Ride in a new glass lift in Graskop

There’s a new tourist attraction on the Panorama Route: a glass lift in Graskop, which opened in December last year. It descends 51 m into Graskop Gorge at the base of Panorama Falls – a place previously only accessible if you were brave enough to do the Big Swing from the opposite cliff. From the inside of the lift, you have plenty of time to appreciate the gorgeous view of the Lowveld – on a clear day you can see all the way to the Kruger Park. Unfortunately the lift doesn’t have a glass floor – it would have made the experience even better! Down in the gorge there’s a walkway and two suspension bridges that take you past river pools and through an indigenous forest. Information boards along the way tell you more about the vegetation and birdlife. At the top there’s a visitor’s centre and the Lift Restaurant. Grab a chicken prego and chips (R70), a pizza (from R65) or another light meal. Buy a souvenir at one of the curio stalls or walk along the decks to find the best spot for a selfie. The lift is the end result of a R40 million project led by Oupa Pilane, president of the Kruger Lowveld Chamber of Business and Tourism, along with Campbell Scott, developer of the Skyway aerial cable trail near Hazyview, and James Sheard, owner of the Long Tom Toboggan. Where? Outside Graskop on the R533 to Hazyview. Cost: R175 per person. Opening times: Daily from 8 am to 4.30 pm. Contact: 066 305 1572/3; tickets@gglc.co.za; graskopgorgeliftcompany.co.za – Annemarie van der Walt