Based on what I had read and the general feedback of what Johannesburg is supposed to be like, I was pretty nervous about being here. And although I’m sure there is definitely bad stuff going down here, I didn’t feel its prominence, instead, I felt such a great vibe.
First up is the ease of entry, I had been prepared for a grilling on why I didn’t have a return flight, what my intentions were in South Africa but the guy only spoke to me as he stamped my passport by telling me to have a nice stay.
Classy Airport
Next, is the setup and quality of the airport. It’s very impressive, light and clean and airy. There’s an information desk right as you come out into the main very circular arrivals area and best of all there is nobody pestering you to take a taxi, it’s very relaxed.
Old Fashioned Public Phones
I had to ring my accommodation as my driver hadn’t arrived and there are very cheap public phones behind the escalators. A rare experience making a public phone call but it all worked and the lady at the hostel even managed to ring me back on it – just like in the movies.
I stayed at Curiocity Backpackers in Maboneng district, an inner-city neighborhood full of funky urban sites; street art, galleries, cafes and restaurants. There are photographers, models and photo shoots going on everywhere in this urban development.
The staff at the backpackers are very welcoming, friendly and full of any helpful information you might need and they also offer lots of organised tours. The place is really clean, spacious and the wifi is great!
- There’s a small restaurant on the side street which you can get to from the inside of Curiocity Backpackers which does a good sized, hearty and tasty dish of either beef, chicken or fish, rice and beans and a salad – its great! And only costs around 40 Rand ($2.25 usd).
- There’s also heaps of other eating options on the same street that Curiocity Backpackers is on, Fox Street
- I had great coffee (20 Rand – $1.30 usd) and a to-die-for lamb souvlaki (59 Rand – $3.90 usd) at Soul Souvlaki,
- I also ate at Little Addis an Ethiopian restaurant where the food, a plate of a mixed selection (60 Rand – $4 usd), is tasty, a wee bit spicy and it comes with the novelty of eating with your hands!
On Sunday there is a market on Fox street along with a food market in the car park of the arts space. It is packed with the most amazing looking food from all over the world. It’s hard to nail it down to just one choice – go hungry so you can over indulge!
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