Activities in Johannesburg, South Africa

Day1: The first day in Johannesburg we decided to tour the city to get familiar with the area. After walking around downtown for a while we went into the Carlton Centre, a 730 feet tall skyscraper. The center has an observation deck on the 50th floor called Top of Africa and the view was very spectacular. We were able to see the entire city, and it was the perfect destination for the first day in the largest city in South Africa. We all enjoyed it a lot and took many pictures. The Carlton Centre is also a shopping mall and before we returned to the hotel we stopped at some of the shops. Sam and I bought a few souvenirs there.

The view from the observation deck:

Day 2: Will thought it would be good to learn more about the history of the area so we went to the Africana Museum in Newtown, a suburb of Johannesburg, in the morning. They had many great collections of historic items and art. We especially liked the rock art and musical instruments exhibitions. It was a lot of fun. After that we went to see the Nelson Mandela Bridge, the largest cable bridge in South Africa, and therefore a famous tourist attraction.

http://www.sxc.hu/photo/90793

In the evening we drove to Soccer City, the big soccer stadium where the FIFA World Cup took place last year. Even though we only saw it from the outside, the size of the stadium was impressive.

Day 3: On the third day we went on a 4 hour tour that took us to the biggest and most popular township, Soweto, in South Africa. It cost us each 480 Rand (60 USD) and it was well worth it. Our tour guide was great and we learned a lot about the culture and the history of Soweto. Cooper took a lot of pictures of the areas we visited.

http://photos.igougo.com

Later in the afternoon we went to Rosenbank, another suburb of Johannesburg, where we relaxed for a while at a street cafe. We were all a little tired from the traveling and sightseeing. After that, Sam and Britney wanted to check out the African Craft Market located a few blocks from the cafe and we all stayed there until it closed. We found a few postcards and Sam and I also bought some handcrafted jewelry. It was fun.

Day 4: We went to the Lion Park. Admission was $16 USD per person and once we were in the park, we were allowed to touch and photograph lion cubs. It was a fun experience to be so close to these wild animals and felt a lot like being on a safari. We also wanted to go to the Johannesburg Zoo but there was not enough time that day because we stayed at the Lion Park much longer than intended.

Day 5: We decided to go to Gold Reef City to see the theme park and the former gold mine. During our visit we took a tour of the underground mines and caves that are no longer in use. It was an interesting experience. The entrance fee was 110 Rand ($14 USD) per person and we stayed for a few hours. In the evening we went downtown again and walked around a little. The week in Johannesburg was great and there were so many attractions and things to do. Now we look forward to our next destination.