Exploring Soweto On a Bike: My Experience

What to Pack for Soweto, South Africa?

As you may already know, I am an advocate of light traveling, and indeed, packing light for a journey like this is a unique art form. Here are some packing tips for your upcoming trip to Soweto, South Africa:

• Walking/Hiking Shoes: With all the walking and possible hiking during your travel, a comfortable pair of shoes is a must. I recommend the Timberland 3-Eye Classic Boat Shoes that are my go-to pair for long strolls and hikes.
• Breathable Shirts: Given the potential for hot weather, pack a few breathable shirts for your outdoor adventures.
• Shorts/Jeans: Anticipate lots of walking during your travels? Be sure to pack some breathable shorts and a pair of Levi's jeans for when the weather cools. For women, leggings are excellent for both hot and cold climates, so consider packing some as well.
• Fleece Jacket: For colder weather, layering is the key, and a fleece jacket makes an excellent insulating layer. I recommend the Columbia Steens Mountain Fleece (for women).
• Outer Shell Jacket: An outer shell jacket is great for windy or rainy conditions. I highly recommend the Columbia Watertight Jacket (for women). It's lightweight, breathable, and even comes in a cool orange color.
• Microfiber Towel: A Microfiber towel is the ideal backpacker's towel due to its lightness, quick drying, and compressibility.
• Camera: You should also pack a good camera for your trip so that you can capture all the beautiful experiences you might have. I recommend the Sony a7R V camera together with the Sony 24-70mm f2.8 GM II lens, which is probably the highest-performance camera and lens combination you can get right now.
• Power Bank: Keep your electronics charged on the go with a 20,000+ mAh Power Bank.
• Water Bottle: The Hydro Flask Trail Water Bottle is a great insulated water bottle to have with you in cities or on hiking trails. It is lightweight and can keep your water cold or warm for more than 12 hours. It's a total game-changer.
• Universal Adapter: You'll need just one universal adapter to plug in your electronics in any country you visit.
• Packing Cubes: Packing Cubes will help you save space in your backpack and keep all your belongings organized.
• Daypack: The Langly Alpha Globetrotter is my go-to everyday camera backpack. It's large enough to carry all my travel gear, and it comes with plenty of slots and pouches. Plus, it's stylish as hell!
• Large Backpack: You will need a large backpack to carry all of your stuff. I recommend the Osprey Atmos AG 65L backpack. With excellent weight distribution and a lifetime guarantee, you can't go wrong with Osprey.

For more information on what I pack in my backpack for this trip, check out: My Packing List: 60 Travel Essentials.

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:

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.

Budget

Lebo's Soweto Backpackers

Dorm | $

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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?

Budget

Brown Sugar Backpackers

Dorm | $

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👍 Top Pick

Mid-Range

Motel Mi Pi Chi

King Room | $$

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High-End

Pablo House

Double Room | $$$

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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.

Continue to the next part:4 Days In Kruger National Park Tour With Viva Safaris

Now that we have all the information we need, it's time to start planning your trip! Here are some resources to help you get going:

Flights: Skyscanner and Expedia are the best places to start looking for cheap flights and great deals from your home country.

Accommodation: Hostelworld, Booking.com, and Agoda.com are the ultimate go-to platforms to search for amazing hostels and hotels at affordable prices.

Travel Insurance: Heymondo covers theft, medical emergencies, cancellations, and more during your travels. Get a 5% discount if you sign up today.

Transportation: For buses, I always go with Omio when traveling in Soweto, South Africa while for trains, Omio is my go-to place to book all my train travels in advance.

Car Rental: DiscoverCars.com is a great and reliable platform to find rental cars.

Internet: Airalo is the best way to get a sim card and has reliable internet access for your trip. All you need is an esim compatible smartphone, install it on your phone prior to your trip, and you are all set.

VPN: To stay connected with people at home, I always make sure to have ProtonVPN, installed before traveling. It's FREE, and I can gain access to services that may be blocked in certain countries.

Safari Tours: SafariBookings is hands down, the best website to look for safari tours in Africa. You can compare prices and find the perfect tour operator for your African adventure.

Day Trips & Tours: Viator, GetYourGuide and TripAdvisor are great platforms to search for trips and tours to join.

Tickets & Deals: Klook is always my go-to website when I want to find cheaper deals for entrance tickets to tourist attractions.

Are you planning to travel independently? Be sure to check out my guide on How To Plan A Backpacking Trip here.

Further Reading for South Africa

If you are looking for more articles about South Africa, here are a few articles that might help you plan your trip:

• Looking for a complete Cape Town itinerary? Check out: 4 Days in Cape Town: A Backpacking Itinerary.
• Cape Town is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful cities in the world. If you're visiting South Africa, missing out on Cape Town would be a real shame. Check out this comprehensive travel guide: Discover Cape Town: 14 Incredible Things to Do and See.
• For the best hike in Cape Town, you can’t go wrong with Lion's Head Peak. Check out A Complete Hiking Guide to Lion's Head for all the details.
• Thinking of visiting Blyde River Canyon? You absolutely should! Here's what my experience was like: Visiting Blyde River Canyon, South Africa.
• Kruger National Park was my first-ever safari experience, and I was hooked! Here's how my adventure unfolded: 4 Days Exploring Kruger National Park with Viva Safaris.
• To see all articles about South Africa, be sure to check out our South Africa travel guide page.
• Looking for more travel guides for Africa? You will find more over at our Africa page.
• For more of my travel guides, visit my Destinations page.