We Finally Arrived in Johannesburg!!
About 18 hours later we were able to see the country for ourselves. I’m not sure I knew what to expect but this would not be our typical Caribbean/Beach vibe vacation. Check out how we got here.
I didn’t book this trip entirely on my own as we used a tourism company called The Real South Africa. Because of their Youtube videos regarding their and other guests’ experiences, we decided to book with them. So check out their website for more information.
The first day and a half we needed time to adjust to the time difference and jet lag in general. We stayed at the Davinci Hotel which had a lot of restaurants and shops in the vicinity since it’s connected to the Legacy Mall. The hotel suite we stayed in was spacious, comfortable, and modern. The only thing they don’t supply regularly is washcloths (which must be a US thing because I had the same issue when traveling to Europe and Asia.
Getting settled
From DC to Johannesburg, there is a 7-hour difference (until Daylight Savings switches). The jet lag was serious so the day we arrived we didn’t do much except find a restaurant that was located on the mall side. The mall has everything including ATMs. So if you need South African RAND then you can use the various ATMs located throughout the mall. Of course, there is a fee to pay, but if you stay in this location, everything you need is here.
We found a restaurant that had more authentic South African food (instead of the same type of food you see in the states). The meal was amazing and the price for two people including two entrees and two drinks came to about $30-40 USD. If you ever stay at the Davinci, go to the 3rd floor and the restaurant is to the right of the elevator, called Hombaze. There are some dishes they serve that you eat traditionally with your hands and they provide a basin with water and lemon.
Due to the previous travel day and jetlag, we went to bed early, but around 11 pm we woke up and got room service since all the restaurants were closed.
The food ordered at that time of night was good but took about an hour to receive, After we started eating we did notice that the room did not supply certain items like paper towels or liquid soap. The kitchen was stocked to cook with utensils, pots, pans, etc but we only had the napkins that came with the delivered food.
Nelson Mandela Sqaure
The next day, we ventured out to Nelson Mandela Square. This area has plenty of restaurants and shops around and has a nice courtyard to take pictures. We selected The Butcher Shop & Grill as it had outdoor seating and we could people watch. The Guatrain is around the corner so many people use that mode of transportation to get to the vicinity. This area has Woolworths which allows all types of shopping like grocery, clothing, furniture, etc.
During the meal, I took a few pictures from where I was sitting, and then after lunch, we took a few pictures in front of the massive Nelson Mandela statue. There were patrons with shopping carts walking through the square and we realized that they were shopping at the popular Woolworths store. You can use the shopping carts outside of the store and leave them in a designated area which will be picked up by staff.
Once we finished dinner we found our way back to our Hotel Room and chilled for the rest of the day. This mall/square area has another hotel named Michaelangelo connected to it. The journey back to the hotel room was interesting because it’s so massive that you can get lost. However, after a few days, we figured out the pattern.
Just getting started
Stayed tuned for more South Africa days with me. This was only the second day. Throughout our stay, we toured Soweto which included seeing the Nelson Mandela Museum and where Mr. Mandela stayed. I’ll talk about our experience at the the Apartheid Museum and more.
Five Key Takeaways
- Use a tourism company to guide you through everything. We used The Real South Africa.
- The Davinci Hotel accommodations were exceptional but bring items like napkins, dish soap, and washcloths (if desired).
- ATMs and banks are located within the mall if you need cash (Credit cards are accepted widely).
- Nelson Mandela Square has options for food, shopping, and people-watching, all in one safe location and you can use the shopping carts throughout the square.
- This area is more expensive so stores located in the mall are on the higher end. Food prices are reasonable.
