Johannesburg

History can be a dull companion for vacationers, particularly since the typical traveller is seeking to cram his Johannesburg and Pretoria holiday with sparkling nightlife, shopping extravaganzas and cultural merrymaking. Moments of silent reflection at Gauteng's Apartheid Museum will deepen the experiences of the region's more light hearted moments. The triumphs and tears of apartheid are presented so poignantly that you will leave with an authentic sense of the original struggle. On entrance, you will be presented with a card designating you with a random race. You are then guided through caged pathways which separate mother from son and father from daughter to represent the separation of families that happened during the era. Thereafter, you will be guided by original televised propaganda, celebrations of the struggle's heroes and country's recovery lifecycle. The museum claims to take two hours to cover, but it is likely to swallow you for an entire day.

Soweto was the core around which much of South Africa's heroic activism and hidden wars took place. Nonetheless, those who visit it will only discover the township's grimmest tales by actively seeking them out. Those willing to enter Soweto's present will find it to be a gleeful cultural melting pot stuffed full of fascinating superstition, communal strength and musical energy. No holiday to Johannesburg and Pretoria should omit a visit to a sangoma. These mystical experiences come replete with bone tossing predictions, ancestral communications and trance states. Sangomas are the root of much of South Africa's culture. The rest can be found in its local music, which is easily sourced on any square foot of the townships. The local youths carry kwaito everywhere they go, but Soweto's true musical genius lies in its jazz. Watch the greats at Jazz Maniacs, which built the foundation for SA's renowned iconic movement in the Fifites.

The big five are best viewed in their natural habitats around Gauteng's exterior, but a Johannesburg hotel in Benoni offers you the opportunity to get up close and personal with birds of prey. The National Bird of Prey Center is a refuge for various rehabilitated feathered species. This well hidden gem is managed by a team that is dedicated to the health and happiness of its wildlife and visitors alike. As such, lucky tourists are able to handle and fly raptors, fish eagles and owls. The resident cheetah is likely to be met in the hotel restaurant during mealtimes, but interaction is only allowed by booking one on one time with this magnificent specimen.

Pretoria Art Museum delivers a bird's eye view of South Africa's master painters and sculptors from the 17th century, although it has added a dash of contemporary work to its walls in recent years. The exhibition space now has a heist in its history: In November 2012 armed robbers fled the building armed with millions of rand's worth of artworks. The paintings were eventually recovered in perfect condition at a local cemetery. The museum is colossal, taking up a full city block. An altogether tinier but more cutting edge gallery in Rosebank boasts some of the country's finest contemporary talent: The Everard Read Gallery's walls represent the present-day art movement from an African perspective. Johannesburg Art Gallery provides the missing pieces of SA cultural heritage by presenting collections from the 18th and 19th century.

Your holiday in Johannesburg and Pretoria is likely to be accompanied by South Africa's most temperate conditions. Summer is comfortably warm, and heat waves are both rare and mild.

The renowned summer thunderstorms give Johannesburg and Pretoria holidays a vibrant, electric atmosphere and a startling visual light display. June's mid winter chills are gentle enough for all but the most sensitive travellers.

Summer Musings

Summer is the time to hit the suburbs in search of the true South African urban experience. Gauteng and Pretoria are awash with subcultures, ranging from the wealthy Sandton classes, the eclectic Melville crowd and Pretoria's mature, stately communities. Rivonia is studded with upmarket restaurants with award winning wine lists. Parkhurst and Parkview's eateries are frequented by a muddled variety of artistic youths, as well as the occasional poetry readings and art exhibitions. Pretoria may be introspective during the day, but at night, SA's most beautiful people come out to play. Hatfield evenings pulsate with students cruising for the most lively clubs, bars and parties. Tshwane and Melville are the suburbs to explore in search of local brands of rock and pop. World class shopping for international haute couture and the country's most celebrated local labels is best done at Sandton City. The attached Nelson Mandela Square is home to the premium hotels in Johannesburg and Pretoria.

A Time for Being Born

Spring is the premier wildlife viewing season because it gives you a chance to participate in the origins of life: September is the month to spot the big five in infancy. Many species give birth during spring, and The Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve is an ideal place to participate in the season's celebrations. The Cradle of Humankind is home to over 30 species, including three of the big five. It is also a premier location for those seeking a hotel in Johannesburg and Pretoria with natural vistas.

The Ghost of Winters Past

Winter's grim skies and shivering iciness set the scene for Pretoria's Mystery Ghost Bus Tour. Spot spectres at Erasmus Castle and bother poltergeists at Mea Vota. Church Street Cemetery will introduce you to the spirits of the dead and Fountains Valley will lead you to the murderous Panga man's roaming grounds.

A Theatrical Autumn

Autumn evenings are moderate enough for evening trips out, and the region's theatre scene comes alive with fresh offerings. Pretoria's State Theater is the country's pride and joy, staging premier ballets, operas and musical favorites throughout the year. It offers you the opportunity to don that cocktail dress or black tie whilst attending blockbuster shows with an international flavor. Alternatively, enjoy Soweto's more refined but earthy offerings. The Soweto Theater complex delivers an infinite line up of local acting talent, playwriting skill and musicianship whilst simultaneously confronting South Africa's most pressing issues. Those seeking some serious giggles will find them at Pieter Toerien's theatre in Fourways.