…TO THEM O D E RN

Two superbtours reveal thecomplex historyof our land,writes Paul Ash

G AU T E N G

R OBIN Binckes likes to drive slowly throughAlexandra and stop to say hello to themany people there who know him. Thismeans his tours — some of which begin in

the place we call Dark City — can take a while toget going, but that just makes them more satisfying,for there is nothing like seeing a place through theeyes of the people who live there.

“A Taste of the History of South Africa” is atownship tour with a razor’s edge. After your slowamble through Alex, during which you will see thethings that make it such a vibrant place — thedense sprawl of houses and humans, dripping cowcarcasses at an open-air butchery, a packed drinkinghall, the women waiting to play fafi and the localfootball team kicking a ball around their patch —you head for Liliesleaf Farm, where Nelson Mandelaand the Treason Trialists plotted against theapartheid government. Then it’s on to Pretoria andthe Voortrekker Monument where your guide willpresent an unvarnished account of a turbulenthistor y.

Lunch could be a fairly formal sit-down affair at aboutique hotel near Liliesleaf Farm or with pap envleis (maize meal porridge and meat) and gravy in

an Alex restaurant. Either way. The day will end with yousatisfied in more ways than one.

Across the way in downtown Joburg, another tour by localoutfit Past Experiences takes you on foot through thetumultuous history of this city. The company has several day-long adventures in Soweto and the inner cities in Joburg andPretoria with the idea of getting locals to explore their owncities, particularly those places where they may fear to tread.

They’ll help you experience Joburg’s culture, architecture andarchaeology close up by immersing you in it. Some of the toursinclude Creative Jozi, which focuses on public art in the CBD;Gritty Newtown, Spicy Fordsburg, a graffiti tour and aBraamfontein Bar Meander — take some extra up-front readiesfor drinks on this one.

DETAILS: For the Alex tour, phone 083-395-7027 or seespearofthenation.co.za. For Joburg walking tours, phone(011) 678-3905 or visit http://pastexperiences.co.za.

W H E REWE

S TAY E D

SOUTHERN SUNGOLD REEF CITY HOTELANYONE who wants to understandthe soul of Johannesburg would dowell to start at Southern Sun GoldReef City Hotel. The hopes of thecity ’s founders are preserved in amuseum (which offers an authenticmine tour) and the dreams of itspresent-day citizens play outalongside, where thrill-seekers chaseadrenaline in the theme park orfortune in the casino. Even if thegambling rollercoaster is not yourthing, Tsogo Sun’s neo-classicalhotel with its luxurious rooms andimpeccable service is a fine place tospend a pampered night away fromhome, and the food is excellent (seeEATING ON THE RUN).DETAILS: Northern Parkway,Ormonde, Johannesburg. Phone(011) 248-5000, e-mail or seew w w.t s o g o s u n . c o m / g o l d - re e f - c i t y -casino.RATES: R1 200 per person sharingper night

GLENBURN LODGE

ON any given Sunday, hordes ofGautengers drive to theMagaliesberg for GlenburnLodge’s legendary buffet lunch,where just the desserts take upan entire long table. Seduced bythe tranquil country setting,many day visitors return for alonger stay. A popularconference and wedding venue,Glenburn is also a convenientromantic getaway or place totake friends and family, withplenty of outdoor activities andsuperb service. The recentaddition of a tented camp offersa self-catering option close tonature for larger groups on abudget.DETAILS: Kromdraai Road,Muldersdrift. Phone (012) 205-1395, e-mail cro@guvon.co.za, orsee glenburn.co.za.RATES: R770 per person sharingper night

COURT CLASSIQUE HOTEL

IN the heart of Pretoria’sdiplomatic zone, this quietlyelegant establishment hasdedicated itself to hospitality fortwo decades. It attracts bothovernight visitors and long-termguests for its central location, thepersonable warmth of its staff andthe unusual spaciousness of its 58suites. Each suite has its ownkitchenette and two are speciallyequipped for the mobility-impaired. It’s hard to believeyou’re in the middle of the cityonce behind the walls — therooms open onto tropicalpathways and ponds completewith resident ducks.DETAILS: Corner of Francis Baard& Beckett streets, Arcadia,Pretoria. Phone (012) 344-4420,e-mail: reservations@courtclassique.co.za or seew w w. c o u r t c l a s s i q u e . c o . z a .RATES: R800 per person per night

INTUNDLA GAME LODGE& BUSH SPAIF ever a place deserved to be called a“hidden gem”, this unassuming lodgerun by caring staff is it. Just an hourfrom Johannesburg, its 37 cosythatched chalets are arranged on thebanks of a beautiful dam dotted withwater lilies and surrounded bymountains and bush, with notanother sign of habitation in sight.Birdlife is profuse and antelopebrowse among the trees. The bar andswimming pool occupy a scenic deckabove the dam, and the restaurantserves home-cooked comfort food.Busy in the week for conferences andevents, Intundla would have a longweekend waiting list if more peopleknew about it.DETAILS: B o e ke n h o u t s k l o of,Dinokeng, Pretoria. Phone (012) 735-9913/4, e-mail info@intundla.co.za orsee intundla.co.za.RATES: R985 per person sharing pernight

BACK O’ THE MOONGOLD REEF CITYWhile dedicated gamblers dash into Gold Reef City’sother outlets for a quick fix of nutrition, the hotel’sfine-dining restaurant is a place to linger over some ofthe best food in Johannesburg. Back O’ The Moon isnamed after a famous 1950s Sophiatown shebeen, andlive session musicians pay tribute to this era. ChefVaughan Assam’s menu caters for every taste. There istraditional local fare (crocodile carpaccio, kudu loin,tripe pie), an excellent selection of curries and flame-grilled steaks. Beautifully prepared seafood and richlamb dishes are particularly popular, and on a winter’snight it’s hard to beat the oxtail potjie. Assam takesparticular pride in exquisite desserts — d o n’t miss hishandmade ice cream, no matter what the weather.

DETAILS: Back O’ The Moon, Southern Sun GoldReef City Hotel, cnr Northern Parkway & DataCrescent, Ormonde, Johannesburg South. Call(011) 248-5222.Open Tuesday to Sunday for lunchand Tuesday to Saturday for dinner. Seet s o g o s u n . c o m / b a c k- o - t h e - m o o nJohannesburg

Pretoria

GOLD REEF CITYThe Gold Reef City theme park is a chance to indulge the kiddie side of you bytaking on stomach-churning rides at insane speeds. Or you can watch from thesidelines while your kids take part in the colourful madness. For the speed fre a k sin your family, there is the tower of terror plunge and a twisting, turning andlooping rollercoaster. Those under five can head to Dr Doolittle’s animalfarmyard instead and pet the friendly ponies, horses emus and cows — amongothers.

If you'd like to see where the city came from, head underground on a minetour which takes you into one of the old Crown Mines shafts where guides willshow you what it was like to be a gold miner. Afterwards, go and watch a goldpour and think of what you could do with that money. It’s all well-organised,good, clean fun — even the underground tour in which you get to wear aminer's helmet and rubber boots.DETAILS: Northern Parkway & Data Crescent, Johannesburg. Phone (011) 248-6800. Entry fees vary. See tsogosun.com/gold-reef-city-casino/tickets for prices.Sunday Times Reporters

SAMMY MARKS MUSEUMZwartkoppies Hall, east of Pretoria, was the home of 19th-century businessmanSammy Marks. Built in 1886, the house and its contents remain unchanged apartfrom essential restoration work, thanks to the terms of his will. It is a fasci n at i n ginsight into the way of life of a wealthy self-made man and his family. Marks,who came to South Africa from Lithuania in 1869, was by the end of his lifeknown as the "Uncrowned King of the Transvaal". His home was called thePalace in the Wilderness and is said to have been designed on a plant — whichmay explain its long central passage with rooms leading off it. The grandest byfar is the upstairs billiards room added in 1890, complete with raised benchseats for spectators, a domed and hand-painted ceiling, and portraits ofcontemporary political leaders and generals on the walls. His family lived on inthe house until 1978, and it is now a museum.DETAILS: Bronkhorstspruit Road (R104), Pretoria. Entry R45. Seeditsong.org.za/sammymarks.htm. Andrew Unsworth

THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MILITARY HISTORYThis has one of the finest collections of military hardware and memorabilia inthe world, let alone South Africa. The focus is very much on the South Africanexperience of war, from the Anglo-Zulu War to the Anglo-Boer War and the twoworld wars, right up to Umkhonto weSizwe and The Struggle. Buddinghistorians and little boys will love it, while pacifists may at least be consoled bythe fact that, instead of glorifying war, the museum makes an attempt to answer

the questions of why and how warsbegin. In the grounds, children canplay on a stripped Kudu spotter aircraftwhile their parents wander aroundgazing at the artillery pieces, tanks andfighter aircraft. The collection tells astory of astonishing human ingenuityand the terrible things that people dowith their cleverness, but it is also asurprisingly peaceful place where theguns are now forever silent.DETAILS: Erlswold Way, Saxonwold.See ditsong.org.za/militaryhistory.htm.Paul Ash

THE ROADSIDEAT TRACTIONS

From left: The Steve Biko exhibition at the Apartheid Museum and graffiti in Newtown, Johannesburg.Below, the tiny backroom at Liliesleaf where Madiba plotted the liberation war

E AT I N GON THE

RU N

TO ENTER TO WINONE MILLION RAND:

Dial *120*3937# or go tow w w. f i n d e r s ke e p e r s . m o b i

to register and enter.Full terms and conditions available atwww.sundaytimes.co.za and on the

mobi site.

G AU T E N G