With every step the daylight disappears, your eyes take a moment to adjust to the darkness. A silence is so profound that it feels alive. The damp air carries a faint scent of minerals. The headlamp’s light barely grazes the edges of the darkness. Untouched by sunlight, the space feels timeless and mysterious.
When you listen carefully you will hear a drip of water and the sound of bats sleeping. Every sound is filled with uncanny clarity, and one becomes aware of the weight of the earth above. This place feels forgotten by the world. Often when thinking about Namibia, the mind likely drifts to red dunes and wildlife. But beneath the surface lies a lesser-known world of caves! Although Namibia has many caves, the most attractive are the Arnhem Caves, Dragon’s Breath and Ghaub caves.
Photo credits: Janke Murray
Not too far from Hosea Kutako International Airport lies the Arnhem caves which is the biggest cave in Namibia. It is a remarkable length of 4.5 km. In 1930, the farmer Bekker, discovered the cave. What makes this cave even more impressive is the bats that call this cave home. There are six different species found in the cave, which includes the Giant Leaf-nose bat, the largest insect-eating bat in the world. With twisting tunnels this cave is not too difficult to navigate and explore.
Photo credits: Janke Murray
The second largest and probably the most awe-inspiring cave of Namibia is Dragon’s Breath. Named for the warm moist air that rises at the entrance of the cave. Although Arnhem caves are longest, Dragon’s Breath hold the distinction of housing the world’s largest non-sub-glacial underground lake. The lake covers almost 2 hectares. This flooded karst cave is located in the Otavi Mountains with Ghaub caves within reach. Roger Ellis discovered the cave during an expedition in 1986.
This destination is reserved for experienced adventurers like caves and divers due to the technical abseiling and caving expertise needed to explore the lake. In the north of Namibia, lies the Otavi mountains with all their hidden secrets. When missionaries of the Rhenish Mission build their missionary on the farm Ghaub in 1895 they did not know about the limestone cave in one of the mountains.
Photo credits: Janke Murray
In the 1900’s a German caretaker was responsible for drying marshes, cultivating crops and farm with cattle. Unfortunately, the farm was destroyed during the colonial war between the Schutztruppe and the Herero. A few years later, missionary Heinrich Vedder founded the Augustineum in Ghaub. During this time Vedder stumbled the impressive limestone cave of about 2.5 km, which is today the third biggest cave in Namibia.
This cave features fascinating a network of chambers with stalactites, stalagmites and cave pearls. Although Dragon’s Breath is a geological wonder, it unfortunately not open to the public since it is located on a farm. Only qualified divers and cavers with permission from the landowners can access the lake for research purposes. The Arnhem and Ghaub caves on the other hand is open to visit. Visitors can stay here and explore the caves. These underground caves are hidden gems that any adventurer does not want to miss.
Author: Janke Murray