Africa, popularly known as the Motherland, is home to the supreme abode of the “Black Race” and is nothing short of wonder, beauty and awe-inspiring cultural heritage. Of all the wonders she embodies, a 1000 year old African tree housing a drinkable bar is simply incredible to see and experience.
The millennium tree we are referring to is the Sunland Baobab tree, the oldest in Africa at over a thousand years. It is a baobab tree in South Africa’s Sunland Farm Limpopo. The most remarkable thing about this tree is not only its age or the fact that it has existed for a full millennium and has survived up to 5 different fires in its trunk, which according to carbon dating originated around this time: 650 AD, 1750-1780 , 1900, 1955 and 1990, but the enormous size of its torso measuring 110 feet.
The interior of its trunk has, of course, been hollowed out over its many years of existence, leaving enough room inside that someone decided to incorporate a bar with a 13 foot ceiling. The bar seats up to 13 people and has become an unusual South African landmark.
The Sunland Baobab is naturally hollow and has not been artificially carved out
If you have the chance to experience the tree, you might think that the carvings are man-made, but they are in no way. The recesses and carvings are purely natural, with the exception of the visibly man-made bar and fittings, which no one needs a fortune teller to tell that these fittings and fittings such as lighting, bar, tables and chairs, etc. are definitely man-made are made.
This 1000 year old African tree has survived up to 5 different fire events
There is no hidden secret about the destructive nature and firepower can be very merciless when it comes to wreaking havoc on most things in their path. According to records, this ancient tree survived 5 fire incidents. These findings were announced after carbon surveys conducted within the cavity revealed that this fire occurred at different times. The postulated dates include; 1650 AD, 1750-1780, 1900, 1955 and 1990.
Beyond the small entrance is a cute little bar with 13 foot ceilings
At first glance, one might mistake the tree for a fairly large tree with a very large breadth, without having any indication of the ingenuity that went into it, unless one knows it. The tiny doors in particular don’t add much to the fact that the inside actually has a 3 meter high ceiling. Isn’t that just amazing?
The bar was founded in 1993 by the Van Heerden family.
The Sunland Big Baobab aka the 1000 year old African tree has become a popular tourist attraction and the pride of the region it is located in, but of course the Van Heerden family gets a lot of credit for this ingenuity. The tree that was on property owned by the Heerden family was actually a Sunland farm. In 1993, the Van Heerden family, amazed by the tree’s features on their farm and the size of its hollow, decided to clear it. The family never intended to turn it into a bar, let alone a tourist attraction. Amazingly, as work continued with the hollow center of the tree cleared of larger compost, the idea of a beam began to form, to expose the ground below the current floor. A railway sleeper pub was built, along with draft beer, music systems and seating.
A wine cellar was installed in the second hollow. A door was also placed in a square natural opening in the trunk. In general, the trough has maintained a constant temperature of 22°C, made possible by the tree’s natural ventilation openings. When the bar was finished, 60 people could be accommodated in it.
The massive perimeter would take many more people to work around it.
Basically, most modern Africans would not have believed that such miracles could exist on their own continent as a result of the negativity that has plagued the African continent for centuries and in the present; But thanks to technology, more and more of Africa’s wonders are coming to the fore, and the knowledge of Africans to let them know how beautiful their homeland is. The Sunland Baobab Tree in South Africa is just one of many attractions that can be found in Africa. So next time, remember to pack your bags with family or friends to leave the continent. When on vacation, remember the 1000-year-old African tree, which has now become a tourist attraction in South Africa.