Great things to do in Johannesburg over the festive season.
If you haven’t already, you should definitely congratulate yourself on getting to the holidays. And I wouldn’t judge you if you wanted to sit around in your pyjamas and watch bad TV all day long. But, just in case you get cabin fever and would like to go out and enjoy Johannesburg at it’s absolute finest - when the sunny days are broken up with refreshing afternoon showers and the hordes have gone away on holiday - here are some ideas on what you can do in Johannesburg over the festive season.
He’s behind you!
Going to the annual Panto is a treat for young and old. Is there a better way to spend time with the kids than by having a good laugh? And maybe the grandparents would like to come too. This year Janice Honeyman presents Sleeping Beauty, and the show has received excellent reviews. If you find that the pricetag is a bit steep at R300, consider taking out a short-term loan from Boodle to tide you over until the end of Christmas.
Be a tourist in your own city
Get a hop-on hop-off bus ticket from the Red City Tours and sit in an open top double-decker bus with informative audio commentary to tell you all about the city. There are eleven stops and the tickets go for as little as R160 for a 1-Day Ticket. The stops include taking in the view from atop the highest building in Africa, at the Carlton Centre. Or, for more of educational outings the bus also stops at the Apartheid Museum and Constitutional Hill. And if you want to see the historic sites in Soweto there is an add-on package that is definitely worthwhile.
Safari, so good
Who knew you could get the safari experience only 45 minutes out of Johannesburg or Pretoria? Heia Safari Ranch is a 3 star lodge surrounded by African bushveld. The lodge is situated at the foot of the Swartkop Mountain Range and alongside Lake Heritage - one of the largest hand-built stone dams in Africa where you can enjoy birdwatching, fishing, open water swimming and canoeing. Giraffe, zebra and buck roam the grounds freely and the zebra even drink from the swimming pool.
Go wild at the zoo
Voted No.1 best family outing by Star readers the Johannesburg Zoo is a good day out for the family in the holidays. Conveniently located in leafy Parkview, the zoo grounds cover 55 hectares and house more than 320 species with a total of 2000 animals. There is a petting zoo with farm animals that’s great for the really little ones and fun things for bigger ones too - day tours, night tours and even an overnight campout. It’s open 364 days a year and a day pass is a pretty reasonable R75 for adults/R46 for children 3-12 years old. You can also look into annual tickets for an affordable, regular outing.
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