Who’d have thought you could find peace and tranquility in Johannesburg? Well, you can; all you have to do is head on down to Emmarentia Dam in north Joburg and prepare yourself for some prime relaxation. Adding even more pleasure to the mix is the fact that Joburg’s Botanic Garden is right next door. The combined area, which is only 6km from the CBD, was voted the best passive recreation space in 2004 and continues to be frequented by thousands of city dwellers every weekend. In the evenings, dog walkers and lovers take advantage of the coolth and peace to commune with nature.

Water sports are, of course, a popular pastime on the dam, with a very active canoe club; yachting, windsurfing, fishing and swimming – although you’ll have to share the water with some very excited dogs – and even diving are available. Out of the water, you can jog, walk or cycle the many paths around the dam, while the garden is perfect for a lazy stroll. Picnics are very popular, especially during the summer. If you don’t feel like packing your own lunch you can always try the tea room, whose scones are rumoured to be out of this world.

The dams and the gardens are said to have been established by two farmers, Frans and Louw Geldenhuys, who contracted boers left homeless and jobless after the Anglo-Boer War to build the dams, which Louw named after his wife, Emmarentia.

In terms of plant life, the garden has an impressive rose garden, herbs (medicinal and culinary), over 2500 species of succulents and over 20 000 indigenous trees (or over 30 000, depending on your source).

The garden, which is often compared to Cape Town’s Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden, courts the comparison with its Summer Sunset Concerts. Kirstenbosch is well known for its Summer Sunset Concerts, which typically run from the end of November to the beginning of April and feature popular, as well as up-and-coming, South African and international artists. The Joburg Botanic Garden offers much the same, just significantly more inland.

If you don’t fancy swimming, canoeing, cycling, walking, listening to music, eating scones or even picnicking, then you can just sit on a bench and watch the ducks and geese and the world at large go by.

The best way to get to the Emmarentia Dam and Botanic Garden is to drive, which can be difficult if you’ve flown in for a holiday. The solution is simple, rent a car in Johannesburg and set your GPS for north.

(Image by NJR ZA (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons)