Third largest canyon in the world as a lovely final destination
We said goodbye to the animals in the morning hoping for one more sighting on the way out of the park, but that dang leopard was not having it. I am not lamenting this, however, as we did see a ton of mesmerizing wildlife. The drive to Blyde is gorgeous, entering mountains, rivers and grasslands, culminating in overlooks that remind one of the scene from Jurassic Park where they pan the environs with the epic symphonic music in the background. It is one of those sights that gives nature lovers chills.
Blyde is the 3rd largest canyon in the world, but so different from the Grand Canyon in ecosystem. While formed by volcanic activity and erosion of the river system, it is greener than green can be and has a highest amount of rainfall per year of any South African location. It is also 30 degrees cooler than Kruger so layers are needed. We stopped at two locations on the way to camp including the Luck Potholes and Three Rondevaals lookouts. The Potholes are like Utah antelope canyon meets Yosemites Angels falls. The bridge system around it is super safe and easy to navigate, even with a wheelchair if needed. Local artisans line the parking lot, so here is the place to get your comfy elephant print pants or carved and beaded animal portraits.
The Three Rondevaals is a postcard in an of itself. Huge canyon, odd rock formations, lakes, rivers…quite awe inspiring. The breathtaking imagery is super hard to give justice to, so rather than try, I am posting pictures that will attempt to give that feeling us crunchy heathens get when they encounter sheer beauty that hits the spiritual neuron stuffed deep inside the brain somewhere. Hey, I am a Urogynecologist, not a brain surgeon.
We arrived at Blyde Canyon forever resort in the afternoon, and while chilly, the weather cooperated enough to allow the kids to swim and the adults to find the pub. The location is beautiful, walking trails, lookouts, waterfalls. And! Showers and a real bed, although if you haphazardly leave a window cracked, a baboon will in fact climb into the room. I had a close encounter in my bedroom, but our guides had one come in, eat all the junk food they had, spread TP around the joint, before being chased away.
Day 12: GrasKop adventure
I don’t usually eat breakfast most days, but it was a focus for the week. I had had my share of early am food by day 12 and just couldn’t do it. So, I went for a hike. 20 minutes or so uphill is the upper canyon viewpoint. Walking by oneself with no other hikers was much needed quite time. The view from here is incredible and you don’t need an entrance fee. Time well spent and a bit of alone time was just enough to recenter.
About 45 minutes from the resort is GrasKop, a town with a huge adventure activity park. There’s zip lining and a giant canyon swing, a lift to the canyon floor, and gorgeously maintained trails for nature walking.
I have zip lined a lot…and it was pouring so I took a hard pass on it. I wanted to do the canyon swing, but again, having jumped in the past, rain really makes it unpleasant so I sadly sat out. That didn’t stop my stepson, however, who did both.
My stepdaughter and I got hot chocolate and took the lift down. The nature trail is 2km of relatively easy hiking accompanied by placards about the local flora and fauna, a view of the massive waterfall from a suspension bridge, and gives you a general sense of peace as we were the only ones down there. We watched the swing jumpers as well, and while I got a twang of FOMO, I still was not up for having soppy undies for a bus ride.
The cafe at the lift is really surprisingly great food for lunch and muffins the size of one’s head. They also sell local honey and biltong. Actually, I haven’t mentioned biltong yet. It is an open air cured meat in salts like a jerky, but not super chewy like a jerky, and comes in many spice mixes. It is my favorite snack from the region by far. Luckily, I can now order it online at home.
On return, Tim and I went for our own hike to the lower view point…which really doesn’t have a view, so don’t go for that. It is the start of the Tufa Waterfall trail, however, which is about 20-30 minutes and passes through wooded areas with streams and of course, the waterfall. The swimming hole at the waterfall is really tempting, but being that we are pushing 50, our youthful predictable dive in was not happening.
Our last dinner as a travel family was at the resort restaurant. Our guides made their thank you speeches and all was going well…until one of the children leaned against the full length windows and it shattered in a bazillion jagged pieces. I do not know how he managed this, but he didn’t fall through and get impaled or have a cervical neck. I was shocked by this as most of the window was gone leaving only jagged edges on all sides. I stole a piece of glass as a momento. Whoever built that restaurant, however, should be contacted. The glass was so thin, a car window would have been better…and more shatterproof.
Day 13: The long drive home
There’s nothing exciting about the end of a trip, even when you know it is the start of 7 weeks in between jobs and your next trip is only a few weeks away. But the highlight was a gas and lunch stop at a highway rest stop that had its own game reserve. One last opportunity to see the animals up close.
Aside from that…17 hour flights suck, no way about it. I finally watched Barbie, which maybe I missed something but I was like…what? Not that the scenario of bro culture wasn’t 100% accurate and their shameless attempts at maintaining the patriarchy. It is accurate that women can easily fill all the roles, especially in Barbieland, but not in the real world due to the bro culture. Barbie getting cat-called and grabbed on arrival to the real world is what we face daily. The boys will be boys culture remains, and will always be, bullshit when it threatens the safety and security of all women. So in that sense, I get it, but I didn’t expect such extreme hoakiness of the movie I guess.
Ok, I will wrap up. South Africa good, safari good, kids mostly not super cranky and enjoyed their time. If you want a good travel group and are ok with all your meals being outside of your control, Intrepid is the way to go in most cases. My only critique is that communication, especially with families, is extraordinarily important, and that lacked at times. Also, a camp table to eat from would have resulted in a few less lap plates gone flying. But accommodations and guides were great and overall, I would recommend this to any family with teens. As I finish up my blog and cookbook, I am totally hitting up Somkhele for a little advice on Pap and lamb stews. It was almost like a week of cooking lessons watching her work magic on an open fire. Thank you for letting me ask too many questions. Thomas, our driver, was comic relief at every step of the way, and while I know professional rugby is his dream, I was super happy to have him be with us on the trip. Sandele, our main guide, has been with intrepid for a while. He continually reminded us of history and customs as well as make sure things went as smoothly as any trip can be expected to. This was our second Intrepid family trip, last to Galapagos in 2019. The company has things down and they are very invested in climate change interventions.
