For the Curious at Heart
- Aug 18, 2023
- 5 min read
I haven't done a lot of exploring in Johannesburg, and I’ve realised I haven’t done a lot of exploring in any country that I’ve lived in. This experience has reminded me about how important it is to be a tourist wherever you are and explore the areas around you. With that said, let’s into today’s blog!
Curiocity Africa is a network of African hostels that aims to provide an authentic experience of the continent, they have branches in Johannesburg and Cape Town. They purposefully choose locations outside of the expected tourist areas to give guests a local’s experience of a destination.
Maboneng is a community in the heart of Joburg, thriving on a creative culture and constantly bustling with activity and where I was spending the weekend. I will admit, I had some reservations about spending two nights in Joburg CBD but made the decision to keep an open mind and see what this unique pocket of Jozi had to offer.
On arrival, I was led to my ''digs'' for the night, the Maboneng Penthouse but it was definitely far more glamorous than a typical digs. The sheer size of the apartment made my jaw drop as I walked through the corridor that opened up to an open plan kitchen, living room and dining room. The modern décor in contrast to the industrial architectural style was so well executed. The ‘’African’’ details such as the cow hide rug, the straw baskets on the walls and beautiful artworks all around the space added character to the apartment and made it homey.
PENTHOUSE LIVING: Click on the arrow to view images of the Maboneng Penthouse.
The main bedroom had a beautiful his/her vanity plus his/her cupboards with ample space. The freestanding bathtub was my favourite part of the bathroom as it elevated it and added a level of elegance. The guest room was ensuite and was just as beautiful as the main.
Soon after arriving, I went on the Maboneng Street Art Tour, one of the activities offered by Curiocity Africa to allow guests to learn more about the area. The tour was about an hour and a half and we walked the streets admiring the murals that are all over this urban hub. Our tour guide, Eco, was a cool Rasatfarian hipster who had a wealth of knowledge and he taught us all about the history of Maboneng, how it came to be and how it's still evolving today. It was such a cool experience to casually view art pieces of some of South Africa’s most talented artists such as Karabo Poppy, DBongz, Nelson Makamo and so many more.
THESE STREETS: Stunning artworks that adorn the walls and streets of Maboneng.
After the tour, we enjoyed dinner at Pata Pata Restaurant which was just a five minute walk from the apartment. The vibe was so cosy and we got to enjoy live jazz music during our meal - which is something you come to get accustomed to in Maboneng. There is always a place to showcase your talent and share it with the community around you and I found that really refreshing.
Moving onto the next day, a Soweto tour was on the agenda for the day. This was more of a history tour and I loved it, there’s always something to learn and seeing historical monuments for yourself adds a whole other meaning.
Eco was our tour guide again today and we were a group of six people with tourists from Italy, Germany and Saudi Arabia. We started off by doing a walkabout through the informal settlements that were established by the Apartheid government and have remained there, largely unchanged, until today. Curiocity runs a pre-school/after-care centre called Little Rose that supports the children in the area and provides a space for kids to learn, receive hot meals and be safe.
After this, we went to the Hector Pieterson Memorial and walked along the same streets that were the genesis of the Soweto Student Uprising on June 16,1976 and where Hector Pieterson was shot and killed. The streets are painted red to symbolise the blood of Pieterson and all the other students who were killed on that day. We walked along Vilakazi Street until we reached Nelson Mandela and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s home which is now a heritage site and museum.
HERITAGE: The Hector Pieterson Memorial and the Mandela House.
It was a little surreal to walk through the streets and through the house of revolutionaries and think of the monumental events that took place yet today, it all looks so normal and ordinary - it makes it easy to take it for granted.
After the history lesson, we enjoyed a delicious traditional African meal at another backpacker’s lodge called Lebo’s in Soweto. The meal consisted of pap, chicken and beef stew, spinach and grated carrots. There was a marimba band called Ingoma yaseAfrica that performed and entertained us during our meal which was really nice.
SOWETO: Snap shots of the the African meal, the Soweto Towers and FNB Stadium.
To wrap up the tour, we passed by the Soweto Towers and the biggest stadium in Africa: the FNB Stadium just to see them in real life and snap a quick picture and then we were on our way back to Maboneng.
I was staying in a different apartment this night, the Glass House Penthouse and I believe the pictures will quickly explain the name. As soon as you open the door off the stairwell, you step onto a balcony with 180 degree views of the Joburg skyline. Two lounge chairs wait for you to sit down and sun bathe a bit as you take in the scenery.
As you step inside the apartment, the extravagance of the high ceilings and the wall windows just takes your breath away.
Completely open plan, the downstairs had a living area, dining area, the kitchen and then my favourite: a small cinema room at the back with a projector and curtains to keep it dark. Unfortunately previous guests had broken the decoder so I couldn't watch anything on the screen andI didn’t get to enjoy the cinema room.
GLASS: A few of my favourite spots in the apartment that show off its elegance and uniqueness.
You take the windy stairs up to the loft and you essentially walk into the oval-shaped main bedroom that has a curtain for privacy. The guest bedroom sits to the right-handside of the loft and it's nice and simple with a great view of the city. The bathroom is truly the star of this apartment because it has the largest shower I have seen to date, it spans the length of the bathroom and has 2 rainfall shower heads - so stunning. Again, there's a freestanding bathtub and a spacious his/her vanity that ties everything together.
VIEWS: Shots of all the rooms in the penthouse.
Glass House was definitely channelling a New York apartment that we see in movies and magazines and the Joburg skyline was the cherry on top that you could admire from all angles.
As you can tell, it was a jam-packed weekend and there was a lot to see and do. Curiocity Africa is definitely something special and worth the experience. I love that they are using the most unlikely places, transforming them into something beautiful and inviting people from all over to experience something unique and memorable. If you would like to book with them or just see what they have to offer, check out their websites and Instagram linked below:
And as always, if you want to see more pictures, click here.
Til next time!
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