DURBAN - As World Tourism Day is celebrated on the 27th of September, we look at the top tourist places to visit on a budget:
Moses Mabhida Stadium SkyCar:
The SkyCar gives tourists the opportunity to view the city Durban from a 106 metre vantage point. On one side of the platform at the top of the stadium, looks out to the Indian Ocean that lies along the coast of Durban and on the other side of the platform you see the bustling city of Durban.
Price:
Adult: R60 per person
Pensioners: R55 per person
Children under 12: R30 per person
Children under 6: Free entry
Table Mountain Cableway:
While at Table Mountain there are many things to do including visiting the Table Mountain Cafe, where you can grab a bite to eat or to indulge in some retail therapy at the curios that are there. But the main attraction is the Table Mountain cableway.
It is a five minute trip to the top of the mountain with a cable car and the mountain is 1089 meters above sea level. The cableway opened in 1929 and has attracted more than 25 million people since it opened. From the top the mountain you can see a variety of sites like Clifton Beach, the Cape Town Stadium, and Robben Island.
Prices:
Adult: R255 return, R135 one way
Child (4-17): R125 return, R65 one way
SA senior citizens (Fridays only): R100 return, R53 one way
Students (Friday): R130 return, R70 one way
Sterkfontein Caves:
Situated an hour away from Johannesburg and Pretoria, the Sterkfontein Caves are known for their famous fossils and are a popular tourist destination. The caves are home to walkways and a boardwalk that gives the tourist a perfect view of the sites where the world's acclaimed fossils have been found.
Sterkfontein is a World Heritage Site and famous fossils like the “Mrs. Ples” and “Little Foot” and an almost complete Australopithecus skeleton, that dates back 3 million years, have been discovered at the caves.
Prices:
Adults: R65
Children(4-17): R97
Children under 4: Free
Pensioners: R85, upon presentation valid SA ID
Students:R100, upon presentation of valid student card
School groups: R90
Gold Reef City:
Gold Reef City is one of Johannesburg’s top attractions with the theme park being ranked amongst the best in South Africa. The theme of the park relates to the gold rush of the Witwatersrand in the late 1800’s, which led to the founding of Johannesburg.
The park is filled with Africa’s biggest, fastest and tallest thrill rides. But there are other more tame family rides. There is also an interesting mine museum with an underground mine tour and a 4D theatre.
Prices:
Thrill Rider, per person above 1.3m: R190
Non Riders Per person above 1.3m: R110
Per person under 1.3m: R120
Per pensioner 60+ years (incl. thrill rides if physically safe): R160
Per student, upon presentation of a valid student card: R160
Family ticket (2 Adults and 2 Children under 1.3m) This package excludes children under 3 years: R485
Children under 3 years are admitted free of charge
Robben Island
The ferry to the island is a 4 hour journey with two ferry trips. While touring the island, you can visit the Blue Stone Quarry where many political prisoners endured hard labour and were forced into building a dyke or a wall using grit, sand, and stone.
Other places are the Ou Tronk where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for a few weeks before the Rivonia Trial and for a few weeks after the trial with the six other comrades. They stayed at the Ou Tronk until the isolation section of the Maximum Security Prison was built.
Tourists can also visit the Maximum Security Prison that was built by political and common law prisoners in 1960’s. The prisoners used materials from the Jan van Riebeeck and Bluestone quarries to build the prison. The prison held many Black Consciousness Movement and Umkhonto we Sizwe cadres. Prisoners that were also held at the prison include Nelson Mandela, Robert Sobukwe and Walter Sisulu.
Prices:
Adults: R340
Children under 18: R190