Despite both being young cities whose wealth has always been closely associated with mining, both Johannesburg and Pretoria have a wealth of excellent parks and botanical gardens. Sit on a suburban rooftop or climb atop one of the Joburg’s ridges such as Westcliff or Observatory and you’ll see nothing but green. In fact Joburg has the distinction of being one of the world’s largest human-made forests.

Pretoria meanwhile is known as the Jacaranda City, famous for its thousands of jacaranda trees that burst into a purple bloom every spring. In Spring, usually from early October to early November, a sea of purple petals from thousands of jacaranda trees blooms above the suburban streets of both Joburg and Pretoria. If you are in Gauteng at this time, put your walking shoes on, charge your camera batteries and take to the streets of the suburbs and explore this unique lilac splendour that showers the province.