Imagine the Grand Canyon draped in subtropical vegetation. Our Hiking & Natural History tour of Southern Africa featured Blyde River Canyon as we traveled the Panorama Route from Johannesburg to Kruger National Park. Our local guide escorted us, off the beaten path, to greet the morning light at this Blyde River Canyon overlook. The only other primates in the area were a troop of Chacma baboons. Traveling overland rather than on an internal flight turned out to be a great choice for our small, tight-knit group.

After a week in South Africa, our tour continued to Zimbabwe and Botswana. As we rounded an island while on a Chobe River boat safari, I spotted this Yellow-billed Stork. It was as if it was posing just for us! The riverbank was loaded with elephants, buffalos and hippopotamuses. We hiked, we learned, we laughed, and we took ‘family’ photos with our fabulous guides, as we made memories to last a lifetime. Thank you, Africa.

Sharon Barnett, Marin Nature Adventures
South Africa, 2019