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A journey through Africa Mandela style…
The steps of the brave man Nelson Mandela took him through Africa’s landscapes on his way to tackle institutionalized racism and to find peace. His walk to freedom was something that we can all look up to, and is especially important during these times! Always wanted to go to South Africa? Now’s your chance, and you can add a little historical spin to your trip by honoring important locations where the man himself once walked.
Start your journey in Johannesburg
Johannesburg tends to be a popular spot for tourists to spot at, but it also holds a lot of history when thinking of Mandela’s journeys. The first stop to make is at Liliesleaf Farm in Rivonia, which was used as a hiding place for meetings of the African National Congress. This also happens to be the spot where the South African government security police would arrest the anti-apartheid group, following the imprisonment of Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu.
Of course, one should also pay a visit to Nelson Mandela’s home. Located at 8115 Vilakazi Street, Orlando, Soweto, the place where Nelson lived before his arrest. Nelson also called it the ‘center point of his world‘, although the time he spent there was under oppression.
One last mandatory ‘Nelson’ stop in Johannesburg is Constitution Hill. Known as the birthplace of South African democracy, Constitution Hill is also home to the Mandela Cell, featuring an emotional documentary of the incarceration and return 40 years later.
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Start your Nelson journey in beautiful Johannesburg
Visit the place where Mandela was made president
Of course, a Nelson Mandela tour is not complete without visiting the place where history was made, as Nelson was voted as the first black head of state. At the Ohlange Institution in Durban, the voting site where Nelson was once declared as president. “It is the beginning of a new era”, he said: and we of course hope to be a part of the continuation of his legacy.
A look at Mandela’s former prison
Of course, a visit to Robben Island is necessary when discovering the footsteps of Nelson Mandela. This is the place where he spent 18 years of his 27-year incarceration in hopes of peace. The cell is very small, Nelson has said that he could walk across it in three steps. His heroic actions in the fight for democracy were not in vain, though! Are you a history fan and want to create your own trip to take others on? Start creating your first trip now!
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Inside the Robben Island prison where Mandela was for 17 years
Other Nelson Mandela Locations in South Africa
Although the locations above are perhaps the most significant in terms of Nelson’s Long Walk to Freedom, there are other locations as well that are of certain interest to travelers wishing to experience a part of the ‘long walk’:
- Apartheid Museum (located south of Johannesburg)
- Qunu (where Nelson grew up and went to school, and where he would later be buried)
- City Hall and Grand Parade (where Mandela gave his speech as a free man in 1990)
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Nelson quotes to live by
Our ‘Following the Footsteps‘ series is never complete without some inspirational quotes from our favorite geniuses. Here are some wise words from Nelson Mandela himself:
- “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
- “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
- “A winner is a dreamer who never gives up”
Nelson Mandela left us with advice for a lifetime
All we can say is that we need some Nelson attitude when we’re planning our first trip to see the world! Take Nelson’s words and start discovering the world with friends you haven’t met yet… it could be the greatest experience of your life, you never know! Find like-minded TravelMates now!
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Once you’ve found a trip suitable trip to fit your tastes, (or if you haven’t: create one 😉), all you have to do is to pack your bags and get ready to go! We’re more than happy to welcome you to the JoinMyTrip community!
