Luxury holidays in Johannesburg

When to go

October is when the city’s purple jacaranda trees are in full bloom. The Southern Hemisphere summer from November to February is hot, with late afternoon thunderstorms. Autumn, from late February till April is pleasantly warm and a good time to see the city. June, July and August are winter months with dry, cool weather. Temperatures can fall below freezing at night.

Getting there

• Planes

  Virgin | South African Airlines and BA have direct daily flights from London. Another option is to fly to Cape Town and catch an internal flight. The airport is located 12 miles east of the city. Have your hotel arrange for a taxi to pick you up from the airport | or catch an authorised shuttle bus.

• Automobiles

  Although hire cars are very reasonably priced | it is unwise to head out on your own without decent local knowledge.

• Taxis

  It’s wise to be safety conscious: always use a taxi ordered by your hotel; don’t just pick them up in the street. Get the taxi driver’s phone number and have him pick you up at an agreed time and place.