Johannesburg has a bad reputation; not totally undeserved mind you. However, when traveling to South Africa or anywhere in Southern Africa, chances are very high you will land in this “City of Gold” or i-Goli. Many people choose to skip their visit to this city in favor of the wilder-side of South Africa. However, if you truly want to know South Africa and what makes this country tick…there is nothing “wilder” than Jo’Burg.

We actually kicked off our adventures with three days at the beginning and three days at the end in Gauteng Province, where both Johannesburg and Pretoria are located. We had loved ones to visit, but I also wanted my husband to really get the feel for South Africa, its history, its culture, its cuisine and….its shopping!

So how does one do Jo’Burg properly and safely?

The best way is to have transportation there to meet you upon arrival. The delightful in-country team arranged for us to have a VIP greeting by Menzies Aviation right out of our gate. We were greeted by a very kind gentleman who whisked us through customs, got our bags for us and walked us to our driver right in the arrivals hall.

We stayed at a lovely hotel in the Marriott family of hotels in Sandton, just blocks away from Nelson Mandela Square (they bought the local South African chain Protea hotels in 2016). Our hotel had its own onsite private transfer and shuttle service, run by a very entrepreneurial South African, who built his business from 1 car during COVID to a fleet of 11 with a staff of 14! 

The team works right out of the hotel, so you can book any transfer needed on site and they are the most accommodating and friendly group of people I have ever met! (CTK Tours is the company in case you were wondering). They even book local tours around Jo’Burg: like the must-see Soweto and South African Apartheid museum.

The hotel is attached to a shopping mall with plenty of shops and services and restaurants. However, they also have their onsite shuttle that leaves regularly for Nelson Mandela Square, where one can enjoy a labyrinth of shopping, banking, restaurants and bars without worry.

In Jo’Burg, Design Delights

We enjoyed a nice lunch and specialty cocktail at Tasha’s and it was Gilbert’s first surprise of South Africa: amazing food, exquisite design, creative cocktails and delightful wines! (We enjoyed a Salmon salad with Peppadews, accompanied by a nice glass of Chenin Blanc, kicked off with Tasha’s special Flamingo Cocktail).

Not only is he an extraordinary talent..from KZN…but he is an extremely humble and gracious individual, who personally picked out some amazing outfits for me (when I embarrassingly mistook him as a sales person and he didn’t even scoff at me).

‘Meat me’ in Johannesburg?

South Africans love their meat. I mean LOOOOOVE. I had to introduce Gilbert to some of the best cuts of game while dining with my South African Sister, Nita and Nephew, Reece. We dined at the Bull Run Restaurant, famed for its prime cuts of South African beef and extensive selection of Cape wines. I had the Kudu Steak and he had the Ostrich steak and we delightfully washed down every bit with a Cape Red Blend. Then we ended our meal with Malva pudding…of course!

A Visit to the Cradle of ‘Humankind’

We took a day trip to the Cradle of Humankind to get a bit of ancient history and nature. Maropeng, where the Cradle of Humankind is located, is just a 45 minute drive north of Johannesburg where one can experience the landscapes and caves where some of the the first humans walked over 3.5 million years ago. “Little Foot” as she is known was found here by Dr. Ronald Clarke and his team – Stephen Motsumi and Nkwane Molefe in 1994 and is said to be over 3.6 million years old! I got to see her in real life on my first visit to South Africa on a personal tour given by Dr. Clarke and Motsumi themselves!

It is a fun visit and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with an informative and educational display. If you are fortunate and the Sterkfontein caves aren’t flooded, you can make and entire day trip out of a visit to the Cradle of Human kind. However, there are also local game parks and great restaurants nearby to make the trip a complete day visit.

We ended our day and visit with family at the Lord’s Bar back at the hotel and prepared for the next leg of our trip…. (And Reece had some fun with filters).