We spent 5 days in Kruger National Park looking at animals in their natural habitat.  By the end of that, we were ready to get out of the car and spread our legs.  Driving out of the northern reaches of the park we took ourselves into the Blyde River Canyon.

In this photo, if you look towards the bottom of the canyon you can actually see the Blyde River, or at least the inner canyon’s walls.   To me, this canyon was remarkable for how green it was.  When I think of canyon I think of desert environments.  We’ve already hiked the Grand Canyon and the Colca Canyon in Peru and then there are others we didn’t hike like the Copper Canyon of Mexico.  All of them though are dry, sunburnt places.  Blyde River Canyon couldn’t have been farther from this norm.

To see more of our favorite photos from around the world check out our travel photo page. Let us know your favorites and we’ll include them in our photo of the day series.

IF YOU GO: This region is a great part of South Africa to relax and see into the South Africa’s colonial past.  If you’re driving through the region you’re likely on your way to or from Kruger National Park.  Be prepared for expensive lodging of the B&B variety in the area as this is a favorite spot for weekend breaks from Johannesburg.