Best Bungee Jumping Spots

Bungee jumping is an extremely extreme pursuit which consists of jumping off a lofty place with a large elastic cord tied to your ankle. When a person jumps from the structure, the elastic cord stretches as he falls, and snaps back up again and the jumper is thrown up again, and continues in a mad up and down oscillatory motion (very very scary) until the elastic cord has spent off its energy and the person is retrieved and is placed back on the ground. There are also bungee jumpers like Thierry Devaux who use the elastic cord to climb back up.

The ultimate thrill derived from this activity comes from a combination of free falling as well as being bounced about by the elastic cord.

The place used to jump from varies. Tall buildings, bridges, cranes, mountains are jumped from by jumpers all over the world, and the key is: the scarier the drop, the better. It is also possible to jump from balloons and helicopters.

The Macau Tower, Macau

The Macau Tower jump is a 233 meters drop, and has been accepted by the Guinness Book of Records as the “Highest Commercial Bungee Jump in the world”. Terrifying speeds are achieved while jumping down, and the elastic cord has a “Guide Cable” system that limits swing, as the jump is remarkably close to the structure inself.

Bloukrans Bridge Bungee Jump, South Africa

The Bloukrans jump is off the 216 meters high bridge, and is the second highest commercial jump in the world after Macau Towers. This is a completely free fall jump, and is thought by many to be more thrilling than Macau Towers, The Bloukrans Bridge is a really beautiful place in the middle of the Tsitsikamma Forest. It is the highest single span arched bridge from where one can reach speeds upto 110 miles / hour.

Verzasca Dam, Switzerland

James Bond undertook this Jump in Golden Eye, and since then, many enthusiasts have arrived at this location to bungee down the 220 meter drop. The Ticino Valley in Switzerland is also an amazingly beautiful area, with the Alps on one side, and the lake on the other.

The Bhote Khosi Bungee, Nepal

About three hours from Katmandu, Nepal, there is a Swiss jumping site over the River Bhote Khosi down the bridge. The drop is 160 meters and is very much popular. An excellent view is also to be had at this location.

Victoria falls, Zimbabwe

The Victoria Falls is located on the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia, and is the widest curtain of waterfall in the world, and is a 166 meter drop over the Zambezi river rapids.

CAUTION

Bungee Jumping is not kids play. There is a great chance of injury or even fatality due to human errors. Possibilities of injuries due to human errors include the safety harness or the cord elasticity malfunctioning due to improper procedure or the cord not being tightly fixed to the jump platform coming loose. Also, if the cord gets tangled with your body, there is danger. Possible injuries are eye trauma, rope burn, dislocations, whiplash, uterine prolapse and back injury.

Age, weight, experience, equipment and location are some of the key deciding factors.