The Sudwala Caves in the Mpumalanga province is close to the town of Mbombela (Nelspruit), these caves were formed approximately 240 million years ago and are considered to be the oldest caves in the world. Our early human ancestors the Homo Habilis lived and made use of these caves, examples of their primitive tools are on display at the entrance of the cave.
Legend has it that the famous ”Kruger Millions” of gold bullion and coins was stored in this cave during the time it went missing on route to Lourenco Marques, now called Maputo and capital of Mozambique. The cave was first opened to the public as a tourist attraction in 1965 when the Sudwalaskraal farm on which the caves are located was purchased by Philippus Rudolf Owen, now owned by the African Heritage Foundation.
The tour takes about an hour and leads 600m into the cave 150m underground, with giant examples of stalactites and stalagmites throughout the tour. One of the major attractions is the large chamber called the Amphitheatre, 37m high and 70m in diameter with a constant temperature of 17°C. This huge chamber is illuminated by colourful lights and because of its natural acoustics has been used as a concert hall in the past which can seat more than 500 people.
For those that feel adventurous wanting more of a caving experience and don’t mind getting dirty and wet, there is also the Crystal Tour which takes approximately 6 hours. This tour will take you 2000m into the cave crawling through narrow tunnels and past crystal chambers, with an array of aragonite crystals and the Sudwala Star. This Crystal Tour is not extremely difficult but a certain level of agility is required, not recommended for people that have the tendency to get claustrophobic in small or dark spaces.
There are additional attractions next to the Sudwala Caves for visitors such as the Fish Spa, Dinosaur Park and The Butterfly Garden. The Dinosaur Park is set in a lush garden with life size models of the prehistoric reptiles and dinosaurs, which also includes some nile crocodiles on display in the forest garden. The Butterfly Effect is a conservation project aimed at increasing the local butterfly, bee and antelope populations in the area which is definitely worth a visit.
- Adventure Type:
Caves - Country:
South Africa - Province:
Mpumalanga - City/Town:
Mbombela (Nelspruit) - Rating:
5 - Difficulty:
Adventurous - Duration:
1 Hour