Explore a cave
This part of Namibia has a one-of-a-kind mine and a lake where no one has reached the bottom – no wonder there are more underground surprises in store!
Dragon’s Breath Cave, about 45 km north-west of Grootfontein, was only discovered 30 years ago. The cave entrance emits moist, warm air – hence the name – but that’s not what makes it special: A hundred metres below the earth you’ll find the biggest underground lake in the world not covered by a glacier, with an estimated surface area of two hectares – about the size of two rugby fields. No one knows how deep the water is.
Dragon’s Breath and its depths can only be explored by professional spelunkers and technical divers, but there are smaller caves nearby that are open to the public…
In 1914, a missionary called Dr Henry Fedder found a large hole in the veld near the Ghaub mission station (now a guest farm). These days the 2,5 km-long Ghaub Cave is one of the most accessible caves in the region.
But don’t expect a vast hall that you can stroll into. You’ll have to climb over slippery rocks and squeeze through narrow cracks. The deeper you go, the hotter and more humid it gets. Bats hang from the ceiling and crystals decorate the walls. You’ll also see a piece of rope on the ground that Dr Fedder used to mark his route
into – and out of – the cave.
Judging by the stalactites, Ghaub is an estimated 7 million years old. At its deepest point (38 m), the cave ends in a puddle of water. What happens from there is a mystery: It makes you wonder about the underground landscape of tunnels and caves that could all be connected somehow. One day, a brave diver will enter the water at Ghaub and surface in Lake Otjikoto a few days later!
Where? Follow the C42 north from Grootfontein for 25,5 km and turn left onto the D3022. Ghaub Guest Farm is 21,5 km further on the right. GPS: S19.47259 E17.74924 Cost: Guided cave tour R300 per person. The tour departs at 8 am from the guest farm and lasts about three hours.
Contact: 00 264 67 240 188; ghaub-namibia.com