The Panorama Route with its Three Rondavels, stunning viewpoints and beautiful waterfalls, is a must see on any South Africa road trip. The route runs along the eastern edge of the mighty Drakensberg Mountains. We only had a day to drive the Panorama Route and continue on to Johannesburg but we certainly made the most of it.
The Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve is carved out of several kilometres of red sandstone. It is one of South Africa’s most remarkable geological features. Also known as the Motlatse Canyon, it is the third largest canyon on Earth. This reserve stretches for 60km from the little town of Graskop, up to the Abel Erasmus pass. You’ll get stunning views of the Escarpment from legendary viewpoints such as God’s Window. Here are the stops we made on the Panorama Route.
THE THREE RONDAVELS
The Three Rondavels are shaped identically to the round, thatched roof beehive huts that are a common sight across the African countries. Once known as ‘The Chief and his Three Wives’ in a nod to a legendary chief who was successful in battle, these three spirals of dolomite tower over Blyde River Canyon.
BOURKE’S LUCK POTHOLES
GOD’S WINDOW
The views at God’s Window make it a popular stop on the Panorama Route. On a clear day it is possible to see Kruger National Park and even Mozambique. Climb as high as possible to get the best views.
Our drive along the Panorama Route ended our time in South Africa. From here we flew from Johannesburg to our fifteenth and final country, Mauritius, for some beach time before returning to the UK.
