Even after relatively mild experiences on roller coasters and other vague elevations, it took a long time for me to feel comfortable with being up really, really high. I finally had a breakthrough when I decided to attempt my first bungee jump at the age of 18, in late 1996, in Kuranda, Queensland, Australia. The adrenaline hit, and, of course, I loved it immediately.

A suspension bridge connects the colourful Orlando Towers of Soweto, South Africa. The bridge was built for high-intensity vertical sports such as bungee jumping. Photo courtesy of Jen Campbell

The instructor had advised that I focus on a spot on the horizon, avoid looking down and lean forward until my balance reached the point of no return, at which time I was to bend my knees, push off and yell, “Bungee!” Rather embarrassingly, not only did I follow the latter instruction, but have continued to do so during most of my six bungee jumps since: three on the Gold Coast in Australia during 1997, two in Bali in 2008 and the Macau Tower jump in 2008 – a massive 233-metre plunge.

In 2009, I moved from London to Johannesburg to work on the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Given this was my first experience visiting Africa, let alone living there, I compiled a list of experiences I wanted to tick off before my contract ended in August 2010.

This list included a proper safari – something I never got around to doing – and, after spying the Orlando Cooling Towers during a work visit to the Soweto Derby in late 2009, another bungee jump.

A Vertical Vision

Orlando Towers was opened to adrenaline excitement in 2009 by Skyriders, a South African company established in 1988 and specialising in rope access for work, inspection and maintenance in very high or hard-to-reach areas. While Skyriders began in window-cleaning and progressed to industrial access in the 1990s, Orlando Towers was their first foray into the world of extreme sports.

The anxiety builds as adrenaline thrill-seekers are swept into a cage elevator that propels them to the top of the Orlando Towers Vertical Adventure Centre in Soweto, South Africa. Photo courtesy of Jen Campbell

Long before that, the hulking structures were the cooling towers for the Soweto Power Station from 1942 to 1998, when the coal-burning facility closed. Then, Bob Woods, a rope-access specialist and director at Skyriders, was fortunate enough to experience the stunning view from the top of the towers while conducting maintenance work. Believing that more people should be able to take part in this amazing experience, a brainwave that struck Woods in 2001 compelled him to developed the decommissioned Orlando Towers into a ‘vertical adventure centre’.

The years that followed were filled with discussions and negotiations with the people of Soweto, as well as local councils, engineers, builders and the Johannesburg Property Company. In 2005, preliminary plans for the Orlando Ekhava Precinct were presented, with the comprehensive Orlando Towers Vertical Adventure Centre project approved in 2007.

At the end of 2007, a lease was signed; development began soon after. By July 2008, a lift tower was installed and the site officially opened. In order to develop the vertical adventure component, a bridging platform between the two towers was raised 100 metres from the ground (three metres from the top of the towers) and secured in place for the ‘World’s First Bungee Jump Between Two Cooling Towers’. Fittingly, the first leap was made by Bob Woods.

Hanging around at the Orlando Towers of Soweto, South Africa, bungee jumpers and giant swingers wait to be lifted to a launch platform 100 metres above the ground. Photo courtesy of Jen Campbell

Today, Orlando Towers offers a number of adrenaline-pumping experiences, including the 100-metre bungee, a swing from the centre of the suspension bridge resulting in a 40-metre free fall, and a swing into one of the cooling towers. Beyond these thrills there are also rap jumping, base jumping, abseiling and a zip line. The centre even offers rock climbing and paint balling, and the suspension bridge itself is an excellent viewing platform from which to take in the seemingly endless panorama of Soweto.

A Flying Leap

In August 2010, only weeks before I was due to head back to London, I realised I’d ticked very few things off my to-do list. No safari. No bungee jump. Then, two people I had met at the Soweto Derby back in 2009 suggested we tackle Orlando Towers as a celebratory wrap-up after the World Cup.

When I arrived, I was surprised at how simple and laid-back the setup was. Despite being very professionally qualified and approved, the staff were all very relaxed about the experience. Instead of my usual bungee experience, I therefore elected to try something new to me – the giant swing – and was outfitted with a harness, something specific to the swing experience.

At first we waited at the foot of the tower, watching the group before us throw themselves into gravity’s embrace from 100 metres above. This increased the anticipation, and perhaps the apprehension too, but given past experiences and my love of bungee I was desperate to give it my go.

In Soweto, South Africa, the swing at Orlando Towers is an adrenaline-packed alternative to bungee, which is also available. Choose your thrill. Photo courtesy of Jen Campbell

When it was our turn we were given a quick briefing and bundled into the open-air rickety-feeling lift riveted to the exterior of one of the towers. The staff played on this fact by tweaking the speed of the elevator halfway up the tower (50 metres above the ground) to make the entire lift shudder. It also didn’t help that the lift hugged the shape of the tower, meaning you began by leaning slightly against it, and finished by dangling off it.

At the top, the walkways to the suspension bridge allowed us to look into the massive tower. We worked our way around to the launch platform and waited for the first of our group to bungee. It took a lot of coaxing, and a few moments of considering turning back, but she eventually leapt. The second group member completed her bungee jump too, and then I was strapped on to the swing rope.

The swing does not involve walking out onto the bridge, as with the bungee, but instead begins on a platform attached to one of the towers from where you try to fly from one tower to the other. Once you’re attached to the rope, the weight of the rope itself practically drags you to the edge. Unlike a bungee, where you’re told to lean into it and fall headfirst, the swing involves taking a long stride off the 100-metre-high platform and then free-falling for 40 metres before the rope pulls taught and drags you into a massive swing toward the other tower.

Free-falling 40 metres from a 100-metre platform between the Orlando Towers in Soweto, South Africa, is a powerful swing experience. Photo courtesy of Jen Campbell

It was far more stomach-churning than a bungee jump, feeling much more like the floor had been removed from under my feet and I was simply falling to the ground below. I’d certainly recommend it to anyone who has previously bungeed and is interested in putting a new spin on it.

Although I missed out on a few things while I lived in South Africa, I certainly do intend to go back and take part in a safari. I also hope to experience the world’s highest bridge bungee: 216 metres from Bloukrans Bridge!

That said, it’s hard to find a subject that stirs as much pride, interest, passion and debate as a discussion of cuisine. Getting to grips with the local grub is as much a part of the travel experience as immersing oneself in the local culture, engaging with local people and learning the local lingo; it is definitely one of the highlights of any trip.

Thanks to the efforts of our whl.travel and Urban Adventures local partners around the globe, we’ve managed to assemble a pretty extensive selection of typical local appetisers, soups and stews, main dishes, vegetarian dishes, desserts, drinks and snacks and street foods, many even with recipes, but all recommended by inside local experts.

So start by using our photo gallery below, limber up your jaw and start munching!

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Appetisers

Soups & Stews

Main Dishes

Vegetarian Dishes

Desserts

Drinks

Snacks & Street Food

Competition is fierce for the invitation-only right to set up shop in the coveted 'Traditions' section at Lima's Mistura food festival. This special space devoted to good, old-fashioned Peruvian street food featured tamales as a highlight in 2010.

Peru, a True Culinary Crossroads

September sees Peru‘s grand culinary fiesta, Mistura, take place in the Parque de la Exposición in central Lima. This weeklong extravaganza features renowned local and international chefs celebrating the country’s cultural and culinary melting pot, which boasts influences from Africa, China, Japan, Spain, Italy and the Middle East. One of the highlights is the ‘Traditions’ section, which is dedicated to the versatility and endless variety of Peruvian street food with stalls selling much-loved goodies such as anticuchos, tamales, sandwiches and sweets.

Pitahaya, also known as dragon fruit, is actually the fruit of the cardon cactus. Native to Mexico, it is also cultivated in parts of Asia.

Prickly and Fruity in Baja Mexico

Every summer, the coastal area of Los Cabos at the southern tip of Mexico‘s Baja California Sur, likes to show its appreciation for the pitahaya (dragon fruit) harvest, during the famous Feria de la Pitahaya. Held in the charming village of Miraflores, just 30 minutes from Cabo San Lucas, this festival is, as one might suspect, all about this succulent fruit of the cardon cactus, with homemade pitahaya ice cream and candy, as well as fresh fruit and a crowning ceremony for the pitahaya queen, as well as the less fruit-focused pursuits of donkey racing and arts and crafts contests, all accompanied by the mellifluous strains of music from a mariachi band.

San Pedro on the island of Ambergris Caye in Belize plays host to the annual San Pedro Lobsterfest. The last and longest of the three lobsterfests in Belize, it's five fun-filled days of BBQs, carnivals, block parties, cocktail parties, pub crawls and music.

A Belizean Fishy Fiesta

With 198 miles of Caribbean coastline and the longest barrier reef in the northern hemisphere, Belize can always be counted on to feature its fresh fish and shellfish cooking. To celebrate the start of lobster season (in June), there are annual summer lobster fests that kick off in Placencia Village before moving on to the island of Caye Caulker and wrapping up at the San Pedro Lobsterfest in the main town on the island of Ambergris Caye. The towns slip into lobster lunacy, as stalls selling all manner of lobster dishes set up along the streets and beaches, bands play day and night, and the rum and beer shacks are in full swing. With most restaurants offering all-you-can-eat lobster buffets as well, this two-week party is guaranteed to satisfy your king-of-crustaceans urges until next season.

Cooking and Culture in Australia and Portugal

Australia has a large Greek population, so it is only fitting that there be celebrations of Hellenic hospitality. The city of Brisbane has its own in the form of the Paniyiri Greek Festival in late May. This largest cultural festival in the state of Queensland is in its 34th year and is a three-day extravaganza of food, drink, fashion, fireworks, music, eating contests, grape stomping, dancing and cooking demonstrations, all adding up to more than 50 hours of non-stop entertainment. Zorba would be proud!

Machico Gastronomy Week on the island of Madeira, Portugal, is one of the highlights of the island's social calendar. Not just content to showcase local cuisine, the event also features a very popular cocktail festival.

The Portuguese island of Madeira celebrates Machico Gastronomy Week at the beginning of August. Visitors and locals descend on the seaside town of Machico, famous for being the landing point of Madeira’s first settlers, to enjoy a vast array of local dishes and delicacies. Although there are a few other food fests on the island, this one draws the biggest crowds and culinary talents and acts as a showcase of traditional Madeiran cuisine and produce with the aim of widening its appeal beyond the island. Food is of course the rich principal attraction, but the addition of sports tournaments, live concerts featuring local bands and artists, and even a cocktail festival adds to the fun.

Wet Your Whistle in India (wine), Malta (beer) and South Africa (whisky)

Proudly billed as Malta‘s largest free outdoor festival, the Farsons Great Beer Festival has celebrated the humble ale annually in since 1981. The 10-day mid-summer festival boasts over 300 hours of music, 40 live performances from local bands, 15 bars, two stages, a daily beer drinking competition and a variety of international cuisines complemented by a large selection of beers produced and imported by Farsons. The bars and souvenir stalls also sell the official festival beer mug, which has become quite a collector’s item!

A wine festival in India like the Grape Escapade Festival in Goa might seem rather unusual, but the country does actually produce both decent vintages. Of course, there are a few wacky interpretations thrown in for good measure. Herb-infused health wine anyone?

The beginning of every year sees wine fever hit India’s small, southwest state of Goa with the Grape Escapade Wine and Haute Cuisine Festival. Going strong since 2005, it attracts India’s biggest wine makers, guaranteeing some great local nectar. In addition to some traditional grape crushing, which lures in participants eager to dance barefoot in a vast tub of grapes, the event features free wine tastings, top-notch nosh in the food courts, dancers, fire-breathers, artists, fashion shows, live music and the crowning of the Grape Escapade Queen. Started by the Goa Tourism Development Organisation as a fun platform to promote Goan lifestyle, culture, food and drink, the event has certainly done that and more and regularly attracts between four and five thousand visitors a day.

South Africa pays its respects to the aqua vitae with both Cape Town and Johannesburg playing host to a three-day FNB Whisky Live Festival every November. With the Scotch Whisky Association confirming the spirit is fast becoming a tipple of choice to young, upwardly mobile South Africans, it’s little wonder that this is the largest whisky and lifestyle event of its kind, attracting more visitors and brands than any other whisky festival globally. Divided into zones, the display area is definitely not short of attractions, including a chance to sample over 180 whisky varieties in the tasting hall, expert workshops and tutorials on whisky jargon, distillation and cocktail making, guided tours and food and whisky pairing. The event is capped off with a big party, where everyone still standing can indulge further before heading home to sleep it off.

The three winners have been announced and The Travel Word is honoured to present the top three essays. After having published stories by the third- and second-place finishers, the following is from the first-place winner.

The day after Spain held aloft the 2010 World Cup trophy, we found ourselves listening to South African talkback radio during a long drive down towards the country’s picturesque Eastern Cape. The topic for the show was what hosting the World Cup had meant to each listener.

As the kilometres whizzed by, caller after caller expressed their pride, as South Africans, at having proven the doubters wrong by staging one of the most spectacular sporting events ever. The tournament had been an unabashed success: the third-highest attendance of any World Cup, marked by a carnival atmosphere throughout (despite the early elimination of the host country’s team), and barely a security incident to speak of. Hundreds of thousands of international visitors had left the country wowed.

A view of the interior of a World Cup stadium. Photo courtesy of Flickr/Jason Wojciechowski

A Transformed Nation

It had been no small achievement for South Africa to pull off. For so many people to watch the matches, the nation had constructed seven glistening new state-of-the-art stadiums, each of distinctly African architecture. Several cities, Cape Town and Johannesburg among them, had also launched vastly improved mass rapid transit systems to ferry spectators out to each venue. To allow smooth passage between the nine host cities, road networks and airports had been greatly upgraded.

Violent crime, so central to the country’s international reputation, had been reduced by 60 percent during the tournament to make South Africa one of the safest host nations in living memory. With crime down, host cities could show off their redeveloped waterfront districts and entertainment areas and all and sundry could confidently walk along the streets well into the night. For the few crimes that did occur, increased police deployments and 56 dedicated World Cup courts provided swift and decisive justice.

Why, asked one caller, did these achievements have to end now that the tournament was over? The question is a particularly pertinent one: Why could South Africans not continue to do for themselves what they had done so well for the massive influx of international visitors?

An Epic Road Trip

My partner Dave and I were two of the most enthusiastic among this influx of ‘visitors’ (South Africa’s term for international tourists). During the 31 days of the tournament, we drove around 8,000 kilometres to watch eleven of the 64 matches played, visiting eight of the ten stadiums in the process and passing through every single South African province. Our epic odyssey saw us cross paths with other visitors from every continent on earth, as well as South Africans from all walks of life. And it had all taken place amidst a stunning diversity of landscapes and wildlife, ensuring that the long journey was never for a moment dull.

Fans at the World Cup in South Africa. Photo courtesy of Flickr/babasteve

The South African Welcome

Quite apart from the spectacular stadiums, the clockwork organisation and the amazing games, it was the genuine warmth and welcome from all South Africans, regardless of race, ethnic group and economic background, that made attending the tournament such a remarkable experience.

Everywhere we went, once people discovered we were ‘visitors,’ they would instantly initiate conversations with us. More than once, while waiting for our car to be refilled, we would be spontaneously approached by another young black petrol station attendant who just wanted to chat about football.

We also met numerous older wealthier white South Africans, many of whom were more interested in the upcoming rugby season and the match against the New Zealand All Blacks.

While doing a coastal hike in between matches, a lovely couple asked about how we were enjoying our time in South Africa, where we were going, our background and interests. They even recommended a lovely place for lunch.

No one seemed to take notice of us being an inter-racial couple (I am a Chinese who grew up in New Zealand and Dave is an Australian of Scottish descent).

Racial and Social Divisions Still Exist

And yet, as wonderful a host as each South African was, even the most casual visitor could not miss the social and economic divisions that are everywhere apparent. The democratic elections that swept Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress to power may have taken place 16 years prior, but the change of political system could not erase Apartheid’s legacy overnight.

Many of the towns we visited remained visibly divided into different suburbs that were effectively two different worlds. Poorer, more dilapidated streets and suburbs made up a world inhabited by black South Africans, while just across the way others lived in a better kept, visibly more affluent world. Beyond this geographic separation, different groups seemed to keep to themselves even where day-to-day life brought them into close proximity. People of different races may now sit in the same cafes and restaurants, but we rarely saw them sitting around the same table.

The divisions on view were not simply between black and white, or between the various other “colours” represented within the population of the Rainbow Nation. With the stark inequalities between the nation’s rich and poor, the haves and have-nots of each Apartheid-era grouping also had their separate worlds. In Johannesburg, Durban and Mthatha, we encountered a black middle class whose lifestyles are far removed from those living in rural townships. We also saw a vignette of social tensions between different white people in an exchange at a fan park between fellow South Africans supporters of the Dutch team. When the one fan failed to understand a sentence in Afrikaans from the other and answered “I speak English,” the other angrily retorted “Then you’re not a real Dutch fan.”

The contrast between the attitudes of South Africans to ‘visitors’ and their guardedness with each other poses a second pertinent question: If South Africans could extend such universal goodwill to visitors of all races and ethnic groups from around the world, why could this sense of trust and togetherness not always be extended to each other?

World Cup Legacy

In trumpeting the success of the World Cup, the South African government has focused on the concrete economic benefits: masses of new jobs in the construction and hospitality industries generated in preparation for the influx of visitors, a noticeable bump in gross domestic product (GDP) from the money spent in-country by visitors, and shiny newly built infrastructure. The infrastructure apart, however, these tangible benefits are inescapably short-term. Employment, for instance, is expected to decrease in the coming year now that there are no more stadiums to build, while the GDP bump is likely to be just that: a one-off anomaly.

In Cape Town, visitors can explore traditionally multicultural areas that date back to the 19th Century. Photo courtesy of Flickr/neiljs

If these were to be the only benefits of hosting the World Cup and receiving so many visitors, then South Africans might rightly question the cost. But what we have seen during our approximately 8,000-kilometre journey across the country suggests a more significant legacy from the tournament, albeit one that is less tangible: South Africans have shown to the rest of the world that their nation is capable of making its streets safe, of providing quality and secure public transport and, more importantly, of overcoming racial and social barriers in its day-to-day personal interactions. Besides creating a sense of national pride, this achievement can also become a catalyst for the population to realize new possibilities both of what the country, collectively, can deliver and more importantly, the public services and respect that every person deserves.

Some of the improvements made during the World Cup have already been continued. The World Cup courts, for instance, have continued operation in order to assist the regular courts with a logjam of cases. At a personal level, there is also plenty of cause for optimism. During the World Cup, the “fan fests” established in parks, beaches and other public spaces in the host cities were sites where social and economic divisions were left at the gate. Tens of thousands crammed into each of these fests on South Africa match days to will their team to victory; the fests were again packed in the later stages of the tournament as South Africans enthusiastically responded to appeals to adopt a new team. A friendly atmosphere prevailed when everyone was thrown together, with football to break the ice. More flamboyantly dressed fans happily posed for photos with people of all backgrounds, while people mingled, danced together and compared notes on how the match would pan out. It was also in the fan parks that we saw our first inter-racial couple, and saw teenage friends of different races sitting together. This new togetherness did not escape notice by South African commentators, as papers during the tournament were filled with column after column wondering how long and whether it could persist.

If just some of these opportunities for change are seized, then the lasting legacy of the World Cup will be that of having proven to visitors what South Africans could achieve. South Africans have themselves re-imagined what their nation could and should be.

Diane Zhang is from Hamilton, New Zealand. In 2010, after living in Indonesia for six years, she quit her job to travel for several months in Southern Africa, including attending the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Diane has also travelled extensively in North America, Asia and Australasia.

“This World Cup belongs to Africa!” declared Sepp Blatter, FIFA president, at the Cape Town Convention Centre on 5 December 2009, the long-awaited day of the World Cup 2010 draw. Needless to say, since then, Africa’s already considerable pride at hosting the world’s most popular sporting event grows by the day, in lock step with the excitement of soccer fanatics from all across the continent (and around the world) eagerly awaiting kickoff of the first game – South Africa versus Mexico in Johannesburg’s Soccer City Stadium at 4pm local time on 11 June 2010.

Supporters of Bafana Bafana, the South Africa national soccer team (photo courtesy of South African Tourism)

The success of the World Cup will however be measured by more than just the tenacity of the teams. Nearly 500,000 people are expected to visit South Africa from game 1 until the finals precisely one month later. Their presence comes as an important economic injection, especially in the tourism sector, as the hordes head out to experience the country.

So, as a primer for the independent traveller in South Africa during the games – the traveller passionate about soccer, but also about meeting and making a difference with the local communities hosting the games – here’s a quick overview of how between games you can connect with the people, just a small but important step in being a good guest.

On the World Cup Trail

Nine cities will be the stage for the 2010 World Cup: Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Nelspruit, Pretoria, Polokwane, Port Elizabeth and Rustenburg.

The spread of destinations covers a great deal of the country, facilitating discovery of the diversity of regions and people.

Johannesburg

The opening match, nine other first-round matches, two second-round matches, two quarter finals and the finals will all be held in Johannesburg’s two venues: Ellis Park and Soccer City stadiums. Despite its bad reputation, Jo’burg is the financial hub of South Africa and a city full of life and interesting sights.

The busy city centre of Johannesburg

In between games is a perfect opportunity to take them in, not the least of which are the Museum of Apartheid, Soweto or other townships, the Mai-Mai market and the botanic gardens. Perhaps the best way to get to them and understand their significance is on any of several emotion-packed Johannesburg day tours possible through Urban Adventures.

Jo’burg is also within easy reach of two other game venues: Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria and Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg, both sites of five first-round and one second-round matches.

Cape Town

Cape Town’s Cape Town Stadium will welcome 70,000 spectators to each of five first-round, one second-round, one quarter-final and one semi-final matches. More commonly known as the ‘Mother City’, Cape Town is one of South Africa’s most storied cities. Naming Cape Town’s top five attractions – Table Mountain, the V&A Waterfront, Robben Island, the Winelands and Cape Point – conveys some of its richness but only just scratches the surface, for there is a great deal more to see and do.

Wine tasting and cellar tours are favourite pastimes in the Cape Winelands. These Franschhoek vineyards are a 1.5-hour drive from downtown Cape Town.

As in Jo’burg, Cape Town tours are highly recommended, not only because they can help you get to places a little difficult to reach but because the accompanying guides put you in the right frame of mind to understand the important but sometimes intangible historical contexts, especially on Robben Island, where many political prisoners were incarcerated, including Nelson Mandela for over 20 years; the Cape Winelands, a perfect retreat for wine lovers; and any of several township and volunteer experiences that show you a different side of Cape life.

Cape Town is a good launch point for travel along South Africa’s famous Garden Route, an unspoiled and often inaccessible coastal corridor rich with wetlands, dunes, rivers, ancient forests, beaches, lakes, mountains and indigenous flora and fauna. Beyond its eastern reaches lies the seaside city of Port Elizabeth, whose Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium will be the site of five first-round and one second-round matches, as well as a quarter-final game and the third-place playoff.

Nelspruit

The city of Nelspruit is the smallest of the host locations, a community of approximately 200,000 people who will welcome four first-round matches to their Mbombela Stadium.

Giraffes are commonly sighted in Kruger National Park, also home to the Big 5, Little 5 and the Birding Big 6

Nelspruit brings two of South Africa’s most tantalising natural wonders into easy reach: Kruger National Park, which is the country’s largest game reserve and a superb place for a safari; and the dramatic Panorama Route, just a short drive from Nelspruit. Both destinations offer an array of adrenalin-pumping outdoor activities, most of which are conducted in a responsible and sustainable manner involving both briefings about local flora and fauna and proactive measures to minimise impact on the environment.

Nelspruit could also be a point of departure to reach Polokwane, 300 kilometres to its northwest, where the Peter Mokaba Stadium will see four first-round matches. To reach Polokwane from Nelspuit, one could detour west across the nature-rich rolling hills of the Mpumalanga Highlands, where outdoor enthusiasts will find plenty of activities from which to choose.

Bloemfontein and Durban

Both Bloemfontein and Durban will host five first-round matches and one second-round match each in their Free State Stadium and Moses Mabhida Stadium, respectively. One semi-final game will also be played in Durban.

Bloemfontein, South Africa’s judicial capital, is popularly referred to as the ‘City of Roses’ due in part to its floral displays and annual Bloem Show (late April/early may), the largest agricultural and entertainment show in the country.

Coastal and cosmopolitan, Durban is the place to go for sun, sea and sand. Most city attraction are found along its Golden Mile of beach, including uShaka Marine World (one of the world’s largest aquariums) and Wilson’s Wharf (the trendy shopping and dining distrinct) on the Victoria Embankment, where there’s no shortage of restaurants and nightclubs.

Urban Adventures range from two-hour to one-day adventures and uncover back streets, hidden gems and fascinating sights. While these adventures may be short in duration, they’re long on real-life experiences. Step into the lives of the locals, find out what makes the city tick and get acquainted with the local food, culture and traditions, all in the company of an expert local guide. See more than just the usual sights on an Urban Adventure.

The Urban Adventures business is a unique and exciting new concept developed by leading adventure travel operator Intrepid Travel and WHL Group, the biggest local travel company in the world. Urban Adventures relies on a combination of Intrepid Travel’s experience in designing and running the world’s best experiential trips; plus WHL Group’s whl.travel network of local operators and the technology to sell these trips at low cost. Intrepid and WHL Group share a commitment to sustainable travel and minimising impact on the environment and on communities.

Anchored at launch in approximately 20 cities, Urban Adventures will be available in 65 cities with over 200 trips within six months. Departures are daily and prices start from US$15.

whl.travel is particularly proud of its partners in the following destinations who have been selected as Urban Adventures Partners and are or will soon be offering tours that bring their cities to life: Athens, Boracay, Brunei, Cappadocia, Dominica, Foz do Iguassu, Jamaica, Livingstone, Madeira, Riga, Rio, Samoa, St Lucia, and Thessaloniki. More will be added in the weeks and months ahead.

Urban Adventures drop the barriers between visitors and hosts, bringing you in direct contact with the people who give a place its character. Kids in Cambodia are especially expert at making you feel right at home.

So whether you’re after an evening of home cooking and hanging locally in Istanbul, a full-day exploration of the magnificent temples of the Angkor complex in Cambodia, visiting the history and people of Johannesburg by bicycle or sampling Los Angeles, from Hollywood glitz to the quirkiness of Venice Beach, Urban Adventures really connect with the destination.

Become a Free Urban Adventures Tester

To celebrate the launch of Urban Adventures, Intrepid Travel and WHL Group are offering travellers (and locals) the opportunity to tour for FREE.

Travellers can register to become an Urban Adventures tester. By doing so they will be notified of free spots on Urban Adventures around the world that will be allocated on a first-in-best-dressed basis. The first trips will be made available on 21 October. In return for a free adventure, testers write trip reviews and take photos for the Urban Adventures website. In addition, travellers who submit feedback could win a monthly Urban Adventures prize pack.

Being an Urban Adventure tester suits everyone from round-the-world backpackers to business people and travellers who enjoy discovering what makes cities tick. The program is ongoing so people can register whenever they go on holiday.

Johannesburg, more affectionately called Jo’burg or Jozi, is a diversified and dynamic city and one that is constantly evolving. Jo’burg has a turbulent past but today is one of the most prosperous cities in South Africa. It is rich in cultural experiences and travellers will be hard pressed to choose from the many Johannesburg sights and green spaces.

A tour group learning about apartheid history at Soweto's Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum, opened in 2002 to remember 12-year-old Hector and others who died in the 1976 Soweto uprising

Taking a township tour in Soweto and visiting the Mandela Museum are fascinating ways to learn about the struggle under apartheid and the city’s history.

A trip to Jo’burg would be incomplete without visiting the Cradle of Humankind. Only an hour from town, this UNESCO World Heritage site includes the Sterkfontein Caves, where the world’s oldest hominid skeletons were found.

Jo’burg is also a terrific base for day trips and incredible safaris into the African wilderness.

Finally, Jozi is a proud host city for the World Cup in 2010, which promises to be thrilling and full of South African flair.

Of course, there are numerous charming Johannesburg hotels to choose from for a unique South African holiday.

whl.travel’s launch of www.destination-johannesburg.com marks the seventh destination travel portal in South Africa, following those of Cape Town, Cape Winelands, Garden Route, Mpumalanga Highlands, Panorama Route and Western Kruger.

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IN AFRIKAANS:

Johannesburg, of meer bekend as Jo’burg of Jozi, is ‘n dinamiese stad en een wat gedurig ontwikkel. Jo’burg het ‘n ontstuimige geskiedenis maar is vandag een van die mees voorspoedige stede in Suid Afrika. Dit is ryk aan kultuur ondervindings en reisigers kry ‘n groot verskeidenheid van baie van Johannesburg se werwe en groen ruimteskepe.

Travellers on a tour of downtown Johannesburg

Om ‘n stadsgebiede toer na Soweto toe en om die Mandela Museum te onderneem is ‘n gefasineerde manier om te leer van die worsteling van apartheid en die stad se geskiedenis.

‘n Reis na Jo’burg sal onvolledig wees sonder om na die Cradle of Humankind te gaan. Net ‘n uur weg, hierdie UNESCO Wereld Erf e nis Ligging sluit in die Stekfontein Grotte waar die wereld se oudste hominide geraamtes gevind is. Jo’burg is ook ‘n verskriklike snood vir dag toere en ongeloofelike jagekspedisies in Afrika se wildernis.

Jozi is ‘n trotse gasheer stad vir die Wereld Beker in 2010 wat belowe om trillend en vol van Suid Afrikanse flair te wees.

Daar is talryke bekoorlike Johannesburg hotelle om van te kies vir ‘n unieke Suid Afrikanse vakansie.

whl.travel se werping van www.destination-johannesburg.com merk die sewende plaas van bestemming reis portal in Suid Afrika.