The Hills of the Gods (Tsodilo Hills) is one of the archaeological places (World Heritage Site) in the region that is a must visit when you are in the northern part of Botswana. Tsodilo Hills is unique with the sense of mystery that surrounds them. Spending time there to enjoy the sunset and to become one with the spirit of the hills as darkness falls. Sitting quietly and allowing your mind to wander, it is easy to imagine the sounds of crackling fires and soft murmuring voices, mingled with clicks and laughter, and that will allow you to become part of an era that transpired a thousand summers ago. Tsodilo Hills are situated within the Pan African system of belts and they form an eastward extension of the Damara Belt or Damara Super Group in Namibia. The latter (Damara Super Group) is estimated to be between 1 000 and 1 500 million years old, suggesting that it belongs to the Meso-Proterozoic period. Tectonic movements and uplifting of the belt caused it to protrude above the surrounding landscape. It resisted millions of years of weathering and erosion and the result is Tsodilo Hills as they are known today. Tsodilo Hills provide a rare opportunity to observe the ancient rock formations that make up the earth’s crust underneath the Kalahari sands. The rocks themselves consist of siliciclastic and carbonate rocks known as the Otavi Group, which overlies an older basement.

History: Preserved within the archaeological record of Tsodilo is a chronological account of human activities and environmental changes spanning more/less 100 000 years, including the Middle Stone Age, the Late Stone Age and the Iron Age. In that regard, there are different sites to visit around the hills to discover these rich cultural sites based on their different times since they existed including Mining sites and different Bushmen Paintings. The hills reveal a link to the explorers around the 1850’s and beyond, namely John Arrowsmith, Siegfried Passarge, Frederic Balsan and Sir Lauren van der Post who wrote a book called “Lost World of the Kalahari”. The hills are so rich Historically and Archaeologically waiting to be explored.

Birdlife: The Birdlife is among the very best in the region that increases in the raining season with the addition of migratory birds.