Nose-dive 111m into the Zambezi River and raft one of the most dangerous rivers in the world!
The thought of bungee jumping is sure to bring up some nerves, not to mention rafting Class 5 rapids in a crocodile-infested river. But if you're going to do it, why not do it with the Victoria Falls as your backdrop? This could be one of the most exciting and exhilarating adventures you could have in your lifetime!
Mosi-ao-Tunya (the Smoke that Thunders) in local parlance, Victoria Falls are at the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia in Southern Africa where the mighty Zambezi takes a 355-foot plunge into a chasm separating the two countries.
Unlike Iguazu or Niagara Falls, the chasm is really narrow so there is no point where you you get a wide or panoramic view of it. It is about 5600 ft (1700 m) wide, so you can walk along the cliff where there are numerous clearings in the vegetation for a good view and a photo-op. It is quite a unique waterfall experience in that every view you get of it is dramatically different from the previous one.
The best base from which to explore the area is Livingstone, Zambia. You can get there in many different ways. I flew in from Johannesburg. There are numerous places to stay from budget to pricey.
Bungee
From Livingstone you can get a ride to the bridge that connects Zambia to Zimbabwe. You have to go through immigration before you can get on the bridge since the bridge is no-man's land between the two countries.
I remember it being a beautiful, sunny day. I could see rafters below ending their day-long rafting journey, reminding me that was next on my list. The adrenaline started to kick in as I made my way across the bridge. My Zambian friend and work-mate, Joshua, was accompanying me but there was no way in hell he was going to jump off this bridge. So I delegated the photography to him as I made my way over to get fitted with the harnesses. The operators seemed very confident in what they were doing. They gave me some instructions on the whole process, how they would give me a countdown before the jump, how I should jump outward not downward, and how someone would come rappelling down at the end of the jump to attach a carabiner to me to get me upright again and then reel me back up.
All sounds copacetic I thought to myself. I took a few steps to the edge and looked down. Holy s#%t!!!!!!. I reflexively grabbed on tight to the railings and took a deep breath. I glanced over at Joshua. He was shaking his head. You're crazy were the last words I heard as the operator's countdown faded. I confidently looked out at the horizon and leapt.
The first second was the most serene and exhilarating feeling. I felt like I was flying. Time was flowing slower than I had ever experienced it to. The view was absolutely stunning. I felt so lucky to be having this beautiful experience.
That didn't last long. As I started accelerating downward, the adrenaline started to kick in. I felt a pit in my stomach. I was going much faster now. Excitement mixed with fear. The horizon wasn't visible anymore. All I could see was cliffs. Am I even attached to the harness? I thought to myself. I couldn't feel it.
By the third second I was plunging straight down. All I could see was the river below with large boulders jutting out of it. I was falling really really fast now. I felt out of control as my body tried to resist the speed of the fall. A quick thought passed my mind: what if I fell into the river and smashed my head?
Just as this thought popped into my head, I started to decelerate. Still going down but slower. Still going down, approaching the water, even slower. Whoa! Im really close to the river now, when is it going to stop? Just as you think you're going to plunge into the river, dead stop for a split second. And then, boom, the elastic nature of the tether propels you back upward. Your body straightens out and you are flying up toward the sky, then you take a nose dive back downward until you come to another dead stop, and then it repeats all over again, bouncing up and down until you come to a complete stop. I must have bounced around 8 or 9 times before coming to a complete stop. You feel really disoriented when you are bouncing around. All you see is a mashup of river, cliff, sky and bridge until you come to a standstill.
Now I'm just hanging in the air, face down, heart pumping, staring at the river, waiting for the operator to rappel down and reel me back up. Everything seems quiet, serene, beautiful. Wow, I did it!
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