Walking on the soil of Africa has been a long-time dream of mine. There's something about Africa that has fascinated me ever since I was little. You see photos of rural areas in Kenya in your geography books, and you have to wonder what life in Africa is like. On 11th April 2014, my dream had finally come true, as I landed in Johannesburg (Jo'Burg) in South Africa after a whopping 14-hour flight from Bangkok, transiting through Mumbai, India.
Africa Travel Video
Soweto Tours & Activities
Booking a Soweto Bike Tour
The first item in my itinerary was to go on a bike tour around Soweto, one of the biggest historical townships in Jo'Burg, South Africa. I wanted to see the true African life up close with no filters, and there's no way to do that in the city unless you come here to Soweto and see for yourself.
I booked a 4-hour bike tour with Soweto Bicycle Tour. The tour cost around 450 - 500 ZAR (~45 USD). They also offer airport pickup, but it costs as much as the tour itself.
With that information out of the way, let's begin our journey to Soweto:
- 4-Day Kruger Safari, Soweto & Apartheid Museum ($858 pp USD)
- 3-Day Zula Lush Private Reserve Pilanesberg ($1,571 to $1,862 pp USD)
- 6-Day The Best of Johannesburg Experience ($1,597 to $1,939 pp USD)
Getting to Soweto from the Airport
There is no easy way to get to Soweto, however. You either have to organize a pick-up with the hostel or drive if you are renting a car. For more information on driving, visit Directions to Lebo's Soweto Backpackers.
I personally chose to organize a pickup from the airport with the hostel as I didn't have much time. The cost of the transfer should be around 200 ZAR one way. A driver picked me up at the airport. While he was complaining about the distance, I saw the remnant of the 2010 World Cup, the FNB Stadium.
Where to Stay in Soweto?
The Soweto Bike Tour is run by the only hostel in the area called Lebo's Soweto Backpackers. Prior to arriving, I emailed them to reserve a spot. The tour started at 10:30 AM and ended at 2:30 PM.
The hostel is surrounded by high walls, adorned with beautiful vegetation, giving a very peaceful and private feel to the place. There's nothing around the hostel, so don't expect to go shopping or dancing anywhere in this area.
Where to Stay in Johannesburg?
Soweto Bike Tour Review: An Excellent Way to Explore Soweto
I was early, so I got to pick my bike first. Some are pretty decent, but some are downright crappy (notice the first one?).
Beautifully decorated rickshaw. If you don't fancy cycling uphill or downhill, you can go with the rickshaw tour instead. Same route, but a little more comfortable. Not my style, however.
These kids love approaching foreigners! The most surprising thing to me was that they didn't approach us for money like all the other parts of the world. They simply just wanted to play with us. It put a smile on my face every time I heard these kids shouting "Hello" from across the fence in schools just because they saw a foreigner biking along the road.
Our first stop on the side of the road gave us a view of half of Soweto and the iconic Orlando power plant. It's a shame the bike tour didn't include seeing the power plant up close (or bungee jumping off it, for that matter).
Meet my bro, an awesome guide assistant who has helped me twice because of a flat tire on my bike. He smiled all the way throughout the tour. Such an awesome fellow.
Our second stop, we stepped inside the Shebeen as our guide explained the tradition of the Sowetan while putting us in traditional dress and trying out their traditional African beer "illegally" brewed in the Shebeen.
Umqombothi is what they call this beer. It's a traditional African beer made from maize and sorghum. The guide told me that the effect is nothing like the normal beer in supermarkets. The Umqombothi will go right to your knees, causing you to walk astray; hence, the warning.
Me in a traditional men's dress. It somewhat resembles the Thai Boxing dress of my country.
The good thing about the tour is that it puts you right in the middle of the locals' community. They were awesome!
After visiting the locals and trying out their beers, we went to try a local delicacy. This photo captures the environment in which Sowetans are living in.
An automobile amidst the simple life in the township.
Introducing the Nshima and grilled meat: the ultimate local delicacy. The meat tasted peppery, with a mix of salt and spice. It was, to tell you the truth, more delicious than the lunch they prepared for us afterward. A must-try!
The expedition consisted of me, Chasev (a friend I met during the tour), and a Dutch couple who had no trouble cycling at all. :)
This is the closest look at the power plant that you will get from the tour.
A Visit to the Apartheid Museum
Me at Mandela's House. The house had been turned into a museum. The 4-hour tour didn't include the walk in the museum, so we had to leave after taking a few photos.
Got a special treat from these awesome street performers in Soweto that day. They danced and sang for donation, and boy, did I donate a bunch that day.
As we learned about the history of Apartheid, a bunch of school girls asked for a photo of me. Once in a blue moon, Asians travel around Soweto, so it was understandable. :)
With these friendly encounters with the locals, it set the tone for my African trip and made me fall even more in love with the African people.
During the tour, you will encounter children playing along the road, and they will run after you for a lift to God knows where. Nevertheless, it was a really refreshing and fun experience. I asked the guide assistant to snap this photo for me with a little Sowetan girl in a pose.
And that's the end of the 4-hour tour of Soweto on a bike. If you want to see a video about the tour, please check out our video that summarizes my African trip for your entertainment.
The overall experience was superb, and I would totally recommend you to go for it. You would not see anything like this elsewhere in Jo'Burg.
I hope you enjoy this photo essay of Soweto. Next up, we will go on a safari tour, sleeping in tree houses in the bush for 4 days, looking for the Big 5 (lion, leopard, rhino, elephants, and buffalo). The post will be up in a few days, so stay tuned for more African adventure.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
3 Comments
Great shoots!
Correction thou bro, Soweto is no slum just a township that's it
Fixed! Thank you for the heads up :)