South Africa Hotels
Whilst some would say that Cape Town is the destination for a South Africa hotel holiday, Johannesburg and the surrounding area also have much to offer. Imagine the City of London, at the centre of a forest, surrounded by inspiring countryside. This makes for a wonderful combination of great restaurants and shopping, amidst a natural adventure playground.
April/May are a lovely time to visit, with clear blue skies and the warmth of late autumn, making the journey itself pleasant. Within an hour’s drive from Johannesburg we find ourselves in the middle of the Magaliesberg. We went quad-biking and horse-riding and on the following day spent the morning at an Elephant Sanctuary. There’s so much to do that as a family, you can easily base yourself in Johannesburg travelling daily for different activities, returning in time for a meal at yet another of the city’s top restaurants.
African Sun has hotels within the centre of Johannesburg, in the leafy district of Rosebank and in close proximity to the airport. Both The Grace In Rosebank and The Lakes Hotel And Conference Centre are great examples of South Africa hotels designed to meet the needs of guests that want to relax and explore. In fact The Grace sent us out for the day with hot cappuccinos and a delicious packed lunch.
Taking a trip to the Apartheid museum set the historical context for us. This is the first museum that I have spent four hours in and felt that I could still go back and learn more. Having some understanding of what led to apartheid and how South African’s lived during and through the end of it is quite humbling. I sat in the designated quiet, open space, taking time to contemplate what I had learned, before proceeding with the rest of my day.
For something completely different enjoy the thrills of the roller-coasters at Gold Reef City. This theme park is named as such because it’s at the site of one of the province’s old gold mines. Being unfortunate enough to experience a rainy day on our holiday, a trip to one of the many gold, platinum or diamond mines was the ideal thing to do. The Cullinan mine is home to the famous Cullinan diamond – the largest in the world. Going down into this working mine, I was amazed to be descending in the lift alongside the miners. An experience of a typical working day for some!
