On a rather grey day we decided to drive over and check out the Sudwala Caves. We were lucky to arrive at a time when there was just about no one else there so we got a VIP tour. Our guide was very funny and he made it a very enjoyable experience.
The Sudwala Caves in Mpumalanga, South Africa, are the oldest known caves in the world. They began to form about 240 million years ago as natural acid in groundwater seeped through the faults and joints of the region’s Precambrian dolomite rock. To put that unimaginable length of time into some context, when the cave formation began, Africa was still a part of Gondwana, the supercontinent that incorporated present-day South America, Africa, Arabia, Madagascar, India, Australia, and Antarctica. – AtlasObscura.com
There are strange speleothem structures—stalagmites, stalactites, and flowstones —with names like Samson’s Pillar, the Rocket, and the Screaming Monster. These began to form between 140 and 200 million years ago; the growth rate for a stalactite in the Sudwala Caves is about one inch (2.5 centimeters) per century. Other nooks and bizarre outcroppings bear titles such as the Devil’s Workshop and Fairyland, while a natural pattern on the ceiling of one chamber is known as the Map of Africa. – AtlasObscura.com
…the caves served as a fortress and refuge for the Swazi prince Somquba. In the mid-1800s, Somquba was locked in a power struggle with his brother and heir apparent, Mswati. During the conflict, Somquba used the caves as a refuge with its own source of fresh water and plenty of room to stockpile food and house cattle.
It was also a natural fortress, with a narrow entrance that could be easily watched and defended. Many battles took place at the entrance, which was under the charge of Sudwala, Somquba’s captain, after whom the caves were named. On various occasions, Mswati’s forces tried to smoke Sudwala and his men out of the cave, or suffocate them inside it, by starting fires at the entrance (burn marks can still be seen today). But due to a natural flow of air which exists inside the cave—the source of which is still unknown—Somquba and Sudwala were able to survive. – AtlasObscura.com
Luckily for me most of the tour was in big open caverns. We only had one spot where we had to crouch walk a bit… You won’t see me signing up for their crystal tour where you have to belly crawl in and out of super tight spots. Nope. No thank you.
After the short little tunnel walk we entered the spot for “cool photos” where they used bright colorful lighting to enhance the features. It works!
A little down the hill is The Sudwala Butterfly Effect Nature Garden and being a butterfly lover I couldn’t help but stop. I thoroughly enjoyed it! Went for a small educational hike, encountered some moneys, checked out all the cool plants and of course saw some butterflies. And the best part… it’s free!
The Sudwala Butterfly Effect Nature Garden has been developed as part of a long term conservation project to provide host plants and flowers specifically aimed at increasing our local butterfly, bee and antelope populations. Butterfly and bee numbers have declined dramatically in recent years due to an increase in agricultural activity, pesticides and habitat loss. This project aims to educate and bring people and nature together. – Sudwala Caves
