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Allow yourself to be transported back in time and travel a short 50km out of Joburg to the Cradle of Humankind.
Roughly 47,000 hectares in size, the Cradle of Humankind, is a famous destination where people from all over the globe come to admire some of the world’s oldest hominin fossils that lay to rest in the complex network of limestone rock known as the Sterkfontein Caves.
Here you will have the rare opportunity to view the 2.3-million-year-old fossil Australopithecus africanus (nicknamed Mrs Ples) that was unearthed in 1947. Continue on the path of discovery and make your way to the birthplace of humanity, the Maropeng Visitor Centre. Learn the secrets of human ancestry at the world-class exhibition, which focuses on the development of humans and hominins through the ages.
Complete the magical experience with a round boat ride through a series of tunnels depicting various states of the four elements.
• Visit the Cradle of Humankind, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
• View the 2.3 million-year-old fossil, Mrs Ples found at the Sterkfontein Caves
• Experience the ‘Natural History’ boat ride
Sterkfontein Caves
The Sterkfontein Caves are world-famous for being the area where more than a third of all hominid fossils were found. Guided tours of the caves give an overview of the fossils and area and run every half hour, seven days a week. The tours show visitors where the earliest hominid fossils, dating back over three million years, were discovered.
Maropeng
Maropeng is the official visitor centre of the Cradle of Humankind and the Sterkfontein Caves. Maropeng, which means ‘returning to the place of origin’ in Setswana, offers interactive representations of the origins of the earth and life on the planet. The ‘Natural History’ boat ride takes one back three billion years, through the elements that began life on the planet, and continues through a 150, long interactive ‘virtual cave’. The Grotto, where ‘Little Foot’ was discovered, shows the geology of the cave and comprises a lake as well as the history of mining for lime.
The Rhino and Lion Park
Set in the heart of the Cradle of Humankind is one of the most popular private game reserves in Gauteng: The Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve. The reserve opened in 1985 with two white rhinos, but today boasts of more than 600 animals. The reserve is one of the best tourist attractions in South Africa as it holds more a number of creatures including buffalo, lion, white rhino, wild dog and leopard and more than 20 antelope species.
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Sterkfontein Caves
The Sterkfontein Caves are world-famous for being the area where more than a third of all hominid fossils were found. Guided tours of the caves give an overview of the fossils and area and run every half hour, seven days a week. The tours show visitors where the earliest hominid fossils, dating back over three million years, were discovered.
Maropeng
Maropeng is the official visitor centre of the Cradle of Humankind and the Sterkfontein Caves. Maropeng, which means ‘returning to the place of origin’ in Setswana, offers interactive representations of the origins of the earth and life on the planet. The ‘Natural History’ boat ride takes one back three billion years, through the elements that began life on the planet, and continues through a 150, long interactive ‘virtual cave’. The Grotto, where ‘Little Foot’ was discovered, shows the geology of the cave and comprises a lake as well as the history of mining for lime.
The Rhino and Lion Park
Set in the heart of the Cradle of Humankind is one of the most popular private game reserves in Gauteng: The Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve. The reserve opened in 1985 with two white rhinos, but today boasts of more than 600 animals. The reserve is one of the best tourist attractions in South Africa as it holds more a number of creatures including buffalo, lion, white rhino, wild dog and leopard and more than 20 antelope species.
