Defending The Caveman

My friend Sabeen from Dubai arrived for her yearly vacation with us on Thursday.
Her kid's aged 4 (Raaz) and 7 (Fiza) wanted to do something outside of the usual theme-parks or malls over the weekend, so I decided on something completely South African. They'd recently been to DisneyWorld in Japan, so topping that was not going to be an easy task.

A hundred years ago while I was still at school, I remember going to Sterkfontein Caves during an excursion. I figured a day spent at Maropeng learning about the history of mankind followed by a tour through the caves would do the trick.

Clearly it was!
The Maropeng Museum was a far cry from the stuffy quiet museums we're so accustomed to. This place is totally inter-active, with tons of things to do for both adults and kids. The highlight was a boat ride through a man-made cave, complete with ice-tunnel, waterfalls and a mini-volcano. If the kids get bored (highly unlikely) of being indoors, there's an outside picnic area with jungle-gym and a viewing deck.
3 Adults, 3 Kids, 3 hours of great fun. Total cost :R10!
I kid you not. All you pay is the entrance fee per vehicle, which is a measly R10!
Now that's my idea of a value-for-money day out.

The Sterkfontein Caves are about 7km away from Maropeng.
Interesting fact is that the restaurant at the reception area is halaal for those who haven't packed a picnic basket. I expected to pay tourist prices, but once again I was pleasantly surprised.
R35 for a chicken burger meal. That's not too bad, considering this place is out in the bush, about 60km away from Sandton.
The Cave Tour is R120 per adult, R70 for kids between aged 4-14.
For an amazing one-hour tour, it's another awesome experience.

Today we're off to Lory Park Zoo in Midrand.

Thanks to my friend Roela Hattingh and the link on her Facebook page to Toodoo where so many of these local outtings and events are showcased!

Yesterday was proof that entertaining the family during the school holidays need not break the bank or require a second bond.