[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]While on holiday recently, I wracked my brain for different activities to do with my baby. There were the obvious options of active play activities, and I was in need of something different. Then a friend of mine invited us on a walking tour of the Maboneng district in Johannesburg. It started at 12:00 and would be two hours of walking and exploring this exciting part of the city. This was exactly what I had been looking for – something completely different interested me, and would be a totally unique experience for my 8 month old.
There are a few companies that offer various walking (and cycling) tours through the city of Jo’burg, but the one we did the inner-city tour with was a crowd called Curiocity Hostels. It’s a backpackers hostel that offers accommodation, but also a lot of activities in and around the Maboneng Precinct, as well as Soweto. We met at the backpackers, signed in, met our fabulous tour guide Victor, and off we went. The tour moves through the ‘new’ areas of Maboneng where the area has grown into from its modest beginnings roughly 6 years ago. You are treated to a variety of sites and sounds, and learn a lot about the growth of Johannesburg, and where the city is moving towards.
Tour guide Victor kicks things off with the Cosmopolitan building.
Some of the places we visited were the newly revamped Cosmopolitan building (which features The Cosmopolitan Bar), Collectors Treasury, SPARK Maboneng, a look around Access City, and Arts of Main.
If you’re looking for something a bit different to do as a family, this tour is fantastic. We were in a group of 7, and this included 2 girls of 14 and 10. The walk is not intensive – you go at the majority’s pace, and you’re welcome to stop along the way to take photos, ask questions, shop and just be a local tourist. The two hours melt away as you soak up the beauty of the city. It’s definitely not pram-safe though, so if you’re taking your little one make sure he/she is in a carry pouch. Be sure to wear good walking shoes, sun cream and a hat.
Now if you’re not in Jozi, I’ve done a bit of research for you on other walking tours offered in other major cities of South Africa.
To make it easy here are a few websites that you can look at:
Cape Town: City Sightseeing
Durban: Curiocity Hostels
Port Elizabeth: Tours by Locals[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]