The Cango Caves In Oudtshoorn, South Africa
Today I'm going to share with you one of South Africa's most beautiful wonders. I video called my brother this morning to say Happy New Year and while we were talking, I saw the fresh sky and the nature in the video.
He was sitting outside and I missed all of that so much. So I decided to make a post about the caves. The Cango Caves is located in the Western Cape province, 29 km from a town called Oudtshoorn.
Oudtshoorn is also my home town where I grew up. We call the region where we live the Klein Karoo. My family is still living there and I cannot wait to go back.
Okay enough of all that, let's see this beautiful cave.
History Of The Cango Caves
"Over two hundred years ago in 1780 a Khoi herdsman stumbled into the entrance to the caves while searching for missing cattle. After his herder told Van Zyl (the farmer who owned the land) about the hole in the ground, he led the first expedition deep into the caves."
Drip stone and lime stone formations developed from calcite under the influence of water in pitch darkness. Over the years these beautiful shapes are formed.
The Cango Caves have three main areas - Cango 1, 2 and 3. Tourist can only view 1.6 km of the whole 4.3 km. From 1820 the cave became a tourist attraction. It was discovered in 1780.
The Cango Caves were inhabited since the Early Stone Age, which makes them about 20 million years old and the oldest tourist attraction in South Africa.
What To Do At The Cango Caves ?
The Cango Caves offers two tours within the caves. They have six main chambers which is open for the public to view.
Heritage Tour :
A Heritage tour is a basic tour of the six chambers in the cave. There are also some extra rooms you visit. They last for about one hour. You visit the famous Van Zyl's Hall where you will see Cleopatra's Needle measuring 9 meters.
It's a breathtaking drip stone. You will also visit Botha's Hall where you will encounter an Pisa Tower shaped rock.
Six Chambers :
- Van Zyl's Hall
- Botha's Hall
- Rainbow Chamber
- Bridal Chamber
- Fairyland Chamber
- Drum Room
Map Of The Whole Cave
Adventure Tour :
If you are an adventurer, you would love this tour. It is the same as the Heritage tour but you go further into the cave. The tour lasts almost 2 hours.
They have warnings for this tour because you go into small spaces so you cannot be claustrophobic. You cannot be pregnant or on the fat side to take the tour.
You visit an extra seven rooms and spaces which is really challenging.
Extra Seven Rooms :
- The Grand Hall
- Lumbago Alley
- King Solomon's Mines
- The Devil's Chimney
- The Coffin
- Devil's Kitchen
- Devil's Post Box
Video Tour Of The Cango Caves
What To Do After The Tour ?
The Klein Karoo district is full of game lodges and wild farms that you can visit. It's mainly Ostrich farms because Oudtshoorn is the Capital for Ostrich leather products.
- Buffelsdrift Game Lodge is a good choice for an nice lunch between the wild animals on the farm.
You can go for a bush cruise and feed the Elephants ! It's only 23 km from the Cango Caves.
- Wilgewandel Holiday Farm is just a rock throw away from the Cango Caves. It's only 2 km away and there you can enjoy a nice meal.
If you want some adventure you can experience Camel rides, Donkey cart rides, zip slide, put put, and you can enter their jungle obstacle course for a great team building exercise.
- Cango Wildlife Ranch is just outside Oudtshoorn on your way to the Cango Caves. This is the place to be if you want some encounters with Africa's wildest animals.
You can go down with the crocodiles in a cage, the only place you can do that, I might add. If you love the cats you can pet them, both a White Bengal Tiger or Cheetah. They have a diverse display of snakes and other reptiles. It's a experience of a life time !
Oudtshoorn offers a lot more for tourists because of it's rich history, diverse wildlife, and natural beauty. If you are travelling to South Africa be sure to visit it before you leave.
Original Content - @jacoknoetze
Website Link - http://www.cango-caves.co.za/
Photo Gallery
Great photos, thank you for sharing.
Detailed and original work. Picture are awesome. I enoyed reading through end.
Thank you, It's really a beautiful place.
I was at the Cango caves as a kid and then the lights went out while I was in devil's chimney. No joke.
The experience is so cool, but I can imagine how scary that must have been.
Most likely I will never be able visit this place - but my imagination is :) Thank you.
informative and historic. Thanks for the post. Wish you a happy new year.
That is a place of natural beauty I would love to visit.
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