The Sharonicles

Every time I visit Johannesburg (now that I no longer live here and I have become a tourist), I google “strange and unusual things to do” or “unique experiences to have”. And every time, I find lists of the most obvious, well-known, conventional tourist attractions. It’s quite disappointing. Well, here is a list of properly unusual things to do and unique experiences to have in and around Johannesburg:

Collage of strange and unusual things to do in Johannesburg

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Travelling solo, especially across international borders, is quite a scary thing to do. It requires bravery, a sense of adventure and a lot of careful planning.

When I decided to solo-travel to Costa Rica in 2019, despite all the things I could have been concerned about, my biggest fear was being lonely in a foreign country, having a miserable time and coming home with a sense of regret for having wasted a lot of money.

Being South African didn't help either as the rand (our currency) doesn't get us very far and we tend to be hyper-aware of crime to the extent that our concerns for our safety in an unfamiliar country make us reluctant to journey into the unknown. (Even more daunting if you’re a woman.)

In this post, I'm going to tell you what my experience of solo travelling was like in the hopes that it will inspire others to do the same and then I'm going to tell you how to plan a solo trip safely, relatively inexpensively (travelling is always somewhat pricey) and to a country that will have you (if you have a weak passport like mine).

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How to put the “high” in “high tea” on the rooftop of South Africa’s tallest building

If you’re a big fan of a view or you enjoy visiting national landmarks, The Leonardo, South Africa’s tallest building and Africa’s second tallest, is probably on your list. I recently visited Alto 234, the rooftop bar at the top of this Sandton hotel and here is my review of the experience (and some tips on how to plan a visit as their website is not as straightforward as one may hope).

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If you’re looking for a way to discover some of Cape Town’s natural beauty, you have come to the right place!

Woman interacts with AR rock levitating in a real garden

And if you're looking for a way to discover one of Cape Town’s not-so-natural augmented reality experiences, you've also come to the right place!

Kirstenbosch is a national botanical garden covering 528 hectares. It was founded in 1913 to preserve native flora. The land is also internationally acclaimed as one of the seven most magnificent botanical gardens in the world (according to their own Facebook page, anyway) and is considered one of Cape Town’s Big Six tourist attractions. Not only do the gardens play a critical role in the preservation of numerous plant and animal species but it also has a dinosaur exhibit! (That got your attention, right?)

I have travelled quite extensively internationally and I do like to frolic so I am the type of tourist who often visits this kind of attraction. I have to say, as far as botanical gardens go, Kirstenbosch is a goodie! While there are many reasons to visit these botanical gardens, here is my guide to Kirstenbosch, including the top 10 things to do:

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Now that the COVID-19 pandemic seems to have become, well, a lot less fatal, people are eager to do the things that they couldn’t do when we were forced to isolate and maintain our distance from each other. The travel industry seems to be experiencing a boom and partying and social gatherings seem to be valued so much more after all that we’ve been through. In light of this, I present to you the best way to do both: If you’re into both partying and travelling, cruising is for you!

Having worked for two different cruise lines, and with friends who work for many others, I compiled a list of what theme parties you can expect on which ships. So if you’re looking for the best theme parties at sea, this is where you can find them:

(If you’re that type of cruiser who likes to be prepared, this list will also help you pack the right outfits or costumes for the relevant theme nights on board.)

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I recently got the chance to check out Cape Town's Hotel Sky, A.K.A ‘the robot hotel’ and this is what I thought about it:

If you want to find out how you too can meet and befriend a robot concierge, how you can ride the Sky-HI Ride and what else the Hotel Sky has on offer, read on.

Disclaimer: I didn’t actually stay at the hotel but my friend Bronwyn did and I frikkin love hotels so I found a way to make use of all its amenities as if I was staying there (not the gym, why would I bother with that?). I even made friends with the concierges, (human and robots alike).

What I liked about it:

The decor

I love that the Hotel Sky is a testament to the fact that you can’t go overboard with chandeliers, ever, you just can't. But I appreciate that they tried. The excessive use of gold tile in the foyer and outside the hotel’s entrance sounds kitsch too, but nah, it’s awesome!

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(A.K.A: Katy Perry has Just been Named the Godmother of a 142,500 Ton Baby and I’m Jealous!)

*Originally published in The Sunday Times as Once upon a time: The tale of Katy Perry (and other cruise godmothers)

Katy Perry as Cruise Ship Godmother her role in its christening

Photo: Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise Line just announced that Katy Perry will be the godmother to their latest ship, the Norwegian Prima, launching later this year. But what does that even mean?  Where does the cruise ship godmother tradition come from and what does it entail?

Why do cruise ships even have godmothers?

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How to put the “high” in “high tea” on the rooftop of South Africa’s tallest building

I recently got the chance to check out Cape Town's Hotel Sky, A.K.A ‘the robot hotel’ and this is what I thought about it:

What I liked about it:

The decor

Norwegian Cruise Line just announced that Katy Perry will be the godmother to their latest ship, the Norwegian Prima, launching later this year. But what does that even mean?  Where does the cruise ship godmother tradition come from and what does it entail?

Why do cruise ships even have godmothers?

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How to put the “high” in “high tea” on the rooftop of South Africa’s tallest building

I recently got the chance to check out Cape Town's Hotel Sky, A.K.A ‘the robot hotel’ and this is what I thought about it:

What I liked about it:

The decor

Norwegian Cruise Line just announced that Katy Perry will be the godmother to their latest ship, the Norwegian Prima, launching later this year. But what does that even mean? Where does the cruise ship godmother tradition come from and what does it entail?

Why do cruise ships even have godmothers?

About the Sharonicles

Browse by category

Contact Me

Subscribe to The Sharonicles

Thank you!

AS SEEN IN:

Report Abuse

Norwegian Cruise Line just announced that Katy Perry will be the godmother to their latest ship, the Norwegian Prima, launching later this year. But what does that even mean?  Where does the cruise ship godmother tradition come from and what does it entail?