The Cango Caves, Little Karoo

29km from Oudtshoorn, at the head of the picturesque Cango Valley, lies the spectacular underground wonder of the Klein Karoo – the Cango Caves. Situated in a limestone ridge parallel to the well knownSwartberg Mountains, you will find the finest dripstone caverns, with their vast halls and towering formations.

The Cango Caves are a series of dripstone caverns that open into vast halls of towering stalagmite formations with names like ‘the bridal couple’, ‘glass flower fantasy’, ‘weird cango candle’ and ‘the hanging shawl’. Not all of the caves are open to the public .The main sections are available for amazing exploratory subterranean walks that include fumbling around on all fours in an effort to see all that is viewable.

The Cango Caves lie in the Swartberg Mountain Range in a limestone belt measuring 0,5km in width and almost 16km in length. The limestone layer was formed by the deposit of ‘oolites’ which are loosely-bound calcium carbonate crystals. Due to the age of the limestone (750 million years) no fossils have been found.

This part of the continent was once below the ocean. As the continent rose and upliftment occurred, the Little Karoo finally found itself above the water level.

The caves only started to form some 20 million years ago, however, when the water level dropped to such an extent that the ground water could start to seep into the limestone. As the water seeped into the ground it absorbed carbon dioxide from the decaying plant  and animal matter in the soil and this made it fairly acidic.

As it seeped into the limestone, cavities were created that filled with water. Rivers also formed on the surface and cut deeply enough into the limestone to allow them to reach the level of the water pockets. This caused the water to flow out about 4 million years ago. The cave was then, for the first time, exposed to air and the speleothems or cave formations could begin forming.

For thousands of years, the caves were unknown, except to animals. However, about 10 000 years ago, the Khoisan used the entrance area of the cave as shelter. They never wandered deeper into the cave though due to their superstitious nature. The entrance area to the Caves was originally rich in bushman paintings though with time these have been damaged. The San left this area and their cave approximately 500 years ago.

Multilingual tours  :
All tours are offered in English but an Afrikaans, German, French or other language guide may be available (please check availability when booking if you have a preference).

Cederberg’s Citrusdal captures and enraptures all walks of life

Cederberg Mountains in the Western Cape

Citrusdal near the Cederberg Mountains in the Western Cape is the perfect weekend getaway for those looking to rejuvenate tired bodies and weary souls. The little town is only two hours from Cape Town and boasts assorted accommodation options arranged around hot and cold spring baths.
The natural hot water springs are a delicious 43°C, which is just what your body needs to soak away the stress of work and raising a family. There are also a number of cold pools should you feel the need to chill out and cool off.
Adventurers will appreciate the hiking trails in the area, which explore the Cedeberg Mountains and include San rock paintings. There are also quad and mountain biking, rock climbing, fishing, golfing and, if you’re feeling especially daring, zip slide tours.
Accommodation varies from luxury lodges to self-catering chalets and camp sites.
As the name implies, Citrusdal is prime orange growing country, so you can time your visit to enjoy the sweet smell of orange blossoms in spring, or you could go in peak picking season and get a few pockets of the freshest oranges you’ll ever eat.
As well as oranges, Citrusdal also produces world class wines. Pop into the Golden Valley Wine Cellar for some wine tasting and buy some locally grown fresh produce on your way out.
All-in-all, Citrusdal has something for everyone, from foodies and wine connoisseurs to adventure junkies, families and business professionals.

Clanwilliam is conservation central

The Cederberg Mountains in the Western Cape offer a rugged retreat and opportunity to get back to nature for city slickers in need of respite. One of the most picturesque towns in the Cederberg is Clanwilliam, which also happens to be one of the ten oldest towns in South Africa. It is famous for two things:
1. Clanwilliam Cedar trees, which are on the verge of extinction.
2. Rooibos tea.

The area around Clanwilliam is full of conservation and wilderness projects. For instance, the Cederberg Wilderness Area is currently trying to protect the valuable cedars. It’s also a World Heritage Site owing to its contribution to the Cape Floristic Region and varied natural wild life.
The Clanwilliam Living Landscape is dedicated to the protection of local San rock art. It provides employment to locals by training them up to be tour guides and, in this way, also serves a conservation purpose.
The Pakhuis Conservancy is another locally driven conservation project. A group of farmers banded together to transform overworked farm land into its thriving natural state. You’ll find no end of fynbos, as well as rock climbing and any number of hiking trails.
You can get your fill of water sports at the Clanwilliam Dam.
If you’re of an active/adventurous mien, you might be interested in the Freshpak Fitness Festival. In keeping with the vitality of rooibos, and in celebration of the only rooibos growing region in South Africa, the Freshpak Fitness Festival is a full day of running, cycling and swimming events. There are kiddies’ events for youngsters, as well as individual events, biathlons and triathlons. The festival will be held on 1 October 2011.

If you like your activities more sedate, get to Clanwilliam on 25 August for the annual Wild Flower Show. In addition to the blooms you can see live music performances, enter art competitions, and go hiking. Kiddies’ activities will also be available.