[imagesource:flickr]

Leigh-Ann Coetzee, a tour guide at the Cango Caves in Oudtshoorn, has added her voice to the breathtaking experience of visiting the famous caves.

A social media video was recently posted showing the diva demonstrating the acoustics of the 20 million-year-old cave system.

According to TikTok user Sharon Waugh, who visited the Cango Caves when she was in Oudtshoorn, orchestra performances often used to take place in the Cango Caves, and judging by Leigh-Ann’s performance, they should consider bringing it back.

The clip has since gone viral and has garnered over 200,000 views.

@thesharonicles Orchestra performances used to take place in this cavern and it’s not hard to see (or rather hear) why. It’s hard to tell from this video, but I was awestruck by the sheer volume of this “hall” which could easily accommodate an orchestra and an audience. It turns out there is one here that’s three times the size (but not accessible to the public). Thanks so much, Leanne, for singing for us. #cangocaves #acoustics #avemaria #chills #bucketlist #oudtshoorn #travelsouthafrica ♬ original sound – Sharon Waugh

Coetzee is no stranger to viral fame after a 2022 video of her performing in the caves was posted to Facebook by a family visiting the site.

The Cango Caves system consists of a series of hidden chambers cut deep into a thick limestone rock layer. It is situated in the Swartberg Mountains, 30 kilometres north of Oudtshoorn and is frequently described as one of the great Natural Wonders of The World.

The caves became a popular attraction during the 1800s. Many visitors broke off stalagmites and stalactites and wrote their names on the walls. In response, the then-governor of the Cape, Lord Charles Somerset, published the first Caves Regulation in 1820. It was designed to protect an environmental resource and banned the collection of souvenirs and is believed to be the first piece of environmental law ever created.

The first full-time guide, Johnnie van Wassenaar, opened many of the side chambers to the caves and introduced thousands of people to Cango 1, which remains the only part of the caves open to the public.

[source:iol&oudtshoorntourism]