The largest airport in South Africa is Johannesburg OR Tambo International, the air transport hub for the country. If you are flying to Johannesburg, then Jhb OR Tambo is the chief airport except you made flight booking to Lanseria airport.

OR Tambo, earlier known as JHB International, carries about 20 million passengers annually. It accounts for nearly half the air traffic, coming in and going out of South Africa.

It’s tough to even think that the lively Johannesburg of today was once a shanty tiny town packed with miners dreaming of diamond. Johannesburg is not only the biggest and the busiest trade centre of South Africa; it is also an excellent tourist travel destination.

Gold Reef City lets you take a sneak peep into the yesteryears of Johannesburg. Here, you are allowed to visit the mineshaft as and also the more contemporary modes of entertainment. To delve into the heritage of the area, visit the Lesedi Cultural Village, which is a mixed group consisting of Basotho, Xhosa, Zulu, and Pedi people. This visit can really be a great experience as you learn about their history and culture; and see then dance.

Most visitors head for Soweto and Nelson Mandela’s former home, the Hector Pieterson Memorial Museum and the Regina Mundi Church. Don’t forget to lay the dust with a quick drink at a “shebeen”. The most famous of these is called Wandie’s Place.

You may like to visit the Johannesburg Zoo, which keeps its animals without any bars. It has gone far in reproducing the natural habitats for the animals. This is a good option if you can not visit a real nature reserve. When you are in the surrounding area, you may even hire a rowboat, and spend some time on the Zoo Lake and enjoy bird watching. If you feel a little hungry by the end of the day, get into the Moyo’s to enjoy the African delicacies accompanied by the some good African music, which the city has to offer.

A mere hour’s drive from Johannesburg is yet another important sight to see: The Cradle of Humankind, a World Heritage site. The Sterkfontein Caves are found here - the site where Mrs. Ples, a three million year old skull was first discovered in 1947.

Johannesburg is a haven for the shoppers. It offers exciting shopping experiences. There are stylish malls like Sandton City, Hyde Park, and Nelson Mandela Square; and on the other hand a wide variety of lively African flea markets. Most travellers just can’t go without purchasing some striking arts and crafts, available for sale at the markets. Some of such articles are traditional carvings, local wire-work, bead work, and fertility dolls.

Food and wine are a treat in this city. With cuisine influenced by the melting pot of cultures here, you can literally sample just about anything: Malaysian, Indian, French, Mexican, Italian, Moroccan, Creole and African. So make sure you have plenty of time in Johannesburg and explore all that this wonderful city has to offer its visitors.

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