Johannesburg Safety / Crime

Jwad

Will be ending our next tour in Jo'Burg, and planned on spending a couple of days there, on our own (probably booking a couple of local tours). Was surprised when the tour schedule ended abruptly in Jo'Burg, without any local activity, and began to wonder if perhaps there was a safety concern.
Anyone have any experience or thoughts on the issue??

smarks50

I completed the "South Africa - Elegant Adventure" trip in early October (fabulous trip!). Mid-trip we spent several days in Johannesburg. We stayed at the Davinci Hotel in the Sandton area; the hotel was nondescript but the location was great. This is next to an upscale shopping and restaurant area ("Mandela Square") and I spent considerable time wandering there alone even in the evening. Some parts of Johannesburg should be visited only with a tour (Soweto, for example) but other parts are reasonably safe - just do your homework before you go and ask the hotel personnel for guidance. There are a number of private car rentals available if that makes you more comfortable; I used one to go to the Apartheid Museum on a free afternoon. The driver waited for me so I didn't have to be concerned about finding transportation back to the hotel. That museum was not included in the Tauck tour itinerary but was one of the highlights of Johannesburg for me. The Hector Pieterson museum in Soweto was included in our tour and that was memorable as well. I was concerned about our visit to Johannesburg before arriving but (with taking care) enjoyed my time there very much. As usual, don't wear flashy jewelry, secure your wallet and camera, etc. Hope this helps.