Johannesburg - To Do
Johannesburg - To Eat
JNB - To Do
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R150/Adult
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The Cradle of Humankind is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (47,000 hectares e.g.66,000 football fields/ 65% of Singapore's size) renowned for its vast collection of early human fossils preserved in ancient caves, with discoveries that fundamentally reshaped our understanding of human evolution.
Note!
Uber-ing here is no problem. Getting out was. No Ubers. We had to request for help from the super friendly staff which gave us a lift to the Sterkfontein caves for 200Rand (about the same in Uber). No problem for Ubers out of Sterkfontein Caves.
Maropeng: Cradle of Humankind Visitor CenterNote!
Uber-ing here is no problem. Getting out was. No Ubers. We had to request for help from the super friendly staff which gave us a lift to the Sterkfontein caves for 200Rand (about the same in Uber). No problem for Ubers out of Sterkfontein Caves.
Total transport for the day via Uber: SGD74
R150/Adult
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*The Cradle of Humankind Visitor Centre’s iconic egg-shaped building symbolizes the “womb of humanity,” representing the birthplace of human evolution and making a striking, memorable introduction to the story of our origins.*
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What it is?
- An iconic landmark representing the Cradle of Humankind (referring to the entire area) to start on the journey of Humankind.png)
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- Nice lookout spot of the entire Cradle of Humankind landscape.
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- A fairly dated educational center. (If not for the guided tour, most of the information or key points would be lost.)
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What it is NOT:
- A museum with original pieces and very well curated exhibits.Who is this place for?
- A very broad introduction and explanation of our evolution. The fossils are all replicas. No originals here as they are kept in museums and research facilities.
- More a symbolic and pseudo spiritual experience to look inversely at one's own humanity and really look at where we came from.
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There's a little water ride which goes through the four elements to life before hitting the educational displays.
Apart from their iconic structure, combining a visit the Sterkfontein Caves located 11km down the road where major discoveries were made would be a much better option. The visit isn't a complete waste as with both did it probe the want to explore deeper into our origins.
- More a symbolic and pseudo spiritual experience to look inversely at one's own humanity and really look at where we came from.
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Apart from their iconic structure, combining a visit the Sterkfontein Caves located 11km down the road where major discoveries were made would be a much better option. The visit isn't a complete waste as with both did it probe the want to explore deeper into our origins.
Sterkfontein Caves
R150/Adult
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R150/Adult
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ABBATip:
- There are probably two segments that are a little claustrophobic in nature that requires duck walking and sliding a little bit to make it through the caves. It does add a little more adventure in the cave exploration.
There are over 300limestone caves in total in the area but only a 2-3 are open to visitors on guided tours.
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- There are probably two segments that are a little claustrophobic in nature that requires duck walking and sliding a little bit to make it through the caves. It does add a little more adventure in the cave exploration.
There are over 300limestone caves in total in the area but only a 2-3 are open to visitors on guided tours.
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The Sterkfontein caves are the most famous for the discoveries of Mrs Ples (2mil yrs old) and the over 90% complete Little Foot (3.7mil yrs old) and were central to UNESCO granting World Heritage Site status to the Cradle of Humankind in 1999, recognizing the region’s exceptional collection of fossil sites that together hold over 40% of the world’s known early hominin fossils and document millions of years of human evolution.
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*Dr Robert Broom, the scientist who discovered Mrs Ples—and visitors often rub Tobias’s nose for luck or his hand for wisdom as a fun tradition..png)
*Little Foot which famously fell through a vertical shaft like this. Another shot of the shaft as seen above. Man of that time were 1.4m with long grass standing 2m. One can see why a simple misstep may occur.*
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*Can you see the shape of Africa in the face of the Elephant?*
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*The water tunnel at Sterkfontein Caves, formed over millions of years, guided early explorers and fossil hunters, and is also known for the tragic 1984 death of diver Peter Verhulsel, highlighting the cave’s dangers as well as its scientific treasures.*
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This would be the cave to visit whilst in the area. There are some educational displays but coupling this with the visitor center reviewed above may give a more in depth understanding. By way of caves, its story and historical significance out shadows some aspects of its natural beauty!
Carnivore Restaurant
R365/pax (All-You-Can-Eat)
*Recommended by locals on where you can try game meat.
Some standouts were, Zebra, Giraffe, Impala, Crocodile.*
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*Nice rendition of Happy Birthday.*
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*Recommended by locals on where you can try game meat.
Some standouts were, Zebra, Giraffe, Impala, Crocodile.*
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Nice selection of sauces and condiments. The cook on most of the meat could have been better, but you can always request for the doneness on your cuts.
*Nice rendition of Happy Birthday.*
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Short summary, Would you come out here just for this? Probably not unless looking to try game meats and only if on the way to check out attractions. Game meats by nature are generally low in fat and has quite a fair bit of inter-muscular connectivity so it is an acquired taste. Still quite the experience.
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