The second full day found us venturing to the past at The Cradle of Humankind. The Cradle covers 47,000 hectares in the Gauteng and North West Provinces. The UNESCO World Heritage site includes a dozen limestone caves with fossilized remains of ancient forms of animals, plants, and hominids. At least 7 of the caves have yielded over 850 hominid fossils combined.
Cradle of Humankind
2020 Price: R190 per adult for a combination ticket (approx. $12 per person)
Major Cradle discoveries include Little Foot and Mrs. Ples. The over 2-million-year-old Mrs. Ples was found in 1947 by Dr. Robert Broom. Little Foot, found in 1997, is the oldest known hominid from the Cradle of Humankind at 3.6 million years old.
There are two main attractions for the Cradle of Humankind: The Maropeng Visitor Centre and Sterkfontein Caves. You can visit either site individually or purchase a combination ticket. We got the combo ticket and were very glad we did.
Maropeng Visitor Centre
First, we toured the visitor center. On the entrance road there is a guard booth and we were greeted with “Welcome Home!” Maropeng is a Setswana word meaning “returning to your place of origin”.
The cave tours run on a schedule so we wanted to take our time at the center in the morning. Whether you pre-purchase tickets online or buy them on-site, you will need to pick them up at the Marketplace. In addition to the ticket counter, there are souvenir shops and a small eatery.
After the Marketplace, there is a brick walkway leading up to the visitor center and rocks carved with historical facts line the path. In the distance, you will see the unique look of the building – a dome with grass covering it like a burial mound.
As you enter, show your wristband and you will be directed to the lower floor. The underground exhibition has 4 main parts: Beginning of the world, a boat ride, the vortex tunnel, and an interactive zone of hominin history.
Beginning of the World
Your first taste of history starts immediately with a curved hallway at the bottom of the stairs. There is a timeline stretching from the floor to the wall detailing major events in the world’s history. I didn’t know there were so many mass extinctions!
Boat Ride
The first interactive exhibit is a boat ride through the four classical elements – water, air, fire, and earth. There are 4 seats in the small round boat. The boat slid down a ramp and off we went! The waterway flows through cave-like arches and we were treated to icebergs surrounding us, curtains of rain next to us, wind gushing up beside us, and fantastic flashes of red fire and lava. The boat made a circle and, after one quick surge up to ground level, we were let out to explore more exhibits.
Vortex Tunnel
After the boat ride, prepare to wander through a vortex tunnel. The tunnel’s walkway amid black walls and spinning lights represent traveling through space and the beginning of the universe. I definitely felt dizzy and unsteady while shuffling across but it was fun! I think there is an alternate hallway to get around the tunnel if you are worried about nausea or being off-balance.
Interactive Zone and Hominin History
After the vortex is an area with interactive anthropological exhibits. Here you can spend as much or as little time as you want. There is a ton of information throughout the different displays. Depictions show the evolution of human faces from early primate species to homo sapiens. There are also lifelike models and fossils on display.
At the end of the exhibits, the hall leads you out into the open landscape at the back of the building. These are gorgeous views of the rolling hills of the Magaliesberg mountains. Walking paths and benches invite you to relax in nature. We even saw baboons in the distance behind the perimeter fence!
Sterkfontein Caves
The Sterkfontein Caves are part of the longest-running archaeological excavation, with digging continuing even today.
The caves are located down the road from the visitor center. We parked in the lot and then had to wait for the next tour which was a little less than an hour away. There is a café, a convenience area with snacks, bathrooms, and a small curio shop on-site.
While you wait for the guided tour to begin there is a waiting area with a self-guided exhibit about the geological history of the area as well as skulls and facts about the early hominids in glass cases. A lot of this information overlaps with the exhibitions at the visitor center.
You are handed a hard hat as you enter the waiting area for your safety during the cave tour. I wouldn’t recommend this tour for anyone with mobility issues. There are a lot of stairs – over 200 of them! – and occasional small spaces.
Guided Cave Tour
Your guide will collect you at the rear of the waiting area. You will walk down a paved path to the entrance of the cave. The tour is 1 to 1.5 hours with frequent stops. You can take photos but we were told not to take videos.
Electric lights mark the way in the caves. There are also areas where natural sunlight beams down. The caves are at a near constant temperature of 65° F (18° C) so dress appropriately.
Rubber mats cover many portions of the footpath. These were slippery to walk on when wet, especially on downward slopes.
Our guide provided great historical details about the caves and pointed out some geological points of interest.
Underground Lake
There are not a ton of spectacular formations in the cave, and there are no fossils on display, but the most interesting sight was an underground lake. It is at the deepest part of the cave. The lake still has some life in it – there are little white shrimp visible in the water.
Near the end, there is a low portion in the cave. At one point we had to crouch-walk for a bit, basically slide down a section on our behinds, and then crouch or crawl again.
Wear comfortable shoes and do not bring any bags if you can help it. There are tight spaces you have to navigate in the caves. I wore a fanny pack to carry the essentials.
As you exit the caves there are two sculptures: Phillip Tobias (excavation team leader) and Robert Bloom (who discovered Mrs. Ples). You can rub Dr. Broom’s nose for good luck or his hand for wisdom. But beware – don’t rub both or you’ll have bad luck. I chose to rub his nose!
From there you will take stone steps and elevated wooden walkways through the vegetation back to the ticket office. Several informational signs are placed along the path.
Pretoria
After the Cradle of Humankind, we ate a late lunch at CoCo Bistro in Pretoria. I had a delicious pizza. CoCo also has a banting menu for those with low-carb diets.
We spent our last evening in Pretoria at the Kingfisher Retreat.
Airbnb – Kingfisher Retreat
2020 Price: $143 for a 3-night stay
What a great way to learn the history of South Africa. World History classes in the U.S. touched on Southern Africa but doesn’t even come close to the information you will discover on this World Heritage site. Being greeted with ‘Welcome Home’ is so cool!