Blyde Canyon Boat Cruise
Enjoy the splendour of the third largest canyon in the world. Unquestionably being the largest ‘green canyon’ due to its lush Subtropical foliage. An interpretation tour by a tour guide will take you to the rare living Kadishi Tufa waterfall and the Three Rondawels. An abundance of wildlife will keep you distracted while learning more about the natural history of the Blyde Canyon. The Blyde River canyon supports a large diversity of life, including numerous fish and antelope species as well as Hippos and Crocodiles, primate species and a diversity of birdlife such as the African Fish Eagle, African Finfoot and much more.
As we don’t serve drinks or snacks on the boat, you are welcome to bring with.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes.
When: 09h00 – 11h00 and 13h00 – 15h00.
Where: Blyde River Dam jetty, 7km from Swadini, A Forever Resort Weather: Depending on weather conditions.
What to Wear: Comfortable clothes. During winter time bring warm cloths.
Things to Bring: Camera, bring something to drink and to eat.
Scenic Flight Experience
Blyde Canyon Sightseeing Flight:
The duration of this epic flight is approximately 1 hour. The helicopter will depart from Hoedspruit Civil airfield (or collect you at your location) and route towards the Blyde River Canyon. During this flight you will get a unique perspective of the Kadishi waterfall, Three Rondawels, Blyde River, Burke’s Luck Potholes, Treur and Belvidere Rivers. Exiting the area towards the Lowveld through Devil’s Window will leave you breathless!
Panorama Route Adventure Flight:
The duration of this exhilarating flight is approximately two hours. In addition to the first option, you will get to explore all the spectacular well known waterfalls which are located further South along the Panorama Route, the Pinnacle Rock as well as God’s Window. This would include Lisbon Falls, Berlin Falls, Mac Mac Falls, and Panorama
Hot Air Balloon Ride
Experience the magic of lighter-than-air flight near the foot of the Drakensberg Escarpment. We offer one-hour long flights over the scenic, Lowveld section of the Blyde River, 15 km West of Hoedspruit. The terrain is a mixture of farmland, private nature reserves and wildlife estates. The mountains to the South and West provide shelter from the prevailing winds, thereby affording us good flying weather on most days. As the sun rises, the landscape, the vegetation and, if you’re lucky, some wildlife will provide photo opportunities. Game spotting cannot be guaranteed but on most flights we see plains game like giraffe and wildebeest
Mariepskop
Marieskop Mountain, at 1,945 metres above sea level is one of the highest peaks in the northern Drakensberg and the highest point of the Blyde River Canyon. Standing on the edge near the towers gives you a view of the Kruger National Park, granite koppies up to the town of Phalaborwa.
The route is very scenic, as it offers you the experience of being driven through a tropical rain forest. You may come across various plains game and some guests have even spotted leopard on the way up. The mountain peak is very rocky but it boasts an extremely wide variety of plant species.
Guests are picked up from their camp at 08:00 in the morning from your lodge. The weather on top can be very unpredictable and it can become overcast and misty very quickly, especially in the summer months. However on a clear day, you will be rewarded with breath taking views and some awesome photo opportunities.
Moholoholo Rehabilitation Centre
The Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre is a non-profit organisation. It provides a home for some of South Africa’s abandoned and injured wildlife. Situated in the shadow of the Mariepskop Mountain near
Kampersrus/Hoedspruit, the rehabilitation centre is home to a variety of fascinating animals and over 300 species of birds.
The centre is well known for its successful breeding of the serval; having bred and released over 160 servals back into areas where they have previously become extinct. Moholoholo is also the only facility in South Africa to have successfully bred the endangered Crowned Eagle. The centre aims to rehabilitate and return as many birds and animals to the wild as soon as they are ready. Those who are not so fortunate are provided with a safe environment at the centre. Interaction between the animals and visitors to Moholoholo is permitted under controlled conditions.
Hoedspruit Reptile Centre
The Hoedspruit Reptile Centre is located just outside Hoedspruit (16km). This area has a particularly high concentration of snakes and therefore there is a high frequency of interactions between snakes and people, making this a prime location for reptile related research and public education.
Day visitors are self guided but staff are always at hand to help with questions. Each animal’s habitat has a legend with lots of useful information regarding feeding, venoms, distribution and other interesting facts about the animal on display.
If you are interested you can also book for the Interactive and Photographic tours where you are given the opportunity to have a hands-on experience.
