Diepwalle forest station, holding around 600 years of history. Knysna elephants are also famous here.

 

The lagoon of Knysna:

The lagoon of Knysna houses around 200 fish species in the area of 18 sq. km. It is a private reserve, so taking tour is imperative, which is also helpful to explore the real beauty of the reserve.

 

Knysna Fine Art:

The Knysna Fine Art is an art museum in Knysna, housed in Thesen House at 6 Long Street. It showcases contemporary artworks of both famous South African and international artists. The museum is open from 9 AM to 5 PM.

 

List of other places of interest in Knysna includes:

  • Knysna Elephant Park
  • Knysna Heads
  • Outeniqua Transport Museum
  • Simola Golf
  • Margaret’s Viewpoint
  • Goukamma Nature Reserve
  • Spitzkop Viewpoint
  • Bollard Bay
  • Groenvlei Lake
  • Garden of Eden
  • Pezula Championship Course
  • Gerickes Point
  • Knysna Golf Club

 

When to travel Knysna?

Undoubtedly, Knysna is a year round destination, although the beauties of Knysna can be enjoyed best between November and April.

 

Accommodation options in Knysna:

As a heaven of tourists, Knysna houses around 300 hotels to serve visitors with superior amenities. Budget hotels in Knysna charge under R500, mid range – R500 to R1000 and top end – R1000 plus. List of the prominent hotels in Knysna include:

  • Villa Paradisa Guest House
  • Kanonkop Guest House
  • Villa Afrikana Guest Suites
  • The St. James of Knysna
  • The Phantom Forest Eco-Reserve
  • Belvidere Manor
  • The Lofts Boutique Hotel
  • Knysna Country House
  • Turbine Hotel & Spa
  • Premier Hotel Knysna
  • Knysna Log-Inn Hotel
  • The Rex Hotel
  • Simola Hotel & Spa
  • Wayside Inn
  • The Russel Hotel
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