Johannesburg Hotels in safe area
May 17th, 2001, 04:03 AM
#2
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Avoid the city centre - it is still not very safe, in spite of the crime levels there decreasing dramatically. Also not very attractive. I would suggest a hotel in one of the northern suburbs, like Rosebank or Sandton. There are hotels at the airport, but not much to see or do in the area.
May 17th, 2001, 04:36 AM
#3
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Another vote for hotels in Rosebank or Sandton City. <BR>In Rosebank, you have the Hyatt, the Grace <BR>In Sandton, there are Sandton Sun, Michelangelo. These are on the high end. There are definitely cheaper hotels but they don't spring to mind right now, but a search will turn them up. <BR> <BR>Another area for hotels is the Bruma/Eastgate area. <BR> <BR>If you are there on a Sunday there is a great craft market in Rosebank on the top level of the Rosebank mall. Bruma also has a craft market which runs the whole week. <BR> <BR>A nice outing is to Gold Reef City which is an amusement park but also has the original mine houses from the the gold Rush Days, a visit down a mine, mine/gumboot dancers. Definitely not just for kids. Your hotel will have information and directions. <BR> <BR>All the areas I mentioned have large malls and good shopping. All the malls have good curio shops although prices will be higher than at Victoria Falls but you will see things you cannot get at the Falls. <BR> <BR>I second the vote to stay away from the City Center and agree that to spend a whole day at an airport hotel is boring. <BR> <BR>There are casino hotels near the airport,if that interests you. I don't know if they are open yet. they were building them lat year. <BR> <BR>There also might be a tour to Pretoria, the capital city ( About (30 -50?miles north) which has monuments and museums, the governement buildings. Pretoria has a very different pace and flavor to Johannesburg. <BR> <BR>I did a quick search on www.google.com and came up with these websites <BR>http://www.cityguide.travel-guides.c...softheCity.asp - 26k <BR>travel.excite.com/show/?formid=7775 - 23k <BR>africanadrenalin.co.za/spurwing/jhbday.htm <BR>http://www.africa-explore.co.za/tour...annesburg.html <BR>www.helloafrika.com/Day%20Tours/wtj.htm <BR>http://www.travelbeyond.com/safrica/...toriatours.htm <BR> <BR>and more
May 17th, 2001, 10:48 PM
#5
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And more votes for Sandton. Check out www.tourismjohannesburg.co.za. Look for accommodation at the airport and in Rosebank, Sandton and Sandton City. I would not go lower than 3*. Also look at www.joburg.org.za <BR> <BR>There are two good hotels at the airport as well and the casino is now completed, with an hotel. It is called Caesars and is about 5 to 10 minutes' drive from the airport. - check out www.caesars.co.za for more info. <BR> <BR>There is an up market art & craft market at Rosebank that is only open on Sundays from 0900 to about 1600. Nice environment with restaurants as well, a little more pricy. <BR> <BR>If you stay at an hotel in Sandton/Rosebank, which have some excellent shopping malls, and you take a trip to Soweto, you would see the extreme sides of SA with first world up market shops on the one hand and absolute squalor on the other hand. You will, however, also see places that will show you that not everybody in Soweto is poor. Some foreign friends went to Soweto and they can't stop talking about it. (The same friends also went to Vic Falls two weeks ago and they "gob smacked". Interesting that vendors at the Falls prefer US dollar, then SA Rand and only then Zim dollar as a method of cash payment.) <BR> <BR>Lisa, thanks for promoting Pretoria, it is indeed quite "lekker" (very nice) here(!) and Janet, she is right, the two cities differ completely in atmosphere. <BR> <BR>A note of caution, be very careful with cameras, jewellery etc when you walk around. Do not walk alone at night!
May 18th, 2001, 04:34 AM
#6
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Hi Local, <BR>You're right about Pretoria, Unfortunately I haven't been there in years and years, but still recall being blown away by the frieze and the mother and child statue at the Voortrekker Monument on a school trip in Std 5.(Long time ago). I suppose it is not very Politically Correct any more but it is quite a Sight. <BR> <BR>And Janet, don't get confused about the name if you see a hotel called Sandton Park hotel. Unfortunately, I can only recommend to stay away from that. It used to be a Best Western and is a beautifully redone aparment hotel in beautiful gardens with a pool. Unfortunately, it lost its Best Western affiliation and services there are substandard. We stayed there as it was conveniently near family. One towel, 1 glass and one pillow between 3 of us! Pervading smell of insect repellent, elevator not working, you get the idea.
