Located just a mere 3-hour drive from Johannesburg, Graskop treats tourists to breathtaking views. If you were doubting God’s creativity, spending time in this province for a weekend or a few couple of days may change your mind.

If your idea of a weekend getaway includes incredibly wild adventures, you can go ahead and book yourself for a few nights in this small town called Graskop. It is a perfect location for the majority of tourist attraction sites.

Although I and a group of girls spent a few nights at the Graskop hotel, I don’t recommend it. Located on a very busy street, you may be woken up by trucks in the middle of the night and a bunch of drunk people making their way home, particularly if you are a light sleeper like me.

But they serve a glorious breakfast, so that made up for my sleepless nights and their not-so-busy pool is perfect for swimming in the evening with stunning lights outside.

So how do you spend your afternoons in this small town?

Bunjee Jumping and Ziplining at Graskop Gorge Lift Co.

With the recent changes due to Covid-19, the best thing you can do is book ahead of time.  For that other group with a fear of heights, you can still enjoy some coffee and shopping at the Gorge Lift Co.

There is an outdoor lift that gives you breathtaking views of the mountains surrounding the area, again you can sit and have coffee if you are afraid of heights but you know what, get over it and hop on that lift, it’s fun and safe I promise.

You can check out the rates and more information here.

Dinner at The Panorama Chalets

It’s not really about food that I am suggesting this place, it is purely for Instagram-worthy pictures.  The best time to visit this place is towards the sunset, you will get the most amazing pictures with lovely backgrounds. Of course, you need someone with a good eye for quality pictures. Ditch your friends and find new ones if they can’t take proper pictures.

They have a restaurant called Divine foods, you can order their fries and chicken strips. It comes with a delicious dipping sauce, I was in my shy element to ask for the recipe but if you do visit this place, please ask them about their sauce and share with me on Instagram.

Err, just don’t agree to their green salad no matter how much of a healthy person you’re trying to be.

There is an entrance fee that you pay at the gate, always keep cash with you. These establishments are still trying to catch up on technology.

The Pinnacle Rock

Nothing special to do here besides cleansing your eyes with a large rock in the middle of a forest. 20 minutes of taking a few snaps are enough. Carry cash on you for the entrance fee, it seems they haven’t caught up with technology yet to accept cards.

Three Rondavels

God was in His element when He created these breathtaking rondavels.  You will find it fascinating and probably be in awe of God’s decision to treat us to such pleasant views. Take a good camera with you, you may want to snap a few good ones.

Graskop acts up when it comes to weather conditions, if it’s one of those days, you may find the entire area misty and offering nothing good to capture due to weather conditions.

The Blyde  River Canyon

There are no words worthy enough to describe the beauty found in viewing this river. You can just enjoy the view or better yet, visit the river and participate in some activities. For viewing, you can combine it with the three rondavels trip, they are basically in the same area. Activities at the Blyde river canyon range from river rafting, boat trips, paintball, quad biking, etc.

Check out more information here

God’s Window

What you will enjoy here is a mini hike, and beautiful views, and maybe some monkeys minding their own business. The name is misleading, I thought I would actually see what God’s window looked like but don’t get your hopes up. There’s an entrance fee, nothing that breaks your bank balance, and again carry cash.

You can easily cover all these activities in two days, so a weekend is just enough for the above.  Of course, there are other routes you may want to explore around Mpumalanga, this is just the Graskop part. If you have unreliable friends to travel with, check out how you can enjoy your travel without them here.