The low, rounded hills here are not the attraction, but beneath them is a labyrinth of passages and caves, some with enchanting rock formations of stalagmites, stalactites and spectacular 'flowstones' which seem like waterfalls of rock.

Some of these chambers reach up to 10m in height, whilst other passages are so narrow that you'll need to clamber and squeeze through. All were formed by the dissolving and depositing action of acidic water on the limestone of the rocks around, though now the caves are totally dry.

What to see and do

To explore the caves you'll need several good torches, plus extra batteries and bulbs (a fail-safe emergency backup is essential, as there's no one here to help you), and perhaps a lighter or matches. If you bring a huge ball of string (you'll need about a kilometre for it to be much use!) then remember to collect it up again and take it away with you.

There are lots of dead ends, closed off passages and caverns to penetrate. If your curiosity flags, then remind yourself of the legend of Hendrik Matthys van Zyl, the wealthy founder of Ghanzi, who is said to have stashed a portion of his fortune here in the late 1800s.

Orientation

There are two main entrances to the caves that are about 250m apart. There is a route between them, but it's not straightforward or obvious, so getting through may tax your map-reading skills. (You won't be able to rely on your beloved GPS either, as they're useless under the rock ceilings of the caves!)

Most of the caves are on one level, though there is a section, slightly nearer to the south entrance than the north, where several of the corridors split into two different levels, one raised several metres above the other.

Start exploring the caves from the main (north) entrance. Here, on one of the large boulders towards the right of the main entrance hall, you'll find the inscription 'Discovered 1 June 1932, M Drotsky.'

You'll also realise that a string marks a route through the caves. Given how easy it is to get lost in here, this can be very comforting. It starts at the lower entrance, and proceeds down an increasingly steep and narrow passageway. There's a short vertical climb down into what's been christened the 'rope pit', before you emerge up the other side onto a shelf. Then it's a bit of a squeeze before you find yourself in a large chamber.

From here the route basically climbs, though there are lots of side-passages to distract you, and part way is where there are two different levels to the passages. You'll also come across the chambers with the bats in them, deep within the cave complex, before finally emerging from the southern entrance (where there's a ledge that is now used as a roost by a resident barn owl).