The Four Seasons Westcliff

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Hotel overview

The Westcliff sprawls across a wooded hillside in a Tuscan manner that belies its location near the centre of Johannesburg. The view isn’t too bad either, looking out over Johannesburg Zoo – unlike many hotels that make the claim, The Westcliff really is a retreat in the city. As befits a Four Seasons hotel, she is grand and elegant; refined wooden furniture and country styling give an Edwardian feeling to the rooms, but with all the luxury of the 21st century. There is a wonderful formal dining venue, as well as a more casual restaurant and The Polo Bar, all of which make the most of the excellent views. The rooms and facilities are on different levels across the slopes, linked by gorgeous gardens and pretty paths. Add all of this together and you have one of the very best hotels in Johannesburg at your disposal.

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Quirky excursions

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Excursion

Soweto tour

For many people a township tour of some sort is an essential part of any trip to South Africa, to try and understand the country’s turbulent recent history. As far as townships go, none is more famous than Johannesburg’s South-West Township, or Soweto as it became known. A tour here will take in several key elements, including the Hector Pieterson Memorial. In 1976 there was a student uprising in Soweto and 12 year old Hector was killed when the police opened fire, one of 23 who died that day. His was the most famous death because the photo of him being carried away after being shot became an iconic image of the anti-apartheid movement. Another famous landmark is the only street in the world to have housed two Nobel Prize winners – Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu; Mandela’s old house is now a museum. There are more light-hearted and uplifting elements to a Soweto tour: a visit to a shebeen (tavern) for a beer with the locals is always entertaining, and then there is the modern symbol of just how far Soweto and South Africa have come – Soccer City, the purpose-built stadium that played host to the opening ceremony and the final of the FIFA World Cup 2010.

Excursion

The Union Buildings

The Union Buildings were designed by British architect Sir Herbert Baker and building was completed in 1913. Since then, they have been at the heart of South African politics, throughout the turbulent years that followed. They are very grand, the façade stretching some 285 metres, with domed towers and ornate colonnades, and are set in glorious grounds of manicured gardens. They became iconic when Nelson Mandela delivered his inaugural address from the buildings, and the Union Buildings are still, to this day, the official seat of South African government and the offices of the President. Their impressive architecture, wonderful setting, and important place in history make them a key part of any tour of Pretoria.

Excursion

Bill Harrop's Original Balloon Safari

Brace yourself for an early start, but it's well worth it. As the mist lifts slowly in the pre-dawn haze, the roar of burners filling the balloon is the backdrop to a welcome coffee at the club house, before you climb into the basket. After the pre-flight checks, the tethering rope is released and you rise elegantly into the sky, at first skimming over the trees and fields before climbing higher. The stunning landscape of the Magaliesberg Mountains now begins to reveal itself, patchwork farms bounded by craggy ridges (locals will tell you these are the second-oldest mountains in the world); in the distance you may be able to spot Sun City and the ancient volcanic landscape of the Pilanesberg National Park. Your pilot will expertly use the different airstreams to control the direction of the balloon, and this accuracy thankfully extends to finding a good landing spot and setting you back down on terra firma for a quick glass of fizz before you're whisked back to the club house for an extremely hearty breakfast.

Excursion

Constitution Hill

Constitution Hill is a former prison and military fort, now a Constitutional Court, which endorses the rights of all citizens and also a living museum that tells the story of South Africa’s journey to democracy. You might think of Robben Island when it comes to infamous incarcerations, however, Constitution Hill in fact imprisoned a vast number of world-renowned men and women, such as Nelson Mandela. Mahatma Gandhi, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and Fatima Meer. The prison also confined tens of thousands of ordinary people during its 100-year history: men and women of all races, creeds, ages and political agendas; the indigenous and the immigrant; the everyman and the elite. As such, the history of every South African lives here and you get to hear their stories.

Excursion

The Voortrekker Monument

The Voortrekker Monument was built in 1938 to symbolize the unity of the Afrikaner people, descended from those early pioneers who set out to settle the interior of South Africa, and establish a state in keeping with their religious views. The monument is a vast, imposing edifice, a huge brick Cenotaph surrounded by a wall bearing the frieze of 64 Great Trek wagons. These symbolize the 64 wagons at the Battle of Blood River, a pivotal event in early Afrikaner history when a small raiding party of Voortrekkers held of an assault by several thousand Zulu troops. This event gave the Voortrekkers the idea that their enterprise was favoured by God, and is why it was the inspiration for the monument. There are also murals depicting scenes from the Great Trek and a museum: it’s an important place to visit to understand the origin and role the Voortrekkers and their Afrikaner descendants have played in South African history.

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