Bedding Down in Joburg

We’re in Johannesburg, our last urban destination on this vacation.

For the next few days, we’ll be staying in Maboneng, an inner city area that’s recently been revitalized by an influx of shops, galleries, restaurants, markets, and studios. It’s a lovely, lively area – stacked with street art, vendors, and extremely creative uses of shipping containers. Frankly, it’s not what we were expecting from Johannesburg, a city many people advised us to skip entirely.

Our penthouse (!!!) AirBnB is in a building called Main Street Life, a factory conversion that also houses an indie cinema, rooftop bar, and boutique hotel where each room has a different theme corresponding with a particular decade of Johannesburg’s history. The hallways are lined with art, the views are incredible, and the noise never stops – in that way, it’s a bit like Brooklyn. 

We’ve got a few days to go, but so far I’m quite liking Jozi/Joburg/Johannesburg. This is the city I’ve eaten my most delicious meal in, the city I’ve already strolled several markets in, and the city I turned 32 in (I turned 30 in New Orleans and 31 in Chiang Mai Thailand, so I’ve had a good run!)

Much more to come – stay tuned!