As we enter into an extended lockdown period across the world, all of us here at African Trilogy are finding ways to stay positive and hopeful, and to pass these sentiments on to our guests both past and future. So we’re taking our inspiration from the incredible landscapes and wonderful wildlife in and around our “hometown” of Hoedspruit, in the heart of the Greater Kruger region. One of the most beautiful of these is the magnificent Blyde River Canyon, whose towering peaks and breath-taking vistas help to make our region one of the most sought-after tourism destinations in the world.

Part of South Africa’s northern Drakensberg escarpment and an extension of the Drakensberg range that stretches more than 1,000km across South Africa, running north to south, the Blyde River Canyon is one of the world’s largest green canyons and was formed over thousands of millennia by the constant flow of the Blyde River eroding the underlying bedrock. Its cliffs tower almost 1km high in places and its most striking peaks have become tourism attractions in their own right – the legendary “three rondavels” and towering Mariepskop, the highest point in the range at 1,947m above sea level. In places, the canyon is a staggering 5km wide! The Blyde River has been dammed, forming a beautiful lake at the heart of the canyon that’s home to hippos and crocodile, as well as hundreds of species of fish.

The lush, tropical vegetation that grows on the canyon walls and at their base is among the most biodiverse environments in the country. Akin to rainforest in some places, this is home to a variety of primates, antelopes and even leopard, as well as smaller carnivore species like caracal, serval and genet.

The canyon is also home to the second-highest tufa waterfall in the world – the Kadishi falls. A tufa is formed when water running over dolomitic rock absorbs calcium and deposits it more quickly than it erodes surrounding rock, building up strange and often convoluted formations. The Kadishi tufa waterfall formation is said to resemble a human face weeping!