Three huge, round-topped pillars of rock stand along the rim of the Blyde River Canyon, and local people liken them to the rondavels, the round thatched huts of traditional African homesteads, which is how they got their name. Each is a dome of dark rock, capped with grass and bush, rising hundreds of metres above the water. Local tradition links them to the wives of a chief, and the place is treated with some respect.
Below the viewpoint, the canyon plunges several hundred metres to the Blyde River Dam, where green water fills the bottom of the gorge. The canyon is about twenty-five kilometres long, and often described as one of the largest green canyons in the world, because the slopes are clothed in lush vegetation instead of bare rock. Baboons and vervet monkeys visit the car park, so keep food out of sight, and eagles ride the thermals along the cliff. In the early morning, when mist fills the gorge, the pillars rise like islands from a white sea.
The ride out to the viewpoint is the end of the Panorama Route, along a smooth tarmac road between farmland and forest. It is a quiet, flowing road, though a little narrow in places, with trucks carrying timber from the plantations. Rain can set in without warning in the summer months, and in winter the dawn can be cold. The best time is early morning, when the colours are strongest and the crowds are small.
There are no services at the viewpoint apart from a few craft sellers and a small kiosk, so plan ahead. Fuel is available in Graskop, about thirty kilometres away, and in Hoedspruit to the north. A small entrance fee may apply at the gate. Take water, keep your helmet and jacket close and spend a few quiet minutes at the railing, because the view is worth the long ride.