Johannesburg: Nights that Glitter

For years, Johannesburg has been a gateway to famed tourist destinations like the Masai Mara and Serengeti in Kenya. People have flown into Jo’Burg and seen it as a stop over destination for the night and turn over with their schedule pads for the next day. Off late though, Jo’Burg has seen a lot of frantic tourist activity happening with stop over being extended into intentional stays and exploration of the financial hub which it has become. With the number of flights to johannesburg increasing by the day and the fares reducing by the same factor, connectivity has become way easy than it was a decade ago, with flights available from every major airport hub in the world.

Jo’Burg boasts of an upscale nightlife which has been fuelled by the increase in the number of expatriate workers in the city from all parts of the world. To cater to their lifestyles and tastes, a lot of establishments like Carnival City have sprung up. Carnival City, though technically is in Gauteng, a province 19 minutes from Jo’Burg if you hop onto the swankly Gautrain, Africa’s fastest rail network. Carnival City is akin to Gauteng’s Disneyland with glittering lights, colossal rides, animated indulgence and a hip casino to back the premise. Carnival also boasts of a couple of world class restaurants and other fine dining options which includes a wide variety of cuisines like Italian and some local Zulu favourites.

For the artistically inclined, we have the famed Alhambra theatre. It used to host the famous Zulion Fest, which was a clarion call for all the playwrights in the country to descend there with their troops and amaze the audience. It has since then discarded but plays still screen at the Alhambra and the entire theatre fraternity of the city huddles in the place in balmy evenings discussing the various nuances of screenplay and film making.

Hush, another popular nightclub in Johannesburg, lies bang in the center of the city. Hush is ostensibly, one of the most premier nightclubs in the city of Jo’Burg and the consoles mostly play out the best House music you can lay your hands on. The bartending is prompt and the drinks served are laced with expertise and warm hospitality which makes you fall in love with the place.

Jo’Burg is the focal point to understand the rapid pace at which the developing world is taking huge strides into growth and might. With glitzy malls, hypermarkets, casinos and nightclubs, Jo’Burg is attracting expatriates into it’s fold for the opportunities it is serving people to make a name and dime for themselves. With cheap flights to Johannesburg becoming more readily available, make sure that you spend time in the financial noise of Jo’Burg before moving on to the wild peace of probably a Masai Mara or Serengeti.