Lodge near Johannesburg
This item appears on page 27 of the February 2013 issue.
When my wife, Karen, and I headed from Washington, DC, to Walvis Bay, Namibia, in June ’12, we required a place to stay in Johannesburg after our flight of 17-plus hours and before our flight the next morning. Outlook Lodge (1 Ambleside Ave., Lakefield, Benoni, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa; phone +27 [0] 11 894 5406, fax +27 [86] 247 3664) was perfect.
Owner Francois arranged, via e-mail, for a driver to meet us at O.R. Tambo International and take us back the next morning.
The lodge is located in a gated community less than 30 minutes from the airport. Any timidity about our first trip to Africa was swept away by our reception. Add the smile you get when entering the inn and seeing the sign above the small bar: “FREE BEER tomorrow.”
The lounge area and our room were spacious, and a complete breakfast was included in the price. Our booking was made by Go2 Africa as part of a 3-week tour of Southern Africa, but current room prices are ZAR440 (about $52) per person per night, with airport transfer ZAR100 ($12).
ROD SMITH
Oskaloosa, KS