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Johannesburg - worthwhile?
As a first-time visitor to SA, I have an evening flight out of
Johannesburg when returning home. I hadn't planned on visiting Jo-burg, but am considering arriving the night before my flight and staying at a hotel by the airport. Would it be worthwhile to go into the city during the day? What about safety? What is interesting to see? Thanks for replies. Cheers, Ann To email: replace 'REMOVE' with 'b' in email address. |
#2
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Johannesburg - worthwhile?
No, it certainly isn't safe to go into the city at pretty much
anytime, which is why virtually all the businesses have moved out to an outer ring outside the city. Stay away from the downtown and you will be alright. I don't know what you like to do, by the lion park there is great. You can get up close and personal with real, live wild lions. On Sat, 08 May 2004 16:27:31 GMT, Ann B. wrote: As a first-time visitor to SA, I have an evening flight out of Johannesburg when returning home. I hadn't planned on visiting Jo-burg, but am considering arriving the night before my flight and staying at a hotel by the airport. Would it be worthwhile to go into the city during the day? What about safety? What is interesting to see? Thanks for replies. Cheers, Ann To email: replace 'REMOVE' with 'b' in email address. |
#3
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Johannesburg - worthwhile?
Ann B. wrote:
As a first-time visitor to SA, I have an evening flight out of Johannesburg when returning home. I hadn't planned on visiting Jo-burg, but am considering arriving the night before my flight and staying at a hotel by the airport. Would it be worthwhile to go into the city during the day? What about safety? What is interesting to see? Jo'burg is NOT a safe place. Also the airport is not that close to the city, so you'll need a taxi. Let your hotel arrange the taxi for you. The one to take you to the city and the same one to take you back again. Don't just take any taxi! Although I have walked around certain areas of Jo'burg alone and even at night and also have wonderfull memories of my times there, I don't really consider it worth visiting. If I had a change to stay a day longer at any park or reserve, I wouldn't need to think about that for a second. Regards, hans ================================== Hans Martens Wildlife & Nature Photography http://www.wildpicture.com ================================== |
#4
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Johannesburg - worthwhile?
Hi Ann,
I have lived in Johannesburg all my life, so I think I'm probably qualified to answer your queries better than most :-) Firstly, you ask if you should visit Johannesburg. If you mean "should I visit downtown Johannesburg?" then the answer is almost certainly an emphatic "NO". If you were asking whether there are other parts of Johannesburg you should visit, the answer is an even more emphatic "YES" THIS IS THE SITUATION: Greater Johannesburg is an enormous area (around 4000 square kilometers). In reality it stretches about 70km from the outskirts of Pretoria in the North to Soweto in the South, and about 60km from Krugersdorp in the West to Benoni in the East. The population varies from the wealthiest to the poorest, stratified into certain areas mostly according to income. The wealthier populace have built "comfort zones" around themselves, while the rest of the city was left to fall prey to inner-city urban decay. The downtown area of Johannesburg, as well as Hillbrow (an area of only a few square kilometers), has become a hotbed of illegal activity. Drugs, illegal immigrants, confidence tricksters, con-artists, muggers, rapists, and hijackers all found a new home in these areas. Like so many other cities, Johannesburg failed to see, and remedy, the situation quickly enough. As a result, many businesses moved out of the city centre, to areas outside the centre. This caused small "sub-centres" to develop. Each of the sub-areas needed all of the supporting structures that surround business such as banks, shops, restaurants etc. Vibrant night-life developed here as well, mostly based around the local mall or other focal point. There are areas where it is extremely foolhardy for an un-escorted tourist to visit, and I would strongly recommend that they AVOID THESE AREAS COMPLETELY. These areas include: 1) Johannesburg city centre (downtown) 2) Hillbrow 3) Berea 4) Rocky Street/Yeoville 5) Lorentzville/Bertrams Not only is there a distinct possibility for a tourist to get into trouble, but there is not that much to be done in those areas. One noteable exception is the very popular area around the Market Theatre (Theatre, restaurants, Museum Afrika) which has jacked up security, and is very pleasant to visit. There are areas where it is PERFECTLY SAFE to visit; a) By "perfectly safe" I mean that there is every expectation that a tourist will not be in any danger. Of course things do go wrong in any city/country, and walking around with an expensive camera dangling around your neck and flashing a thisk wad of cash around is going to attract problems in any country. b) Being safe in these areas presupposes that people follow typical big-city common sense rules. Don't walk about in dark areas, or in areas where there is no-one else. Don't advertise that you have money. Walk with a purpose, you look less like a tourist. Keep a tight grip on handbags etc. These safe areas include, but are not limited to: 1) The glitzy parts of Sandton 2) Rivonia 3) Gold Reef City 4) Rosebank 5) The "Lion Park" and the "Lion and Rhino Park" 6) Guided tours of Soweto, 7) Eastgate, Bedford Centre I am not in the tourist business, and I have no financial interest in the field whatsoever, but I have entertained several dozen overseas visitors in Johannesburg. All of them have enjoyed their visits enormously, and have left with positive feelings. Please take the effort to stay in Johannesburg for the day. Regards, Marc - Johannesburg. On Sat, 08 May 2004 16:27:31 GMT, Ann B. wrote: As a first-time visitor to SA, I have an evening flight out of Johannesburg when returning home. I hadn't planned on visiting Jo-burg, but am considering arriving the night before my flight and staying at a hotel by the airport. Would it be worthwhile to go into the city during the day? What about safety? What is interesting to see? Thanks for replies. Cheers, Ann To email: replace 'REMOVE' with 'b' in email address. |
#5
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Johannesburg - worthwhile?
Ann B. wrote:
: As a first-time visitor to SA, I have an evening flight out of : Johannesburg when returning home. I hadn't planned on visiting : Jo-burg, but am considering arriving the night before my flight and : staying at a hotel by the airport. Would it be worthwhile to go into : the city during the day? What about safety? What is interesting to : see? : : Thanks for replies. : Cheers, : Ann We also had one and a half day left in Joburg and stayed at the Holiday Inn at the airport. We did a guided tour to Johannesburg and Soweto. We were picked up at the hotel and the tour was very interesting and our guide (Edgar) was very good and entertaining. On the last day we visited lion park on our own (rented car). You see a lot of lions but you have to realise that it is more like a zoo and not wildlife like in Kruger Park. Regards Peter |
#6
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Johannesburg - worthwhile?
We did a tour of downtown Johannesburg and Soweto this April and found it very
interesting. |
#7
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Johannesburg - worthwhile?
"Mtwhitney62" wrote in message ... We did a tour of downtown Johannesburg and Soweto this April and found it very interesting. got to agree with that! our trip round soweto was amasing. went on a guided tour. just a family of 4 and 2 guide. God it was amasing. Heard a lot of bad things about it but once there we never felt threatened. We even mixed with some locals in an illegal bar, walked around the markets, had hour of drinks in a legal bar chatting and getting to know some locals. I did feel a bit uneasy about it at times but the experience was great. Saw some of the poorest bits and met the poorest people and also the richest bits. It was shocking, appauling at times and amazing at others. Downtown Johberg was fantastic too. A saddening waste in many ways but really was an experience of a different world. I wouldnt go around alone, make sure you get a good, experienced guide and trust me you'll be amazed by it. Anyway thats my 2 cents ;-) |
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