Johannesburg - Safety and Things to See, Johannesburg, South Africa

Johannesburg, the biggest city in South Africa has its share of bad reputation and, comparing to the extremely famous and attractive Cape Town, receives relatively low numbers of tourists. We would have probably skipped it too if it hadn't been for the super cheap last-minute flights from Europe (500 EUR return!). Johannesburg is nothing like Cape Town (take a look at my post about it) - there's no beach, no mountains, no architecture that could stand out, it's a very new city (a bit over a century old) and only looks nice seen from afar. If you come closer, the filth, poverty and chaos prevail in the streets. On the other hand, Johannesburg is an interesting point in the turbulent, recent history. It's the city of gold and the birthday place of Nelson Mandela. And, what most of the visitors come here for - it's a great gateway to the beautiful wild game reserves, natural wonders and... Lesotho - the little, forgotten country completely surrounded by South Africa.

In general, the official taxis are a rip off (around 500 ZAR - 30 EUR/35 USD to Sandton), especially when you order one from the information desk. The quickest and a cheap way is to use Uber - go to the departures and call Uber from there - Johannesburg airport has free WiFi and you can easily use the application. By hailing an Uber car, you can save up to 60% - it's safe and efficient. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).