Visiting Blyde River Canyon, South Africa

What to Pack for Blyde River Canyon, South Africa?

As you may already know, I am an advocate of light traveling, and indeed, packing light for a journey like this is a unique art form. Here are some packing tips for your upcoming trip to Blyde River Canyon, South Africa:

• Walking/Hiking Shoes: With all the walking and possible hiking during your travel, a comfortable pair of shoes is a must. I recommend the Timberland 3-Eye Classic Boat Shoes that are my go-to pair for long strolls and hikes.
• Breathable Shirts: Given the potential for hot weather, pack a few breathable shirts for your outdoor adventures.
• Shorts/Jeans: Anticipate lots of walking during your travels? Be sure to pack some breathable shorts and a pair of Levi's jeans for when the weather cools. For women, leggings are excellent for both hot and cold climates, so consider packing some as well.
• Fleece Jacket: For colder weather, layering is the key, and a fleece jacket makes an excellent insulating layer. I recommend the Columbia Steens Mountain Fleece (for women).
• Outer Shell Jacket: An outer shell jacket is great for windy or rainy conditions. I highly recommend the Columbia Watertight Jacket (for women). It's lightweight, breathable, and even comes in a cool orange color.
• Microfiber Towel: A Microfiber towel is the ideal backpacker's towel due to its lightness, quick drying, and compressibility.
• Camera: You should also pack a good camera for your trip so that you can capture all the beautiful experiences you might have. I recommend the Sony a7R V camera together with the Sony 24-70mm f2.8 GM II lens, which is probably the highest-performance camera and lens combination you can get right now.
• Power Bank: Keep your electronics charged on the go with a 20,000+ mAh Power Bank.
• Water Bottle: The Hydro Flask Trail Water Bottle is a great insulated water bottle to have with you in cities or on hiking trails. It is lightweight and can keep your water cold or warm for more than 12 hours. It's a total game-changer.
• Universal Adapter: You'll need just one universal adapter to plug in your electronics in any country you visit.
• Packing Cubes: Packing Cubes will help you save space in your backpack and keep all your belongings organized.
• Daypack: The Langly Alpha Globetrotter is my go-to everyday camera backpack. It's large enough to carry all my travel gear, and it comes with plenty of slots and pouches. Plus, it's stylish as hell!
• Large Backpack: You will need a large backpack to carry all of your stuff. I recommend the Osprey Atmos AG 65L backpack. With excellent weight distribution and a lifetime guarantee, you can't go wrong with Osprey.

For more information on what I pack in my backpack for this trip, check out: My Packing List: 60 Travel Essentials.

Visiting the Three Rondavels Viewpoint, Blyde River Canyon

As we drove for about 2 hours from Kruger National Park, we were welcomed with this incredible view from the first lookout point at the Blyde River Canyon.

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Trying to find that cliff that I saw on Google, unfortunately, it was behind a prohibited sign saying not to enter. I thought I would just settle with this one.

As I waited for our guide and other tourists to walk to another spot, I waited patiently, my mind fixated on one thing, and one thing alone: I needed this picture!

In case you were wondering who took all these gorgeous photos of me, it was her, Katarina from Bern, Switzerland. I traveled alone, not to be alone.. :)

Alright, the guides are gone and everyone else is all but taking photos and not looking at an Asian guy around. Let's do this!

I literally had to jump from one rock to another to get to this place, and since the rock was a little slope, I had to really be careful not to fall.

Finally! I did it. The view over the cliff was well worth the shakes.

Here's another perspective: my perspective. Now you know why it was worth the risk!

Now, it was the girls' turn. I really enjoyed traveling with people who go all the way to make the experience more fun like them.

Thomas looks into the future, contemplating life!

And here's our little expedition before we part ways on different paths of life. When you've been traveling alone for so long, a little companion like this is a refreshing change.

After an hour at the Blyde River Canyon, we headed back to Johannesburg as Viva Safaris dropped us off at our designated hostels. Since I had to leave for Zambia the next day, I decided to stay at the hostel near the airport. I went and grabbed a couple of beers with the 2 Swiss ladies, shared several good laughs, and then we went our separate ways the next day.

Coming up, the last entry of my African trip to the journal, we will end our journey exploring a little town called Livingstone in Zambia and grace upon the mighty Victoria Falls. Have you ever wanted to see the Victoria Falls with your own eyes? Stay tuned.

Check out the next post of this Africa series:5 Breathtaking Things To Do In Victoria Falls, Zambia

That is it for Visiting Blyde River Canyon, South Africa. Have we missed anything? Have you found the guide useful? Let us know in the comments below!

Now that we have all the information we need, it's time to plan your trip to Blyde River Canyon, South Africa! Here are some resources to help you get your trip going:

Flights: Skyscanner and Expedia are the best places to start looking for cheap flights and great deals from your home country.

Accommodation: Hostelworld, Booking.com, and Agoda.com are the ultimate go-to platforms to search for amazing hostels and hotels at affordable prices.

Travel Insurance: Heymondo covers theft, medical emergencies, cancellations, and more during your travels. Get a 5% discount if you sign up today.

Transportation: For buses, I always go with Busbud when traveling in Blyde River Canyon, South Africa while for trains, Omio is my go-to place to book all my train travels in advance.

Car Rental: DiscoverCars.com is a great and reliable platform to find rental cars in Blyde River Canyon, South Africa.

Internet: Airalo is the best way to get a sim card and has reliable internet access for your trip to Blyde River Canyon, South Africa. All you need is an esim compatible smartphone, install it on your phone prior to your trip, and you are all set.

VPN: To stay connected with people at home, I always make sure to have ProtonVPN, installed before traveling. It's FREE, and I can gain access to services that may be blocked in certain countries.

Day Trips & Tours: Viator, GetYourGuide and TripAdvisor are great platforms to search for activities to do in Blyde River Canyon, South Africa.

Tickets & Deals: Klook is always my go-to website when I want to find cheaper deals for entrance tickets to tourist attractions in Blyde River Canyon, South Africa.

Are you planning to travel to Blyde River Canyon, South Africa independently? Be sure to check out my guide on How To Plan A Backpacking Trip here.