When you think of South Africa, Safaris and National Parks are usually at the top of the list. If you want to read more about my experience in that area, check out this post. Now I share my experience going to the Lesedi Cultural Village, the Mall of Africa, and a Spa Day.
Lesedi Cultural Villiage
If you visit South Africa, make sure you check out Lesedi Cultural Village. When we arrived at this location we were greeted with a warm welcome that included song and dance. The overall event started within the hour of arrival. This village shares knowledge of various tribes of South Africa, their customs, traditions, dances, dwellings, and more.
While waiting for the village tour to begin, we were able to check out their souvenir shops and get some tribal tattoos. It was about $5 USD to get a temporary tattoo on your hand or face. Each tattoo depicts a story.
Music and dance are important aspects within the tribes. We participated in the music by playing alongside the tribal members with our own set of bongos.
We learned about the dwellings, greeting customs, and tribal wear from our tour guide. The dwellings are a representation of how everything was built in the past.
The doors are so low that if the enemy wanted to attack, they would have to bend down to enter. Imagine what would greet you when you came through the door with your head looking down!
This red hat that a married woman would wear for this tribe is like a wedding ring. They are not allowed to take it off during the day or during the night. A long time ago, they would embed the hat into your head. If you take it off it is like a divorce. Can you imagine?!! And if you needed to take it off to wash your hair you needed to get permission from the elders.
Have you ever heard of Chaka Zulu? I did but I never really grasped who he was and how much of a warrior he was and even that the Zulu tribe was named after him. Yes, I was a little slow on that one.
One story we learned was that Chaka realized that the spears his father was using were too long, so the warriors would throw them at the enemy and then run. In turn, the enemy would pick up those spears and retaliate back. Chaka decided they needed smaller spears, like daggers in order to attack the empty up close and not miss the target.
Ever heard a Zulu tribe member speak in their own language? It’s amazing to hear and it’s not just words but a specific sound that is not easy to replicate.
As our tour was coming to a close, the “finale” was all the members coming together for about a 30-minute show. The flexibility is uncanny. I saw them kick their legs up to their heads, and do jumps, and splits all to the sounds of the beat and their voices. But as fate would have it, the lights went out for about 3 minutes but then returned. The tribal members still continued on with their dance without “missing a beat”. This was a true cultural experience.
Mall of Africa
As someone who has spent the last 3-5 years doing mainly online shopping, I was not super excited to go to yet another mall. However, my experience was better than I expected. This mall is the largest mall in Africa.
In typical mall fashion, it has everything you need from restaurants, shops, banks, and more. Even though it is the largest mall in Africa, I didn’t feel cramped with the number of people that can come through there. I also noticed the prices were less expensive than the mall that was connected to the Davinci (where we stayed).
The outdoor area was probably my favorite because you had the opportunity to dine outside but also people watch and soak in that South African sun. From here you can see various other corporations. Imagine having an office view from one of those buildings during the work week.
The restaurants in this mall are top-tier. We ended up meeting our friends at Kreme on one of the last days. The food and atmosphere were amazing and during that night, live music was playing downstairs.
This mall had a great location for drop-off and pick-ups for Ubers and Taxi’s. That made it very convenient to meet your driver once you were done with your shopping. We just told him the time and he came back to meet us at that same location. There are several entrances into the mall, so make a note of that entrance number if you ever visit the Mall of Africa.
Spa day
What better way to wind down a 10-day trip to South Africa, than with a couple’s spa day? I can probably account for maybe five or fewer times that I’ve actually been to a spa. Most of those were probably outside of the United States. I am working on self-care, which is why I didn’t decline this as part of our travel package.
The staff at Spas of Distinction Fourways were amazing, as I expected them to be. We were greeted with champagne while we waited for the steam and sauna room. After that, we had an hour full body massage and concluded with a bubble bath. During that time we enjoyed additional snacks and beverages before going up to the sunroom and relaxing outside.
One thing I regretted was keeping my cell phone in the locker room. I didn’t realize you could bring it with you through the various rooms. I thought it would get wet or damaged by water or humidity.
In the sauna room, there was an area right outside reserved for us where we could place our robes. It was a little uncomfortable not knowing what time it was and when our ride was supposed to come for us. But that was the only reason I needed my phone during that period of relaxation.
The whole experience was around 4 hours so you never felt rushed. That’s a great way to reflect on the whole trip experience before getting thrust back into the reality of returning home.
Heading home
After almost two weeks of being in South Africa, it was time to come home. We flew back with Ethiopian Airlines Business Class. The service was as expected and for the first flight, we had single seats. Until next time South Africa!
Key takeaways
- The Lesedi Cultural Village tour includes a lot of walking so wear comfortable shoes and bring water.
- The Mall of Africa has a trolley so you can hop on for a small fee if you get tired.
- The message therapists at the spa accept tips and you can pay at the end of your stay.
- If you can swing it, go for Business Class. Your legs will thank you.
