Travel Guides

The Blyde River Canyon Reserve, Mpumalanga, South Africa: The Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve extends along the Blyde River Canyon’s winding path, which at every turn offers more and more impressive views over sheer edges dropping 800m into the riverbed. Beneath the Canyon the Blyde River also yields the unique and critically threatened Lowveld Riparian Forest, which now covers only 100 hectares in extent.

Blyde Canyon Country is characterised by towering mountains, deep ravines, green valleys, fast-flowing rivers and an abundance of wildlife, including The Big Five. Its scenery is unsurpassed, its vegetation both varied and lush and the rich selection of bird life includes a breeding colony of the rare bald ibis. Just over halfway down, the swift-flowing Blyde River is joined by the Ohrigstad River from the west.

Their tops appear to have a hut-like rounded roof. Where the Blyde River (“river of joy”) and the Treur River (“river of sorrow”) meet, water erosion has formed one of the most remarkable geological phenomena in the country, known as “Bourke’s Luck Potholes”. Over thousands of years, surreal cylindrical rock sculptures created by whirling water.
The scenery of the 25 000 ha reserve is unsurpassed, its vegetation both varied and lush and the rich selection of bird life includes a breeding colony of the rare bald ibis.

Enjoy adventure at its best at the Blyde River Canyon Reserve, where an abundance of hiking trails await your voyaging. Other enjoyable activities on offer at Blyde River Canyon Reserve include white water rafting, mountain biking, walking trails, luxury 4×4 game drives, golf, tennis and abseiling or boat trips on the Blyde Dam. The Blyde River has many opportunities for adventure activities such as river rafting, black water tubing, abseiling, rock climbing and scuba diving.

Only 35 minutes from Kruger National Park:This is the perfect family safari, offering wildlife nature conservation, cultural interaction, and adventure. On this Kruger Park safari you will spend time in Kruger National Park, Balule Private Game Reserve and enjoy activities at the Blyde River Canyon. You will learn about the plant and animal life, and how important each aspect of nature is. At the end of the day you will realize that plants, animals, predators and the insects are interdependent upon one another. The canyon is home to a diversity of plants and many animal species, including the Big Five, Antelope, Giraffes and Hippo. A number of plant species is endemic to the area, some only occurring on a single mountaintop. Predators include civet, leopard, serval, and caracal. Hippo and croc lurk in the rivers and lakes and the most distinctive of the bird species are eagles, buzzards, and falcons.

Popular activities in the reserve include fishing and hiking to beauty spots such as God’s Window, which offers unparalleled views across the canyon and the Lowveld. The town of Pilgrim’s Rest is of particular interest as a former gold-mining town between 1873 and 1