They call it the City of Gold, Egoli, Jozi and Joburg – but for many of South Africa’s brightest stars the city of Johannesburg is simply HOME. Here’s the lowdown on this colorful city…

Vibrant Nightlife

One thing is for certain, there is no shortage of nightlife in this cosmopolitan city. We are talking fantastic jazz venues, nightclubs, theatres, cigar bars and chill-out spots that stay open way into the early hours of the morning.  

Here are just a few pointers – if you are thinking about painting the town all colors of the rainbow.  

Hotspots…and then some  

• Melville’s 7th Avenue is a great place to spend an evening. Restaurants and chi chi bars hug the pavement down this busy street. Visit Buzz 9 for daquiris, the Xai Xai Lounge for caipirinhas, Tokyo Star for local music and The Ant for a bit of artistic inspiration.  

• Melrose Arch is the place to see and be seen. With wonderful chill-out spots such as JB’s for pre-partying drinks, Moyos for dinner and a funky nightclub for dancing way until the wee hours of the morning. 

• The Milpark area is part of the rejuvenation of the inner city, and The Color Bar is a favourite with the media types. The surrounding restaurants and shops at 44 Stanley Avenue are definitely worth a visit. 

• Perfect sundowners are up for grabs at the Westcliff’s Polo Lounge with breathtaking views of the city and perhaps the odd roar from the feline neighbours (the hotel is close to Joburg Zoo).  

• Newtown Precinct is Johannesburg’s hottest hotspot. This is the proverbial melting pot of all cultures with the vibes to prove it. Visit Horror Cafe (kwaito, jazz, reggae, street poetry etc), Carfax (the hippest parties in town) and the Songwriter’s Club for the best of local talent. The Bassline is another fantastic live music/jazz venue that is making its presence felt in Newtown.  The venue has two stages, world-class acoustics and some of the top names in African jazz. Did we mention the fantastic Market Theatre for a dose of local theatre….?  

• Soweto by night is also a great option.  Why not look out for Sakhumzi restaurant in Vilakazi Street Orlando West. This famous street has made history by being the only street in the world that was home to two Nobel Peace Prize winners: Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. While in Soweto don’t forget to pay a visit to the world-famous Wandie’s restaurant or the Rock, the best shebeen in the country!   

• Sandton and Rosebank are also abuzz with fabulous nightspots and wine bars, try out Su Da Da Dine Bar for cocktails, Satala for cool grooves, and Katzy’s in Rosebank for a dash of French champagne…  

• Casino Country – Lady Luck is always in Jozi town, so visitMontecasino in Fourways to try your hand. Dance the night away afterwards atCafé Vacca Matta. Gold Reef City is another fantastic casino venue – hang outwith the stars at Back of the Moon restaurant – the food is good and the vibesare smooth.

Cafe Society

Joburger’s just love coffee shops, bistros, restaurants and outdoor café’s and proprieters make good use of the many months of summer. The hubs of Melville, Norwood, Greenside and Parkhurst are Jozi’s  version of New York’s Greenwich Village or London’s Soho, so pull up a pavement and enjoy that cappuccino.  

Day Spas

Like any major city in the world, Johannesburg is up to date with health trends. The city boasts a number of day-spas for those in need of some serious pampering.   Whilst the usual shiatsu, Swedish and aromatherapy body massages have been on the menu for years, spas and day-hydros have gone a little further to offer the full gamut of energizing treatments available. Why not try out the hot stone therapy massage, detoxifying seaweed wraps, thalassotherapy treatments and many more.  

Some of Johannesburg’s top spa’s include:  

• Camelot at the Peak Health Club and Spa. This fantastic spa can be found at the Rosebank Hyatt, complete with jacuzzis, plunge pools, saunas and exotic relaxation treatments.
   

• Vision Lodge Day Spa at the Bella Vita Healing Centre in Waverly. This spa specializes in massages of every type.
   

• Moti International Health and Beauty Hydro in Morningside, near Sandton.

Township Tourism

Getting to know the townships is an essential part of any trip to Jozi, and there are fantastic tours on offer for the modern-day nomad. Both day trips and night trips into the townships of Soweto and Alexandra are on offer – these tours are perfectly safe and largely entertaining.

City Boutique Hotels

The concept of Boutique Hotels is relatively new to South Africa, although that’ s not to say that we don’t have some of the most fantastic boutique hotels in the world.  Look out for Ten Bompas (Dunkeld), The Grace (Rosebank), Fairlawns (Morningside) and the Saxon (in Sandhurst) – to mention just a few of our top hotels.  

When it comes to shopping, Johannesburg has a wonderful mix of opportunities to visitors to explore. Firstly our malls are world class entertainment centres that not only boast fantastic shops, but also have great restaurants and movie houses attached. Some of Johannesburg’s favourite Mall’s include The Zone in Rosebank, Sandton City and Sandton Square, Fourways Mall and Eastgate.  
 

• For fashionistas…authentic South African fashion must be explored, look out for Stoned Cherrie, Sun God’dess, Craig Native, Black Coffee, Marion and Lindie to name just a few.  

• For those in search of a bargain, there are numerous flea markets in and around Johannesburg, many of these are attached to our better-known malls. These so-called flea markets offer excellent local arts and crafts, clothing, accessories and curios for very reasonable prices. A favourite for travelers to Johannesburg is Rosebank’s Rooftop Market.  

• For more exotic shopping, there are a number of places to go: the Oriental Plaza in Fordsburg is a real delight, run largely by the Indian community, textile and clothing bargains are always up for grabs. If you are in search of something even more exotic, then look no further than the Mai Mai traditional ‘muti’ (medicine) market where you can pick up indigenous herbs and traditional gear for next to nothing.

Restaurant Heaven

These days, South African diners have a global palate and Jozi has it all – tandoori, thai, fusion, clean cut urban, traditional African delights and even designer boerekos (traditional farm food). A few designer restaurants to look out for:

• Norwood’s Benkei restaurant, one of the city’s best Japanese restaurants.
  Bukhara in Sandton serves up fantastic North Indian food.
   

• The Red Chamber, Hyde Park Shopping Centre. 
  Mandarin cuisine with flair (said to be the best Peking Duck in the country).
   

• Of course Browns of Rivonia is a  major hit for its brilliant wine cellar and cheese room.
   

• Don’t miss out on the Moyo experience, fantastic African food, music from around the world – great vibes and good people. To be found in Newtown, Melrose Arch (Johannesburg) and Zoo Lake.
   

• Don’t miss the fantastic Radium Beer Hall in Orange Grove for Mozambican prawns and calamari. Delicious.
   

Loft Living

New York style lofts are becoming all the rage in Johannesburg. Abandoned buildings are being turned into the ultimate in trendy living spaces with wide views of the city. In line with Johannesburg’s inner city revival, look out for more of the same. At present the Braamfontein Werf area is the hub of this kind of development, but it certainly looks like this new way of urban living is spreading to the suburbs!  

Green Lungs

Every good city needs a few fabulous gardens to counteract the urban mayhem that is simply par for the course in the world’s great cities.

Both Zoo Lake and Emmarentia Dam offer respite from the city, and are popular with urban inhabitants who desire getting in touch with nature.   There are a number of parks spread all around Johannesburg.

If you want to get out a little further, the Walter Sisulu Botanical Garden on the West Rand is known as one of South Africa’s best-kept botanical gardens. The gardens boast a pair of Verraux’s eagles, one of the few breeding pairs in the world that have survived in an urban environment.

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