The attractions in the north-eastern part of the country include a deeply carved canyon and the nature reserves that surround it, panoramic views, trout-fishing dams, and the charming gold mining town of Pilgrim’s Rest, preserved as a living museum.

South Africa’s topography is at its most dramatic where the Drakensberg’s northern reaches drop sheer to the hot bushveld plains below. From here, visitors can look out over the Eastern Escarpment to where the savannah merges with the distant coastal plains of Mozambique, and hike through the ravines of the Blyde River Canyon.

Early prospectors flocked to the eastern part of the country in search of gold, and found it in the rivers and streams. Today, visitors are attracted by the natural beauty and the superb nature reserves. Here, the Blyde River has cut a might canyon and close by, the edge of the Drakensberg range rises from the grassy plains a kilometre below.