Maropeng: Official Visitor Centre for the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage site — Attraction in Mogale City Local Municipality

I enjoyed every minute of my visit at Maropeng The Cradle of Humankind and wish I had more time to explore. Don't be deceived by the small grassy dome on the outside, this visitors centre is massive! You need at least 2-3 hours to truly experience everything, not including having a meal at the on-site restaurant.

We did the 9am tour (first tour of the day and every hour thereafter) and booked via Webtickets.co.za @R150 per adult. We were the only people on the tour group and in the visitors' centre at the time, so it was basically a private tour by our amazing and knowledgeable tour guide, Tseitsei. It was wonderful having the entire place to ourselves and made for a very relaxing experience.

We brought our one-year-old with us and even for her age, it was very stimulating and interactive. Maropeng is the perfect place for children of all ages. The tour with the guide is about one hour and you don't need to use the free guided tour option, but I would recommend it.

Thereafter, there is a boat ride (about 5-10 mins) which takes you on a tour of an artificial cave, exploring all the elements you would encounter in a real cave. My one-year-old was a little scared at times because the elements were so realistic, but she never cried. I was even scared at times lol but it was great fun!

Thereafter, there is quite a big educational section which you need at least an hour to truly explore. The rooftop has a deck with a stunning view of The Cradle of Humankind region. Everything is cashless, pushcart-friendly and there is plenty of free parking. Baby-changing facilities were available, and the restrooms were clean. Maropeng is about 25-30 mins from Lanseria Airport which makes it so convenient for a quick trip.

The Sterkfontein Caves are about 10 mins away (tours every two hours) so you can easily combine the two activities in one morning/afternoon. I will definitely be returning to Maropeng with my toddler and will plan to spend at least 3-4 hours...

What an absolutely phenomenal experience! My dad is in a wheelchair, which usually prevents us from having full experiences of places, but I found this place wonderfully accessible. The boat ride was something that he would usually have to sit out, but the staff was so incredibly helpful and helped get him into the boat, despite it being quite a mission. Getting out, they had called in more help and he was quickly back in his chair. I cannot describe how much it meant to us that he could be part of that experience! THANK YOU!

The displays are wonderfully creative and informative and we enjoyed the interactive nature of the exhibit. We loved that the layout was planned so that you didn't miss anything. So many museums put displays parallel and facing each other which makes it frustrating because while you're absorbed in the one panel, you don't see the one behind you and have to backtrack to see everything.

We had such an amazing experience there - I can't believe I was reluctant to go. I cannot get over how friendly and helpful the staff was, even offering to help push the wheelchair up to the car park as they were closing for the day. It was worth every cent for us and we will...

Close to cradle of humankind is the lion and Rhino park. It is a great place to go see lions and rhinos if you haven't been able to see them anywhere else. The best time of the day is far as I remember is to go on a Wednesday midday as that's when the feeding happens. It happens three times a week. So make sure you call ahead to find out. In the photos below are wild dogs eating. Understand that these animals have been rescued. But it may start to cause issues in the future when breeding a curse. Wild animals should never be bred in captivity as they will never understand how to hunt and fend for themselves. Do not go and visit the very depressing zoo that is attached. They do have Jaguars and leopards. But their space is so small that is ridiculously depressing to see. It is like taking a whale and putting it in a swimming pool. They typically have larger areas to Rome. Enjoy your experience only if you had not seen these and the true...