I’ve heard more than a few terrifying stories of violent robberies and carjackings in and around Johannesburg. With that in front of mind, safety was certainly a primary concern as we arrived there first to start a month-long trek around Southern Africa. Now that we’re back home and I’ve had a bit of time to reflect, I’ve got a pretty foolproof method to avoid getting robbed in Johannesburg. Here it is: go to CapeTown.
That’s right, skip Johannesburg completely. Oh, you have a connection through JoBurg? Try to catch a taxi at the airport to Marriott Protea. When the taxi driver looks at you like an idiot, take your eyes off your phone for a sec and you will see the grand edifice of this hotel right in front of you, firmly inside airport property.
In all seriousness, I had some pretty bleak preconceptions regarding crime in South Africa. Like any place though, location and context matters. Our experience lines up with CapeTown being a relatively safe and tourist-friendly city. Ours stays here were fragmented at the beginning and end of our tour and it proved to be an all-around pleasant stopover.
Table Mountain
Gregory’s camera technique utilizes a hip thrust with every shutter click to make for more dynamic photography.
As you can see, very serious photography in progress
Pensioners stay in safari mode 24/7
One thing we found at multiple stops in Southern Africa was excellent Indian food. Truly. This cafeteria-style venue called “Eastern Food Bazaar” was worth a second visit.