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Tswapong Hills
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Hemming in the Tuli Block to the north and east of Palapye are the Lepokole Hills, while in the west stands the Tswapong Hills. This is probably one of the least known areas of Botswana, yet it is less than 50km off the main Gaborone/Francistown road. The Tswapong Hills extend some 60km to the west and are about 15 to 20km wide, towering 300 to 400 metres above the surrounding plain.
These hills were formed over a thousand million years ago in both wet and dry conditions. They consist of compressed horizontal layers of sandstone, ironstone, a conglomerate of rounded water-worn pebbles in a hard matrix, and quartzite, giving them their distinctive colour. A capping of hard and resistance rock has protected the hills from erosion. The hills are typically flat topped and in many places sheer-sided with striking vertical cliffs.
It is, however, the water, which is Tswapong's unique attraction. Tswapong receives higher rainfall than the surrounding region and appears to have its own microclimate which impacts directly on all aspects of this unique land of mist and rivers. In this thirsty country, deep gorges have been carved into the hills giving rise to seasonal rivers, fed by natural springs where absorbed rain flows out of the porous rock. In places, these springs give rise to streams forming waterfalls with deep moss-edged pools.
Several waterfalls can be found near the village of Moremi, while a large colony of Cape vultures is established in the cliffs near the village of Gootau. Before visiting either of these sites, be sure to ask permission from the village chiefs.
Wildlife was once prolific, but man's intrusion has left only isolated pockets of antelope and smaller animals. A large colony of Cape vultures nests on the cliffs near the village of Gootau. With the abundant water in these scenic hills comes a diversity of flora and fauna and almost half of Botswana's 250 butterfly species can be found here. Butterflies are particularly plentiful near Moeng College, Botswana's first secondary school. There are 345 bird species in the hills and probably more still to be identified and recorded.
Some of the earliest traces of Bantu-speaking people in southern Africa have been found in the characteristic long and winding gorges at Tswapong. Many of these gorges are littered with fragments of beautifully made and decorated pottery from almost two millennia of man's occupation. There are hundreds of collapsed and buried iron smelters and other evidence that the art of iron smelting was practiced in these gorges from as early as 350 A.D. Carbon dates extend from approximately 350 A.D. to modern times indicating the long continuity of human occupation in the area.
As community involvement in tourism gains ground in Botswana through an increasing appreciation of its economic potential, the Tswapong area is likely to see numerous local initiatives and developments taking place, and already some of the villages are setting aside areas for visitors and overnight campers.
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