Johannesburg | The city where work becomes play

What to do?

A trip to Johannesburg must include a visit to The Apartheid Museum which takes the visitor on a journey through South Africa's era of segregation and oppression. This is one of South Africa's most evocative museums as visitors are given a card specifying their race on entrance and are then allowed entrance through separate gates. The museum uses film, text and audio and live accounts to provide an insight into the implementation of the apartheid system as well as inspiring accounts of the struggle towards democracy, creating an invaluable understanding of the inequalities and tensions that still exist today. The most disturbing of the tour is a small chamber which houses 131 nooses, which represents the 131 opponents to government who were executed under antiterrorism laws.

The Mandela Museum is the tiny home Nelson Mandela shared with his first wife Evelyn. Amongst the photographs and clutter is a letter from the State of Michigan asking George Bush senior to apologise for the role the CIA played in Mandela's arrest in 1962.

Looming over Newtown is the Nelson Mandela Bridge. Officially opened by Nelson Mandela on 20 July 2003 (two days after his 85th birthday), the 295m, cable-stayed bridge is the longest of its kind in Southern Africa. It isn't the most impressive structure in Jo'burg, but it is an enduring symbol of efforts to resurrect long-forgotten sections of the city and an ongoing source of pride.

On a lighter note, get into a cultural mind-set from a beer-drinking perspective. The SAB World of Beers takes you through the history of beer. Wander through a fake Egyptian temple, taste chibuku in a mock African village and grab a pint in a re-created Victorian pub. The ticket also entitles you two pints in the bar when the tour is done and dusted.

The Johannesburg Art Gallery has a reputable collection of European and South African landscape and figurative paintings, as well as a significant contemporary South African collection with more adventurous work such as multimedia installations. It also hosts large-scale, dynamic exhibitions and retrospectives of black artists.

Head down to the Rosebank Mall for a look at African crafts from across the continent. Buy pieces from Zimbabwe, Nambia and the Congo at the flea market.

Where to stay?

Just 8 kilometres from the centre of Johannesburg lies the world famous yet uniquely South African Gold Reef City, www.goldreefcity.co.za. With its magnificent Theme Park offering the widest range of features and attractions in Africa and the exhilarating Casino complex, alive with the excitement, buzz and energy of Jozi.

Enjoy one of the many restaurants or take in a show or catch a 4D movie, all just 10 minutes away from the business centre and 20 minutes from the airport.

Zulu Nyala's Country Manor, www.zulunyala.com, is a guest house set amongst 13 acres of ground that mixes beautifully landscaped gardens with areas set aside for a few wild visitors from the bush, including zebra, blesbuck, springbok and warthog. Get a tantalizing taste of the bush while staying just five minutes away from all the glitz, glamour and good times offered by one of Southern Africa's premier shopping and entertainment areas.

Travelling through Joburg on a budget? Then check out Pension Idube Budget B&B and Backpackers, located in leafy Melville, Idube offers a sun-drenched pool area, great breakfasts, tour arrangements, sunny and clean rooms. Most rooms have en-suite bathrooms and have recently been renovated, with communal TV lounge, kitchen and laundry service. They are also environmentally friendly, recycle waste, use an earthworm farm and supports local charities.

Where to eat?

For a lively night out, check out Chefs in Motion. For lunch or dinner, chefs prepare a range of dishes from spatchcock chicken or rump steak with biltong and brandy sauce in a central prep and cooking station so you could see what they're up to in the kitchen. Friendly staff, smart, white linen tablecloths and attention to the remotest detail give the contemporary restaurant that extra wow factor and if you looking for a more fun night out then hit the outer bar area with its loud music and big-screen TV.

Blue Feather, www.bluefeather.co.za, produces a theatre-styled seven course menu fit for royalty. In fact executive chef Mitch Clark has cooked for the Queen of England herself at Buckingham Palace. The ambience is enhanced by subdued lighting, unobtrusive background music, and the sound of the many cascading water features. The Blue Feather also caters from more informal lunches and dinners on the deck with their bistro menu. The bistro has a large 'boma'-styled fire pit area with a huge paella pan and 20 individual woks. It also features an outdoor gas braai, spit braai, and pizza oven.

Cafe Sofia, www.cafesofia.co.za, blends an early morning café with a trendy day bistro, spiced-up with some latino flava. This mediterrarnean-by-feel, hip bar is very much a fresh fusion of the inventive spirit and energy of modern South Africa. The decor is eclectic with warm orange colours, dark wood and beautiful fabrics. By combining the healthy eating culture of Southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, Cafe Sofia brings you all the little dishes, that can be shared by everyone at the table. Meze, tapas, antipasto ... But the heart of the eatery is the bar - from coffee to cocktails and sangrias.

How to get there?

Emirates offers daily flights from Malta to Johannesburg with a stopover in Larnaka in Cyprus. Flights departing on 30 May and returning on 13 June were priced at €886.89, including tax. Total flying time is approximately 15.5 hours.