Johannesburg

Where to travel! SA travel inspiration – May 2022

more than a year ago
We're always on the lookout for fresh and interesting new places to stay and every month we share the rundown of the latest hotel news, trends, new venues and enticing local travel offers that you don't want to miss, plus our pick of some special places to add to your local travel wishlist.

Here's a look at what has caught our imagination this month.

Get R250 off your next hotel booking with Travelstart!

In partnership with Travelstart we have a R250 voucher to give away to spend on your next trip booked through Travelstart's hotel booking site. Until May 22, 2022 use the code AFFLIATE250 when booking your hotel online and get R250 off (your booking must cost a minumum of R900 for the offer to apply). Book your next getaway at hotel.travelstart.com.

voco Hotel The Bank in Rosebank launches a cool new gym

The chic new voco gym is exclusive for guests

Rosebank's voco Hotel The Bank, seriously upped the style game when it opened earlier this year. Adding to their already winning offering that includes the popular Proud Mary restaurant and slick Workshop 17 co-working space, voco Hotel The Bank has now launched a sexy new gym for hotel guests too. Stacked with top-of-the-range equipment from Skelcore, the gym has the look of a really cool club with black and gold interiors and fun neon artworks. Read our review of our stay at voco Hotel The Bank here.

Clico Boutique Hotel welcomes a new team

There are plenty of changes underway at Clico Boutique Hotel in Rosebank as they welcome an all-new management team this year including a new Head Chef Davies Moagi and new mixologist Sandile Mavuso at their renowned Clico Restaurant, plus a new general manager and operations manager. The attraction of this intimate boutique hotel of course remains the same – fine dining, an excellent boutique wine list and a quiet tree-filled garden in the heart of Rosebank's art district. We recently visited the restaurant to give the new menu a try. Read our Clico Restaurant review here.

Urban getaway specials at Cape Town's Taj Hotel 

Views across Cape Town - Taj Hotel suite
Views across Cape Town from our Taj Hotel suite

Looking for somewhere luxurious to stay on your next special occasion weekend away in Cape Town? The fabulous Taj Hotel has an enticing "Urban Getaway" offer running until July 31. For R3,000 per couple per night you can stay in a luxurious mountain view room with breakfast, a R250 Lobby Lounge & Bar voucher, a complimentary bottle of wine and 30% discount for the hotel's simply delightful Jiva spa. Read our review of our stay at The Taj for more reasons to book a stay.

Lufthansa celebrates 60 years in SA with new flight specials this May

Lufthansa airlines is celebrating 60 years of flying to South Africa this month with a special flight sale on routes from South Africa to Europe. The special celebratory rates start at R9629 for return flights from Joburg to Brussels. There are also special offers on return flights to Amsterdam, Berlin, Frankfurt (direct), Zurich, Madrid and Lisbon. The sale runs until May 31 and is applicable to flights departing until May 31, 2023 (depending on availabilty). Browse the routes and book online at travelstart.com.

REASONS TO TRAVEL: National Arts Festival 2022

A performance at National Arts Festival Makhanda 

The annual National Arts Festival is back in June, re-emerging after two years of Covid restricted performance programmes and 'virtual festival' formats. Taking place in Makhanda (Grahamstown), this is one of the biggest highlights on South Africa's cultural calendar, celebrating drama, dance, theatre, comedy, jazz and so much more. This year's festival happens from June 23 to July 3 with dozens of performances on the programme including of course a fun, anything-goes lineup of festival fringe events popping up at venues across the town. If you haven't booked your accommodation, do it now, as during the festival period it is notoriously busy. Find out more about what's in store at this year's festival at nationalartsfestival.co.za.

WHERE TO STAY IN... The Cradle of Humankind – three great escapes

An easy 45-minute drive from Joburg, in addition to its rich fossil history, the Cradle of Humankind is a popular area for walkers, hikers and cyclists, and is the perfect weekend escape if you want to spend a night or two in the countryside but don't have much time to travel. Within this UNESCO-protected region there's plenty to fill up your time such as morning hikes on one of the area's many trails, tours of the impressive Sterkfontein Caves and a day of art and good food in the delightful surrounds of the Nirox Sculpture Park. Here's a look at places to stay. 
 
Views over the rolling hills at Maropeng Boutique Hotel

Perfectly located in the heart of the Cradle of Humankind, right next to the Maropeng visitor's centre, each guest room at the Maropeng Boutique Hotel comes endowed with full-length windows and a terrace looking out across the expansive grasslands towards the Magaliesberg mountain ranges in the distance. The setting is a good one for soaking in the sunset and there's the option to include a visit to Maropeng and the Sterkfontein Caves in your stay. 

One of the villas at White Light surrounded by lavender bushes

A short drive from Lanseria Airport, White Light is a beautifully converted former farm offering accommodation in a collection of elegant villas and suites. For chilly winter evenings each villa has a working wood fireplace in the lounge (which the staff will ensure remains lit to keep things toasty) and a private garden with a boma for enjoying fireside chats at night. Although there are no self-catering facilities, on the property is the fantastic garden restaurant The Kitchen at L’Antico Giardino, where you can eat in or have their decadent meals delivered to your room.

Plenty of places to relax outdoors at Farmhouse in the Cradle of Humankind

Nestled amid rolling farm landscape that adjoins Nirox Sculpture Park, Farmhouse is designed for an immersive experience, and an embrace of slow living. Stays celebrate the barefoot lifestyle – think all-natural fabrics, meditation sessions beneath a hidden waterfall, organic food and conscious cooking classes, and guided nature walks and hikes through the extensive farmland surrounding the property.

SPLENDID ISOLATION! Escape to these treehouses on the Garden Route

Tenqiua Treetops, nestled in the milkwood forest near Kynsna 

Deep in the ancient milkwood forests that fill the slopes of the Outeniqua Mountains, around 35km from the Garden Route town of Kynsna, the delightful Tenqiqua Treetops treehouses blend perfectly with their surroundings. Each wooden house perches out on stilts over the sloping forest canopy giving the sensation of sleeping in the treetops. These off-the-grid treehouses are also eco-friendly, perfectly equipped with gas stoves and compost toilets (don’t be alarmed by the rain spiders!) and fresh mountain spring water. Find out more and book online here.

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