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As you know, Joburg's Darling is usually all about discovering the very best of Joburg but a little while ago I let you know that every now and then I would be bringing you some must-tries that are within driving distance of Joburg and well worth the drive. You know, just to encourage you to explore the rest of our beautiful province as well. I used the oh-so-awesome Orient Boutique Hotel and Mosaic Restaurant as the guinea pig for the first 'worth the drive' type trip and you all responded so favourably to the change that I thought I would give you yet another reason to get in your car and go exploring. This time around the reason isn't nearly as glamorous but it is incredibly cool! Here's why you should book your spot for the Swartkrans Tour at Maropeng now!
Ok, so we all now about Maropeng, their visitor's centre and the Sterkfontein Caves but did you know that there is a way for you to get a much more intense experience of this incredible area? I've always had a rather passionate love for history, but have recently grown tired of the whole museum experience because I prefer to rather be in the thick of things and have a tangible experience like seeing, touching and smelling the same space our ancestors did. Don't get me wrong, the visitor's centre is a great place for kids to learn all about where we as the human race came from, and the Sterkfontein Caves are all kinds of amazing but once you've done both of those I must insist that you explore the other, more intimate options that Maropeng offers to visitors. There's the stargazing tour where visitors can join Maropeng’s resident astronomer Vincent Nettmann for an introduction to astronomy and a delicious dinner at the Tumulus restaurant (R295 per adult), the Cooper's Cave Tour and Picnic where visitors can get a first-hand experience of a living museum in which fossils remain embedded in ancient rock and enjoy a light picnic lunch (R375 per adult), and best of all the Swartkrans Tour and lunch where visitors can accompany a palaeontologist to the incredibly rich Swartkrans excavation site (R375 per adult).
I was lucky enough to experience the Swartkrans Tour and was blown away! If you thought history was boring then think again people because this tour is so incredibly different from anything you've experienced in a stuffy museum. The tour requires quite a bit of walking (so it's great for outdoorsy types who like a good walk about in the great outdoors) and allows you to visit The Swartkrans excavation site, one of the Cradle’s richest fossil sites which is usually closed to public visits. The tour offers small groups the rare opportunity to explore this series of caves and observe an active palaeontological dig alongside scientist Morris Sutton, who is currently excavating there. It's too cool!
This site is beyond special as not only is it where they found the largest samples of Paranthropus robustus (one of the closest relatives to modern day man) but it is also where they discovered the earliest evidence of the use of controlled fire in Southern Africa, dating back 1-million years! It is also a great opportunity to ask every stupid (or intelligent) question you have ever had about early 'man' as you have a good two hours or more with Morris who is happy to chat about any and every theory under the sun with you. Morris is an expert on the use of early tools and offers a fascinating talk on how the use of tools and fire helped these early beings adapt to, and survive the ever-changing landscape.
After the tour we were treated to a yummy picnic lunch under the trees near the site and boy what a spread it was! The tour information promised a 'light lunch' after the tour but this was far from light. The buffet-style lunch offered a delicious and decadent spread of meats, veggies, cheese, breads, salads and dessert and there was more than enough to go around. We also got to wash it all down with a selection of cold drinks, beers and ciders – a much needed treat after a morning in the sun. The whole thing takes about 3 – 4 hours, including the lunch and since it starts at 09:00 you also have time to pop to the visitor's centre or the Sterkfontein Caves.
We spent the night at the Maropeng Boutique Hotel so we decided to head to the visitor's centre for the rest of the afternoon and then head back to our hotel to enjoy a drink at the hotel pool which offers incredible views of The Cradle area. If you really want to get the most out of the experience then I would recommend staying at the hotel for the night; that way you can fit in the tour on the Saturday morning, the visitor's centre afterwards and the Sterkfontein Caves after checkout the next day. The Swartkrans Tour is a great day outing for those who want to experience a little bit of culture whilst spending a morning outside, and would be loads of fun with a group of friends or just your special someone.
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By Crystal Espin
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