The series of caverns called the Sudwala Caves are one of South Africa's major attractions. The caves are believed to be about 2 000 million years old and contain not only stalagmites and stalactites, but also the fossilized remains of 'collenia' a form of algae that it is believed life on earth evolved from.

Prehistoric man used the Sudwala Caves for shelter and although there is a constant flow of fresh air in the caves, no one knows where it comes from. The caves were discovered in the early 19th century during a Swazi succession melodrama. The find was made by Somquba, son of Swazi King Sobhuza I, who, with his followers, fled here in fear of his brother Mswati. The dispute also involved substantial numbers of royal cattle.

Somquba and his people built a village next to the entrance to the caves, where they hid every time Mswati and his punitive parties arrived on the scene. Several times Mswati and his men vainly made huge fires in the entrance to smoke out his quarry. One day they struck unexpectedly and killed Somquba and many of his tribesmen. Those who survived stayed on under a headman or Induna by the name of Sudwala, hence the name - Sudwala Caves.

Tours of the outer caves are run daily and monthly, with 'crystal tours' being conducted into deeper chambers. Guided tours of the Sudwala Caves are offered seven days a week: 08:30 - 16:30. The six-hour Crystal Cave Tour takes place on the last Saturday of the month. At the adjacent P R Owen Dinosaur Park, full-scale replicas of the long extinct giant reptiles are on display.

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