Northcliff
Staying in luxury in Gauteng brings to mind the guest houses and hotels in the upper-income residential area located on Northcliff Ridge. Overlooking the Central Business District on one side, and the northern suburbs on the other, the cliff that the town gets its name from is a landmark on the otherwise predominantly flat skyline of the city. Northcliff’s large homes lie on steep inclines that wind their way up the cliff and there are many opportunities to stay in one of these homes and feel part of the community while having easy access to many shopping malls, the N1 or Johannesburg.
Northcliff’s ridge is made up of hard smooth quartzite which offers numerous natural climbs for avid rock climbing fans. The routes are relatively short and the view from the top of Northcliff ridge excellent and one can see as far as Sandton. Northcliff hill (also known as Aasvoëls Kop) is believed to have been inhabited by humans for over 250,000 years and history dates back to the Stone Age. At 1807 metres, the ridge is one metre lower than Observatory Ridge, the highest point in Johannesburg, but the views are completely different. The Ridge has three vegetation zones, and is inhabited by many different animals, which makes for an interesting hike. Northcliff ridge, Johannesburg's second highest koppie offers a 360 degree view of Johannesburg which saves airfare and a tour when tourists can see everything from a bird’s eye view.
