Taking cable car rides can be very daunting in fact there are a lot of people who try to avoid cable car rides just because they have the phobia of heights. In the city cable car rides help city commuters to beat the traffic grid locks and for remote communities it’s a boon and a lifeline because they get connected to the outside world. Cable cars are engineering marvels of mankind, considered by many in the engineering world as cutting edge innovation at its best. Most of the amazing world’s cable cars scale huge heights and if you are inside one of these cars you will find yourself dangling at several thousands of feet above the ground level. The cable car rides are sure to beat the living day lights of anyone taking a ride on these.
There are a few popular Hollywood movies that have portrayed cable car scenes in their movies, notable are 1) Clint Eastwood’s war film Where Eagles dare and 2) James Bond’s Moonraker.
Cable car rides still occupy a high place among the global tourists for the unique one-of-a-kind scary thrilling experience at great altitudes. Even third world countries like India today have this technology to build this engineering Marvel. So folks don’t presume that it’s only the Swiss who have mastered this marvel. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to see several Bollywood movies depicting scenes with cable cars in their movies similar on the lines of Hollywood, the point we want to emphasize here is it’s such a scenic beauty to see a cable car in the midst of a lush green valley or a dense green jungle that it leaves a lasting impression in the minds of people who see it.
In the remainder of the article I’m gonna list some of the best cable cars in the world that will surely take you by storm.
Genting Skyway,Malaysia
The Genting Skyway is a Gondala lift that is the best in Asia, it is the fastest in the world and also the longest in SE Asia. It connects Gohtong Jaya and Resort Hotel in Genting Highlands, Pahang Malaysia. Most people take this skyway to have access to the casino located in the highlands, people who fear this scary ride prefer to climb the mountainous terrain by bus or car.
Aiguille du Midi cable car, France
The Aiguille du Midi cable car easily passes of as the world’s most scenic cable car ride, a majority of people who use this are skiers and hikers. It starts at the center of Chamonix and ends at Mont Blanc in only 20 minutes of ride time.
The Sky Road ropeway in Yushan village of China
The Sky Road ropeway in Yushan village of China is a lifeline for the villagers living here to get connected with the outside world. This is a 1 km long cable car and deserves accolades from all European manufacturers because of the incredible Chinese engineering that went into making this a reality.
Switzerland’s double decker cable car in Lucrene
Switzerland distinguishes itself as being the first in the world to introduce double decker cable car in Lucrene. The cable car covers 1.9 km and the Cabrio (cable car) can carry 60 people at once with room for 30 on the open-air top deck. It transports passengers to the top of the 1900 m Mount Stanserhorn in just 6 minutes. This surely is a Swiss engineering at its best.
Sugarloaf Cable car in Rio de Janeiro
This is a cable way in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil which is famous for providing a flight scene in the famous James Bond movie Moonraker. Tourists consider it as the most iconic cable car in the world and remains as a top attraction among other city attractions of Rio de Janeiro.
The Emirates Air Line cable car over the Thames river in London
In spite of having 34 bridges to cross Thames river London has a cable car for its residents to cross the river Thames. The Emirates Air Line cable car was built in the year 2012 to offer quicker transportation, the top view from the cable car gives breath taking views of the river and surrounding landscape.
Merida Cable car in Venezuela
The Merida cable car is the highest in the world. It begins at an altitude of 1640 m and finishes at 4765 m. Beware of the altitude, sounds really scary, you could die of height sickness!
