Nelspruit - Sudwala Caves

24km/15mi west of Nelspruit (near the Montrose Falls, where the Crocodile River plunges down 12m/40ft into the Schoemanskloof) R 539 branches off N 4 to run north, leading to the Sudwala Caves. A 600m/650yd long section of this stalactitic cave system, which was occupied by man in prehistoric times, has artificial lighting and is open to visitors. The caves have not yet been explored throughout their entire length.

There is a constant current of fresh air, the source of which has not been identified, throughout the caves, which have a constant temperature of 17°C/63°F. The caves were used as a munitions store by the Boers during the Boer War, and they are said to have been the inspiration for the caverns in Rider Haggard's novels ''She'' and ''King Solomon's Mines''.

The Sudwala Caves are worth visiting not only for their magnificent stalactites and stalagmites but also for their beautiful setting, with a lush green wilderness surrounding the entrance to the caves. A good impression of the vegetation of this area can be got on a walk through the nearby Dinosaur Park.