Gcwihaba Caves
Gcwihaba Caves are located in the North West District of Botswana. They are among the unique natural formations of the region: caves themselves are very rare in southern Africa.
General information
The Gchwihaba caves were part of the Kalahari landscape at least during the Pleistocene epoch, about 2 million years ago. They were formed when water flows percolated through the dolomite cliffs. The water introduced a wide variety of salts and trace elements into the mineral composition of the local rocks, and the floor-to-ceiling walls are painted with different colors. The caves themselves are rich in a large number of stalactites and stalagmites, some of which are up to ten meters high, and there are also many other unusual formations such as helictites. The area where these caves and the surrounding plains occur is about 2500 square kilometers.
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The Kunga tribes first showed these caves to Europeans led by Martinus Drotsky in the early thirties of the twentieth century. Since then, a huge number of numerous groups of explorers, hunters, vacationing tourists and speleologists have been visiting these places. In addition, some want to find the treasures described in ancient legends. Locals are sure that the treasures were hidden from the descendants of colonizers from Europe by local dynastic tribes.
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The caves have now been transformed into a cultural and photographic tourism zone. In 2001, all the caves were proclaimed as National Monuments which are managed by the National Monuments Museum of the Republic of Botswana. Since May 27, 2010, the Gchwihaba Caves have been on UNESCO’s waiting list for inscription as a World Heritage Site.
.Tourists
The Gchwihaba Caves tour is 3 hours long and costs $60. You can get here by bus, from morning until dusk.
