On our 16th wedding anniversary, we flew an hour inland from Durban, rented a car, and drove another hour to the small town of Graskop. Its roots are in gold mining and today’s economy is dominated by logging and tourism. Situated along the “Panorama Route” at the edge of the Great Escarpment, it kept us entertained all week with scenic drives and hikes.
That first night, we had to quickly shop and get to work. The hotel ‘kitchenette’ turned out to be just mini fridge, microwave and kettle, but we made do! Our anniversary dinner was literally a can of ‘samp and beans,’ a hominy-based local dish. The mini-fridge managed to freeze the veggies, lunch meat and milk, making breakfast and lunch the next day a little more interesting too.
Since it was the weekend we planned a longer hike. Most of the Panorama Route beauty spots charge an entrance fee, and this one, Bourke’s Luck Potholes turned out to be one of the most expensive, charging for entry and again for the hike, and at the end, rangers asked us for a tip. It was as inhospitable as it gets: half flat, hot and exposed, half steep, untamed jungle with ferocious looking vines. The beginning had unique carved out ‘potholes’ and the end an impressive waterfall, but it wasn’t easy to get in and swim as I’d hoped to do. In that heat, I had to settle for a little adjacent tributary shower. All around, not my favorite experience.
Luckily everything got better from there. We got some great local food out the next night, all cooked outside over a wood fire. The South African version of BBQ (braai) should be over wood or failing that, briquettes, but certainly not gas. We had an ostrich skewer and a slow-simmered Potjie stew, named for the Afrikaans name of the little pot or dutch oven used to cook it. Of course, since our hotel had the facilities, we did a couple braai of our own as well. For some reason, this whole region is full of waffle and pancake restaurants, so we had to try that too. Rolled and filled (sweet or savory) like a crepe, but thick like an American pancake.
The hikes got more enjoyable too, with an incredible diversity of scenery. The second day was a more lush and pleasant jungle walk, but eventually opened up to wildflower meadows with views of the Drakensberg mountains and acres and acres of timber forest.
Then, my favorite day, a trail with incredible vistas the whole way of “The Three Rondavels” rock formation, that also dropped down into the forest for two of the most idyllic swimming holes I could possibly imagine. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so refreshed as jumping into that crystal clear cold pool and circling under the waterfall.
On our hottest day, we took our shortest hike to Forest Falls, and had the pools at the top to ourselves.
Waterfalls are pretty much the calling card of the Panorama Route, with tour busses visiting at least three of the major ones, each a paid viewpoint with no trail or access. We only visited one, Lisbon Falls.
That same day, we took a short hike to “God’s Window,” from which you could see all the way to Mozambique and the Indian Ocean. I don’t know whether it got its name from the way the cliffs frame the incredible vista, or from its appearance as the ‘end of the world’ in the movie The Gods Must Be Crazy.
One more highlight, that was surprisingly no more expensive than these other attractions, was the Graskop Gorge Lift, a giant elevator down the canyon wall to a lovely boardwalk through the forest. We walked there from the hotel and only brought the spare cellphone for safety. Unfortunately the battery died after one photo, so I’m sharing a couple professional shots of this site.
Even with a rough start, I really ended up loving my time in Glaskop. It gave us a chance to enjoy the outdoors and get active before heading into the safari park, where you have to stay in your vehicle and will spend most of the day sitting and watching for animals. It was hot, but the springs were cold, clear and beautiful. Locals were friendly and full of advice. Oh, and we saw baboons.