Short time in Johannesburg, SA
 

What can 2 women safely do in Johannesburg during an afternoon and evening. We will be going on safari for 2 weeks in Botswana and have a layover in Johannesburg.

Please be careful walking around Johannesburg alone, particularly the Central Business District. Having said that, there are a couple of fascinating sites that will keep you happily occupied before you head to Botswana. To get a good feel for the layout of the city, consider riding up to the top of the Carlton Centre, the tallest building in Johannesburg. Other worthwhile stops downtown are Museum Africa, which traces the contributions of blacks to Johannesburg, and the Johannesburg Art Gallery. If you followed the news during the great upheavals that wracked South Africa since 1948, consider taking a guided tour of Soweto, the huge black township that figured so prominently in the anti-apartheid struggle. Jimmy's Face to Face Tours does a good job with these tours. Finally, contact the Chamber of Mines (tel. 011/838-8211) to see if you can get on a tour of a real gold mine. Well worthwhile.

In March you replied to my question about what my daughter (age 17) and I can do in Johannesburg. We will be there for 2 long layovers before and after safari. My husband thinks we should just stay at the hotel (Holiday Inn at Kemper Park) and rest. He feels it too unsafe for us to explore and I note your warnings to everyone about high crime. Is shopping a safe option? Are the tours absolutely safe for us, and can we sign up for one upon arrival, or does it need to be done in advance? Departing for Africa 6/23. Thanks. BAK

Crime is a big issue in Johannesburg, but don't let that keep you a prisoner in a hotel room. If you want to go shopping, there are several enormous malls in the northern suburbs that have excellent security and superb shops. The largest is probably Sandton City, but you'll find other chi chi malls at Hyde Park and in Rosebank. I don't know if you will be in Johannesburg on a Saturday morning, but the open-air market in downtown Joburg opposite the Museum of Africa is fantastic, with wonderful carvings, cloth, masks, etc. from all over Africa. You must exercise caution down there, however. The Holiday Inn out at Kempton Park is fine, but there is nothing to do out there. Consider staying in a hotel in Sandton, close to all the shops. An airport shuttle bus runs from many of Sandton's hotels to the airport. Lodging options include the Balalaika Hotel and Sandton Sun, and there is also a Holiday Inn (although in 1995 it was nothing special). A cheaper Holiday Inn Garden Court in Sandton offers functional, sterile rooms, too. Hope this helps.

Barbara,

My husband and I are in Jo'Berg long enough to tour.
Andrew, thank you for steering us to Jimmy's Face To
Face Tours. They couldn't be more gracious and
helpful! Their fax #011 2711 331 5388. They are
going to take us on a tour of Jo'Burg, Soweto, and
Pretoria. Each one of these is a half day. The
open air market sounds fascinating--hope we can
squeeze that in, thank you again Andrew. We are staying at the Santon
Towers (not my idea of local color, but guess the
choices in this town are not many). We are going
in July of this year and have no fears about our
tours/or Jo'Burg! We take the obvious precautions--
here in White Bear Lake, MN we are being advised to
lock our cars!! Happy, educational traveling!