If an epic experience means going beyond what is usual or ordinary – to encompass that which is extraordinary, momentous and great – then that is how I would describe my first descent on the creeking Mac-Mac River, beginning from the thunderous Mac-Mac Falls, a national monument of South Africa.

It really is as good as it sounds: South Africa’s Panorama Route brings you face to face with the majesty of the earth’s canvas of colourful and intricate painting. Winding northeast from the spectacular Drakensburg Mountains of Mpumalanga to the northeastern end of the Great Escarpment, the Panorama Route takes in some of Africa’s (and the world’s) most dramatic scenery.