The more time you have, the better. Use the Short Breaks guide as a foundation, then add the following for a great taste of Johannesburg and its surrounds.
- Stay in Soweto by booking into one of the many excellent bed & breakfast establishments in the township. But don’t plan on sleeping too much, for this place knows how to party. Start with dinner at Wandie’s Place, Sakhumzi’s Restaurant, Kwa-Thabeng or Nambitha, which means “something tasty”, then put on your dancing shoes for one of the smoky jazz joints. An absolute must.
- As you are here primarily for the FIFA 2010 World Cup, your itinerary may not include a visit to one of South Africa’s premier game parks. If so, then the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve and the Krugersdorp Game Reserve to the west of Johannesburg are good alternatives.
- The Cradle of Humankind in the Sterkfontein Valley is also a great option. There is a range of educational facilities at the 47 000-hectare Cradle site. It is best to begin at Maropeng, Tswana for “return to your origins”. Here is the circular Tumulus, a grassed-over state-of-the-art visitor’s centre designed to look like an ancient burial mound. It symbolises the voyage of mankind from yesteryear into an uncertain future.
- From the Tumulus one walks down the Diversity Ramp, which takes visitors to a man-made lake and a boat ride to the dawn of time. Ten minutes from Maropeng are the Sterkfontein Caves and the permanent hominid exhibit. Then back to the future and the FIFA 2010 World Cup.
Time to head for the Coast… don’t leave SA without experiencing the Mother City - Cape Town is calling your name.