Our article is about the 5 most important things to remember before you travel to Midrand in Johannesburg. We based these suggestions on our and our guests’ experience. As such, we believe that this could help both novice and frequent travellers to have a more pleasant and smoother experience when visiting us.
We’ve all been there… When you arrive at your destination only to realize that you forgot your charger, or toothbrush, or simply didn’t even give a thought how the weather will be like. A little planning can go a long way.
Without any further ado, here are a few pointers that we think will save you from extra headaches when visiting Midrand.
List of 5 things to remember before you travel to Midrand
- Travel Checklist
- Weather check
- Load shedding
- Driving routes
- Point of Interest
Travel Checklist
We believe this is one of the most crucial and also the most neglected tasks that both novice and frequent travellers tend to forget before they travel to Midrand. You may find it tedious or even ridiculous to create a travel checklist for packing your suitcase. But trust us. This is the most common mistake our guests make. Also, we found that once you create and save a travel checklist on your phone, you can reuse it whenever you need to travel again. Not to mention, that it might also save you from leaving your phone behind.
Here are the four most common things people tend to forget at home when they travel
- Cell phone charger and cable
- Toothbrush/Toothpaste
- Slippers/Flip-flops
- Travel adapter
Weather check
We found that forgetting to check the weather online before travelling to Midrand is the second most common mistake our guests tend to make. Locals and foreigners alike seem to neglect the fact that the whole of Gauteng, which includes Johannesburg and Pretoria, is located in the Highveld area. As it happens, most of Highveld lies above 1500m above sea level. Thus the weather and temperature often differ here compared to the rest of the country. Especially when comparing it to the Kwazulu-Natal area during the summer season.
Hence, we can’t stress enough to check the weather forecast before you travel to Midrand. Because rocking up in a T-shirt and shorts during winter might be adequate in Durban. However, in Midrand, it would only give you a sore throat and cold feet.
Furthermore, we’ve been told by some “experts”, that travellers arriving in Joburg (from lower elevations) tend to perceive temperatures to be colder here than they actually are because of the moderate to high altitude of Highveld. For example, our guests usually tend to feel colder about 24 hours after they arrive (particularly when they arrive in their flip-flops and beachwear between the months of May and August).
Load shedding
Load shedding is a phenomenon that most South Africans are familiar with all too well these days. However, if you are travelling to Midrand from a foreign country, or a rarely affected area within South Africa, you should familiarize yourself with the load shedding schedule before your arrival. Because being caught out without electricity, even if it’s for a few hours, can be excruciating. In today’s online world, it almost feels like travelling back in time to the Stone Age. Fortunately, humankind has the technology to circumvent these types of situations. So do yourself a favour and put that power bank and maybe a small torch in your suitcase. You never know when you might need it during your travels.
- Phone charger (and cable)
- Powerbank
- Small torch (with USB charger)
- Load shedding schedule at destination
Furthermore, as mentioned earlier, different regions in South Africa are less affected by load shedding than others. Therefore, downloading the load shedding app for Midrand might help you prevent being kept in the dark.
Driving routes
We are all familiar with Murphy’s law. If something can go wrong, then Murphy will make sure it does. On that note, it is vital that you check your driving route for road closures, road works and major accidents before departure. Consequently, you’ll ensure to avoid being late for your appointments, meetings, check-in times or what have you.
Additionally, we would also like to give you a few driving/route tips here: “This is our annual traffic report from By Bush Telegraph Lodge in Midrand”
- Avoid driving on Olifantsfontein road, aka R562, during late hours on the Tembisa side. Due to the financial turmoil in SA, this stretch of road can be dangerous because of hijacking attempts.
- The North Midrand part of Old Pretoria Road, or R101, is under permanent construction. Unofficial sources confirmed that the so-called “Super Road” they are building has an estimated completion date set for 3023. Although the road is not closed, expect heavy traffic during rush hours, and frequent detours due to slumbering construction workers.
Point of Interest
Lastly, we believe that it is also essential to explore the surrounding area of your accommodation online before you even start your trip. As mentioned earlier, even brief forward-thinking can make your trip. On the other hand, lack of planning can seriously break your trip too. Especially, if you’re not great at problem-solving and not related to Dora the Explorer.
So here are the few pointers that we believe you should be asking yourself about the surroundings of your accommodation in Midrand.
- Where do you need to be in Midrand?
- Where is the nearest shopping centre/restaurant?
- Where is the nearest shopping Mall?
- Where is the nearest entertainment/bar/gym?
- Where are the nearest hospitals/clinics (in case of emergency)?
Final Thoughts
Travelling is an exciting adventure. However, like most adventures, it takes you out of your comfort zone but mostly your comfort place, which is your home.
In such situations, you need to think on your feet to find things when you need them and solve problems on the go.
Whereas, if you take an ephemeral time for preparation before your departure, you can focus on other things, and maybe even enjoy the journey.
We sincerely hope that our tips help to relish your next trip to Midrand, and we look forward to welcoming you.
Read our post about “How to choose the right accommodation“.