Africa has great potential, and there is virtually no country that does not have something interesting and exciting for tourists from all over the world to see. Tourism offers Africa the opportunity to showcase itself to the rest of the world. Here, we have put together this informative guide to reveal very interesting but unknown places to tourists who would like to visit Africa.
There is an interesting tourist spot that is a must-see! In South Africa, there is the Cradle of Humankind. It is so named because it has produced some of the oldest and largest numbers of human and animal fossils ever discovered, many of which date back over 3 million years. This wonderful tourist attraction is located near South Africa's largest city, Johannesburg, near the Witwatersberg and Magaliesberg mountain ranges. It covers over 40,000 hectares of land and features numerous limestone caves. _
Interesting things about the cradle of humanity
The main attraction of this tourist site is its interesting caves, which offer a lot of information on the history of humanity. Here, you will see the Sterkfontein Caves, where the discovery of a 2 million-year-old human fossil was made in 1947. This fossil was called 'Mrs. Pies' was discovered by Robert Broom and John Robinson. In this cave alone, more than a third of the earliest human fossils ever found were discovered. It is a tourist dream and a place rich in history and a repository of knowledge.
Visitors to the site will experience the many caves containing fossils in the Cradle of Humankind. They are : Minaars Cave, Wonder Cave, Swartkrans, Motsetsi, Plovers Lake, Malapa Fossil Site, Gondolin, Haasgat, Drimolen, Gladysvale, Bolt 's Farm, Cooper 's Cave, Kromdraai, Makapan Valley .
Grotte di Sterkfontein
A man called Robert Broom discovered the first man -ape fossils at Sterkfontein in the 1930s . Several other expeditions were carried out before and around this period and it was not until 1966 that Philip Tobias began excavations at Sterkfontein . Lee Berger of the University of the Witwatersrand discovered the first human fossil specimens at the Gladysvale site, making it the first hominin site discovered in South Africa in around 48 years. Some time later, namely, in 1994, Andre Keyser discovered fossil hominins at the Drimolen site while in 1997, two fossil hominid teeth were discovered at the Gondolin site by Kevin Kuykendall and Colin Menter, also from the University of the Witwatersrand. Numerous expeditions have been carried out in this area which has become known as the Cradle of Humankind and each of these places is a point of tourist interest for tourists and researchers from all over the world .
Maropeng
In the area called the Cradle of Humankind is Maropeng, less than an hour 's drive from Johannesburg. Visiting this place will be exciting and interesting for both families on vacation and those visiting just for sightseeing . There are many things to do especially for children. There is a high-tech museum which has many restaurants, interactive displays and the Maropeng hotel where you can get great views of the Witwaterberg and Magaliesberg mountains . Here too you and your family can enjoy different African cuisines at any of the four restaurants located there. Also worth trying is the symbolic boat ride that starts from the present day and travels back in time retracing the important phases of the creation of the earth. This destination has many fun things to see and enjoy .
Bolt 's farm
This is one of the most famous fossil sites in the Cradle of Humankind, South Africa, and the area is also known as the "home of the big cats " because many animal fossils have been discovered here, especially those of big cats . It is located 2.5 km south -west of the Sterkfontein Caves . Fossils of pigs, elephants, rodents and several large cats have been discovered here .
It is particularly significant as it is said to be one of the first sites in Africa where the skeletons of these big cats are found .
Cooper 's Cave
Another interesting place to visit in the Cradle of Humankind, South Africa is Cooper's Cave . This site is located between Sterkfontein and Kromdraai and is 40 kilometers from Johannesburg. It's a hominin - rich site that you'll be happy to visit .
Folding
This is another rich historical site in the Cradle of Humankind, South Africa, where many human fossils and thousands of animal fossils have been discovered . It is located near the Sterkfontein Caves .
Cave of Wonders
Another interesting thing you would like to see is the famous Cave of Wonders . Located near Kromdraai in the Cradle of Humankind, it is just over an hour 's drive from Johannesburg . It is said to have been discovered in 1890 and is the third largest and most beautifully decorated cave in South Africa. This is a place to see .
It is said to have formed approximately 5 – 10 million years ago and is a natural limestone cavern. In the cave, you will likely see natural stone sculptures that include stalagmites, some of which resemble mushrooms and jellyfish .
No difficult physical activity is required to enter the cave as there are approximately 88 steps that take you in and out of the cave . The scenery is simply breathtaking .
There are other wonderful and breathtaking places to visit in the Cradle of Humankind . The list of caves and other interesting tourist places is listed above .
Whenever you visit, it is essential to consider using the services of experienced private tour guides to show you around.
It is safer and more convenient to work with these guides as they are better informed and know the various sites you will want to visit.
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