Trip
My first visit to Johannesburg was in June, 2018.
My trip started with a flight to Doha, Qatar, and I must say that Qatar Airways beats them all - the quality of service is not just above the average - it is just the right service to outperform any other airline, and I have tons of experience with careers. (No, :-) I am not being paid for this paragraph).
To get to RSA I first flew to Doha where I had to wait for several hours for my next flight. Hamad airport is a fantastic facility, one of the few that lack the typical labyrinth design. The lobbies use large toy figures to help even further with orientation.
There are smoking areas for those of you who still smoke in this modern world, and they are no less clean than the rest of the airport. A small army of people is constantly busy cleaning. And I mean constantly.
The Al Maha transit lounge was the cherry on top. I regret not taking more pictures (just the smoking area) to show you the perfect buffet, separate multiple TV, business areas etc.
Smoking area in the Al Maha lounge. Fresh mountain air inside.
The toilets are so clean that you can sleep on the floor. Two people serve you there to help with the luggage you may carry with you, provide hot clean towels. Fantastic shower cabins available with everything you might need.
So much about Doha, let's get on the 9 hour flight to Johannesburg now. Qatar Airways still outperforming any other airline I have flown with.
O. R. Tambo, the Johannesburg airport, is a relatively big one, with six terminals in one building, so you do not need to worry about transportation between terminals. The luggage reclaim was almost instant, no waiting time.
Is It Safe?
Driving out of the airport area surprised me with a terrible traffic jam. I soon realized the police were performing an ad-hoc inspection on all vehicles going out of the airport. Yet police presence is not too heavy like in many other cities - you can not see heavily armed officers at every crossroad.
Indeed every morning on my way to work I saw a cordon of about 15 heavy 4x4 police SUVs going some place and on my way back to the hotel in the evening I saw the same cordon with the same heavy vehicles with their windscreens smashed and all traces of street fights - yet I have no idea where they went and who they fought. The funny thing was that I stayed for a week and I saw this cordon almost every day.
One very specific thing to note is that all yards do have tall fences with live wires on the top. I was not able to notice any exceptions to this rule. There were signs on the fences warning about "Armed response" or "Tactical guarding".
I must say I was not exposed to any assaults, verbal or physical, and the attitude of the people around was indeed friendly and open. I was not taking regular walks though and when I did it was always in the very central part and in areas with lots of people.
Accommodation
The City Lodge Hotel I stayed at was a three star one but beats many of the four star ones I have stayed.
Clean and contemporary environment, and you will be asked if you prefer a smoking or non-smoking room.
Breakfast was nice, offering a wide choice of fruit, different meat, eggs and sweets.
Is Water Drinkable?
Yes. Tap water is safe to drink and has no extra taste or smell. I had no issues drinking it straight from the tap. Bottled water is available and cheap so you will have no trouble getting some anywhere in the city. Shortages of water however have led to the hotel authorities resorting to the following joke:
Weather
The "What to wear?" question - I must say the word "winter" is not really appropriate for South Africa - with temperatures between 14 and 22 Celsius I was feeling quite comfortable with a shirt and a light jacket. No strong winds or anything worth mentioning throughout the duration of my stay there. Sunny and warm in June.
There are no obligatory vaccines that the authorities would demand upon your arrival. What vaccines or precaution is required for you will depend on many different things so you must seek a professional advice on that. What is generally recommended as vaccinations however is:
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Yellow Fever
- Tetanus and Diphtheria
- Typhoid Fever
- Polio
- Rabie
- Meningococcal Infection
Cash or CC?
CC are widely accepted, however not everywhere. You will need some cash. ATMs are available across the city.
General Impressions
The city is really nice and pleasant to visit. The infrastructure is there and it is very good indeed. Streets and boulevards are wide and serve their purposes fine. Same applies for the sidewalks. The scenery is great and I found it really nice that there are plenty of "mansions" with huge yards.
The downtown area of Johannesburg is indistinguishable from any European capital. Shopping malls host all of the international chains you can think of.
Electrical plugs
Type M mostly:
Hope I was helpful with this short post.
Have a safe flight!
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