Choose your own adventure in the world’s largest green canyon.
The sharp whistle of a sombre greenbul rings out. I look around. Trees stretch towards the sun and spread a beautiful canopy; a stream trickles along beside the trail and the air is thick with humidity. Suddenly, a crimson flash catches my eye. I duck off the trail to follow the scarlet streak, which comes to rest in a matumi tree. It’s not the greenbul, it’s a narina trogon – a lifer for most people. What a sighting!
A few minutes later, I arrive at the edge of a clear pool at the base of a waterfall. This is paradise, and it’s not difficult to find… Indeed, the Waterfall Trail is one of three easily accessible trails in the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve.
Deciding what constitutes a “canyon”, and then measuring that canyon, is not an
