Panorama Route in South Africa

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Day 23: Kruger - Panorama Route in South Africa: Blyde Canyon, Three Rondavels, Lucky Potholes, Berlin Falls and Lisbon Falls - Graskop

The Panorama Route in South Africa It is our goal today after visiting the Kruger National Park and doing a Kruger safari for free, which has been one of the most exciting experiences we have been able to live on this trip to South Africa in 25 days and that we are sure, we will not forget never.

For this purpose we get up at 4 in the morning for when it is 4:30, at which time the doors of the Kruger open for those who are staying inside the park, start the road to the Phalaborma gate, near the camp Letaba, from where we will connect with the Panorama Route.

Sunrise in the Kruger National Park

With the thermos laden with coffee we enjoy an incredible new dawn, crossing with the first animals, which make us gradually say goodbye to what has been one of the most impressive places we have been lucky to meet on our trips.

Giraffes in the Kruger

Kruger

Phalaborma is about 90 kilometers and about two and a half hours away from Camp Olifants, where we have stayed these last two nights. Taking into account that visiting the points that we have marked on the Panorama Route in South Africa will not take us much time, we decided to travel some of the routes on paved roads in the surroundings and make a technical stop at the Letaba Camp, to have breakfast for R150 After charging energy for today, we return to our rental car when it is 8:30 to start, now yes, the journey to the Phalaborma door where we will end this impressive experience.

This farewell we face with encounters with countless elephants, giraffes and impalas, by 11:30 in the morning leave Kruger Park, heading to the first point of the Panorama Route in South Africa which is Three Rondavels about 140 kilometers and a hour and a half journey.


The journey is very quiet, along a road where after a few kilometers, we realize we are surrounding the Kruger Park, something that forces us to look from side to side, it seems that at any time we will be able to See an elephant posing for us.
This does not happen, although we have to confess, that the road, after a few kilometers, begins to give us totally different landscapes, in which the green and the mountains appear as if by magic, beginning to show us the landscapes of the Blyde Canyon.


Keep in mind that if you stay in Olifants, it is best to go out through Phalaborma Gate, which is why we have left to go directly to the Panorama Route. In this case, what you are going to do is surround the Kruger Park until you reach Three Rodavels, which is usually the first stop on this route.
In case you do not want to do this route or want to go directly to Graskop, another option would be to cross the Kruger from the interior, from east to west, taking the road that goes from Skukuza (Phabeni Gate) or Satara (Orpen Gate ) and then take the road to Graskop. This option is also valid if you have stayed in one of these last camps, since the route is much more direct, being able to make more stretch inside the park.
This option is also valid if you do not want to do the Panorama Route and go directly to Johannesburg.

Blyde Canyon

Considered the third largest canyon in the world, this canyon is the Blyde River channel, which for millions of years has been forming walls 600-800 meters high, which have formed some truly incredible natural spaces, which are among the most impressive of the Panorama Route in South Africa.

Three Rondavels

An essential stop on the Panorama Route, the Three Rondavels viewpoint is one of the essential places to see in South Africa that we are sure, will not disappoint you.
With an impressive fall, the first thing that attracts attention is the three rock formations that are seen on the riverbed, which give their name to the viewpoint because of its shape reminiscent of traditional African houses known as Rondavels.

Three Rondavels

Three Rondavels

Tips for visiting Three Rondavels on the Panorama Route in South Africa

  • Keep in mind that the access road to the Three Rondavels viewpoint on the Panorama Route is only open from 7 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon.
  • The entrance price is R30 per person that are not included in the Wild Card.
  • Before reaching the viewpoint there is a free parking area where you can leave the car.
  • In the area there are many craft stalls that you can take advantage of to make the first or last purchases of the trip, depending on your route in South Africa for free.
  • The access area to the viewpoints, there are several, it is very easy to travel and in some areas it is done through walkways.

Three Rondavels on the Panorama Route in South Africa

  • It is convenient not play it for taking a picture, since there are no security measures.

We arrive at Three Rondavels when it is 2 o'clock in the afternoon and after leaving the car, we approach the first viewpoint that we have to confess, we are very impressed, perhaps for having arrived here without having many expectations after coming from the Kruger, which has been For us the icing on the cake of this trip.
That said we have to say that the Panorama Route is very worthwhile, although not as a single destination or to take the Kruger one day. We believe that approaching you here and doing this route is always a success if you have enough days to see the rest of the places and have dedicated enough time to the Kruger National Park.

More practical information to prepare your trip to South Africa

- 10 essential places to see in South Africa
- The best tips for traveling to South Africa

After the visit, we take advantage of the rest area to make an impromptu picnic with some sandwiches that we have bought this morning and when it is 3 o'clock in the afternoon we head to what will be the next point of the Panorama Route that is Bourke's Lukes Potholes at 16 kilometers and just under 30 minutes by car.

We arrive here when it is 3:20 in the afternoon and after paying R63 per person, we enter another of the essentials of this area of ​​South Africa.

Bourke's Lukes Potholes

32 kilometers from Graskop, we find Bourke's Lukes Potholes, which is next to the Three Rondavels viewpoint, one of the most touristic places in South Africa. Here you can see, in a huge natural space, the spectacular rock formations formed by the water at the point where the Treur and Blyde rivers meet.
This union has formed some curious formations, in which the rounded shapes that can be seen through bridges that run throughout the area stand out.

Bourke's Lukes Potholes

Bourke's Lukes Potholes

Tips for visiting Bourke's Lukes Potholes

  • Being one of the best known places on the Panorama Route, it is convenient to come early in the morning if you do not want to coincide with many people.
  • The schedule is from 7 am to 5 pm.
  • The price is R63 per person and the vehicles do not pay any kind of extra.
  • There is a parking area where there is also a play area, picnic area and a cafeteria / restaurant where you can eat or drink.

Bourke's Lukes Potholes

We are here about 45 minutes and after the visit we head to the third stop of the Panorama Route that is none other than Berlin Fall, one of the most famous waterfalls in the area that is 29 kilometers away and where we arrive when it is 4: 15 in the afternoon.

Berlin Falls

At 12 kilometers from Graskop and with 80 meters of fall, Berlin Falls is part of the Waterfall Route, being one of the most striking and that without a doubt, we recommend you visit if you are doing the Panorama Route.

Berlin Falls

Keep in mind that the entry time is until 5 in the afternoon and the entrance fee is R15 per person although on the road we do not see any point by which access can be closed, so we understand that in case of arrive a little later, whenever there is light, you will not have problems to be able to access the viewpoint that is the point that is visited.

Berlin Falls

After being 15-20 minutes, since the visit only includes the viewpoint, we decided to approach the last point of the Panorama Route that we will visit today and that is Lisbon Falls, located 6 kilometers and about 10 minutes.

Lisbon Falls

With 92 meters of fall, Lisbon Falls is another of the best known waterfalls in the area, where you can see from the viewpoint 3 impressive falls, surrounded by exceptional landscapes.
The ticket price is R10 per person and as in the previous one, the schedule is until 5pm.

Lisbon Falls

If you take into account the closing times of the attractions of the Panorama Route, leaving the Kruger National Park at noon, it is practically impossible to visit them all and reach Graskop, so we advise you to leave early in the morning, such and as we have done, to begin the visits of the Panorama Route at noon and thus be able to do them throughout the afternoon.
If you have any pending, if your route continues to Johannesburg, before going and if you have time, you can finish it the next day.

After 15 minutes of visit, we finish the tour of the Panorama Route making way to our accommodation in Graskop tonight, the Havana Nights Hotel, where we arrive when it is 5:30 pm and where after a quick check in, we receive the first slap of reality when we find a charming accommodation, but in which all the security cartels that they have, as well as in the rest of the surrounding areas, where we are warned of the response with weapons call us powerfully before any security problem.
We have to confess that this is something that conditions us at the time of going out to dinner, since as much as the owner tells us that it is safe, these posters do not reflect it. Seeing it like this we decided to make a quick dinner in the apartment and take the opportunity to work for a while, advancing everything we have pending and rest for tomorrow, face the last day of the trip.

We leave you a map of today's route from the Kruger to Graskop, touring the Panorama Route in South Africa, visiting Blyde Canyon, Three Rondavels, Lucky Potholes, Berlin Falls and Lisbon Falls.

Day 24: Security in South Africa - Graskop - Panorama Route: Window of the Gods - Johannesburg Airport

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Video: South Africa Part 1 - Johannesburg, Panorama Route, and Kruger Park (March 2024).