Flight Attendant: “On behalf of the entire crew aboard Flight 185, we would like to thank you for choosing South African Airways. If you’re returning home, welcome back! If you’re a visitor, we’d like to wish you a pleasant stay. And, if you’re here on business, go get that deal!”

All of the passengers giggled.

I have to say of all the flights I’ve taken in my nomadic ways, the sign-off of this South African Airways’ flight attendant was truly original, the most memorable, amusing and personable of them all – a resounding example of good ol’ fashioned South African hospitality!

Gauteng Province: O.R. Tambo International Airport

Conveniently just a four-hour flight away, Kenyans can fly to Johannesburg on a daily basis through direct and connecting flights to O.R. Tambo International Airport (ORTIA).

ORTIA is the air transport hub of Southern Africa and plays a vital role in Johannesburg’s and Gauteng province’s economy. The Airport’s impressive modern infrastructure hosts 17 million passengers annually.

Foreign tourists can claim their VAT Refund conveniently at ORTIA. Simply identify yourself as a tourist and show the tax invoices for the goods that you have purchased during your stay in South Africa, and you’ll be well on your way to collecting some cash!

TIP: Ensure that all of the purchases that you are claiming for a VAT Refund have been packed in your hand-luggage. Customs officials will inspect your goods, so if you can’t show them, then you won’t be able to make a successful claim.

Cradle of Humankind

Traveling is an opportunity to learn about the stories of other communities and to see how we are actually interconnected in some way or form – and ultimately, that we are one tribe. What better way to understand our global tribe than a trip to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Cradle of Humankind in Gauteng province of South Africa.

Located about a one-hour drive northwest of Johannesburg, Cradle of Humankind was first named as a World Heritage Site in 1999. The site includes complex limestone caves, one of the last unexplored underwater caves that have yet to be mapped, and the Sterkfontein caves where numerous fossilized hominid remains have been found.

Adventurous visitors take the long decent into the limestone caves, which is not recommended for those with bad knees, asthma and claustrophobia. In some parts of the caves there were clearly marked paths, and in others, one had to crawl through small passages to reach the next cave. Not exactly for the faint hearted. However, for those that manage, visitors will be treated to a rare glimpse of unique limestone formations from millions of years ago and crystal clear cave ponds that lead to the unknown.

PHOTOBLOG: Photo Credits: Photo Credits Susan Wong © All rights reserved.

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