Somerset House, a historic building on Gandhi Square, has become the headquarters for JoburgPlaces. There are big plans in the works for this 1906 building.

My mother and I hired and car and took a road trip from Cape Town to Johannesburg. Here's a rundown of our adventures along the way.

The oldest surviviing house in Johannesburg, built by Voortrekker Barend Viljoen in 1852 and later owned by the Bezuidenhout, is hidden in Bez Valley Park.

My mom and I spent two days in the Robertson Wine Valley -- tasting wine, eating food, and soaking up the lovely small-town atmosphere.

NGC is an upscale neighborhood restaurant in an unusual spot in Blairgowrie. Don't be put off by the tire shop across the road -- this place is classy.

Visual and culinary highlights from my two-day ride from Pretoria to Cape Town on the Rovos Rail, the most luxurious train in Africa (maybe the world).

Zietsies is a guest house and private dining room on the border of Brixton and Auckland Park. I recommend it as a place to both eat and sleep.

Mooteebar is an avant-garde cocktail bar on 4th Avenue in Melville. If you're looking for a bit of adventure at happy hour, this is the place to go.

My new series, This Is the East, covers hidden spots on Johannesburg's East Rand. First up is the Croydon Bakery, which opened in 1980.

I took a one-night trip to the Dinokeng Game Reserve in northern Gauteng. While not quite the Kruger or the Pilanesberg, Dinokeng is a great quick Jozi getaway.

I went hot air ballooning at Bill Harrop's Original Balloon Safaris and watched part of the SA National Hot Air Balloon Championships.

Food trucks are trendy in Joburg, and in fact all over the world. But serving people lunch out of a truck is actually nothing new.