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Birding the Blyde

Birding tour, Blyde River Canyon

Birding the Blyde: Four Days in the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere

Bird the Blyde River from rafts, picnic at secluded waterfalls and search the forests of Mariepskop for Taita Falcon, Pel's Fishing Owl and African Finfoot.

A forested escarpment ridge with sheer cliffs seen from a rocky lookout above the hazy Lowveld

Dates

19 to 22 November 2026

Duration

4 days, 3 nights

Price

R6 500 per person

Stay

Ya-Mati, dinner, bed and breakfast

Area

Kruger to Canyons Biosphere

Four days in the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere

The Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Reserve packs savannah, afro-montane forest, riverine forest and fynbos into one region, and more than 500 bird species live here.

Over four days we bird the Blyde on rafts, picnic at secluded waterfalls and explore the lush riverine vegetation and alpine grasslands of the Blyde River valley and Mariepskop.

Target birds of the Blyde and Mariepskop

The trip focuses on special birds such as Taita Falcon, Pel's Fishing Owl and African Finfoot.

On our 2025 trip the group found African Wood Owl, Crowned Eagle, Trumpeter Hornbill, African Finfoot and Yellow-throated Woodland Warbler, with a pair of finfoot at Ya-Mati itself.

Where we bird on the escarpment

The escarpment grasslands

The Blyde River Canyon

The Jonkmanspruit and Kampersrus valleys

The Mariepskop pass and its forests

Staying at Ya-Mati

We stay three nights at Ya-Mati, a tropical paradise ideally placed for exploring this part of South Africa, on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis.

Your booking

What's included

What your ticket covers on the day.

✓

3 nights' accommodation at Ya-Mati

✓

Dinner, bed and breakfast

✓

Entrance fees

✓

All guided excursions

Hazy view down the Blyde River Canyon to the dam, with rounded peaks and sheer cliffs beyond An African finfoot with a red bill and white-spotted body swimming low in a shaded river Three birders in sun hats at a rocky viewpoint, one photographing across a wooded valley A yellow-throated woodland warbler perched among sunlit green leaves in the Mariepskop forest

Questions guests ask

R6 500 per person covers three nights at Ya-Mati on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis, entrance fees and all guided excursions.

Taita Falcon, Pel’s Fishing Owl and African Finfoot, along with forest and grassland specials of the Blyde River valley and Mariepskop.

Book online with the Book tour button below. Lisa then confirms your booking by email. For questions, call +27 83 380 2322.

Birding the Blyde

Book your place

R6 500

per person · Includes 3 nights at Ya-Mati (dinner, bed and breakfast), entrance fees and all guided excursions

19 to 22 November 2026

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