Jumping into the New Year

---

Victoria Falls have been one of all things on our travel list that we always wanted to see since it is one of the most amazing nature wonders in the world. Of course we couldn’t resist jumping into the fabulous falls either and it has been a lifetime experience for sure. Even better we could enjoy the last days and celebrating New Years with the view towards night Victoria Falls with our dear friends.

Livingstone is the closest town to Victoria Falls from the Zambian side and there wouldn’t be a big deal to do there if not Victoria Falls faced the town. Many tourists are passing Livingstone and staying for few days. It has been quite busy since New Year was few days away and of course the place gets its own charm this time of year. This time of year with the wet season you can see the falls in full force but we got best of both worlds with the sun shining. Actually we were lucky to visit place in this time year because the Zambizi River is full of water and the falls looked incredible. In the dry season you can easier to pass the river by foot and reach Livingstone Island from which is meant to be amazing scenery. But to pass the river this time of year is taking suicide if you’re not experienced. It is quite funny (or sad in other way) that some drunken locals are standing by the river and offering a tour through the over flooded river this time of year, and not enough that many hippos and crocodiles are waiting for a tasty New Year bite.

The walk was fantastic and wet by Victoria Falls and it isn’t hard to understand why this place has been chose to one of the must see places in the world. The falls are huge and heavy rain season makes it look more unique than it is. We were lucky enough to start quite early in the morning (since the open hours are from 6am to 6pm) because it becomes overcrowded from 10am, and you’ll have twenty tourists in front of you when you’ll try to take a magnificent picture of this place. Of course it would be quite annoying and you cannot have the camera out all the time because the waterfalls are spraying water all over the place and it isn’t time to have a broken camera. A walk by Victoria Falls will get you soaked from head to toe and have a good rain jacket for you and your camera if you want picture memories, not just in your mind and show friends this beautiful place on the earth.

We were walking with butterflies in our stomachs since we knew that we will reach end of our endless walk and we will do a jump into Zambizi River by Victoria Falls. We were looking from a distance when people are jumping one after one from 111 meters high bridge, and the loud scream made us nervous a little bit in this moment. But we couldn’t wait to get there and experience it by ourselves. We wanted just do it NOW… Actually we were planning to do a tandem bungee since both of us have done single bungee jump in Australia but it turned out that tandem bungee jump isn’t possible at this place. So we were keen to try the world’s highest swing which is like a bungee but the rope is around your waste instead of feet. We didn’t regret to take a tandem swing because it has been definitely a life experience. It was an endless and quite calm waiting, and we were admiring nervous and adrenalin full people jumping one after one… and the terrified face expression said more than hundred words. Finally it was our turn and to stand on one of the highest bungee jump bridges in the world was quite nervous… well we have done it before and maybe it helped a little bit because we knew what is waiting for us. However, this time was different of three reasons… first, it is 111 meters high bridge and into the Victoria Falls, second we did a tandem jump and third that it was the highest swing in the world. We heard around that the swing is scarier than a bungee but we think it doesn’t matter which you do and it is quite scary the fact to stand on the bridge with a small rope around you, look down and you are regretting but want to jump in the same moment… in your head is going on a chaos and you think ‘I’m out of my mind, what I’m doing… taking suicide?!’. Well it was a freedom feeling and it was wonderful 30 seconds, and we were able enjoy the view while they were taking us up. Rest of the day we were walking with full adrenalin in our bodies and we couldn’t believe that we did it… wow this is awesome. So guys, make sure to bungee jump into Victoria Falls if you have a chance and want.

Actually one day after our jump we heart quite bad news when an Australian girl was making a bungee jump at Victoria Falls and the rope broke and she felt in Zambizi River. Fortunately she survived the high drop, rapids, dangerous crocodiles and hippos… lucky one. Well this kind of stuff can happen everywhere and especially on this busy time of year (New Year) when the business is going for more money rather than security. They are covering themselves with a signature that you make before your jump that this jump is on your own risk. This is Africa but if you won’t risk, you won’t experience! Well we have ticked off one ‘must to do’ point of our lists.

The New Year Eve was quite calm and we decide to meet New Year at Water Front Lodge by Victoria Falls. It is an amazing place and you are facing Victoria Falls in the darkness but they made sure to light it up. Well this place has been a “mzungu” meeting point and not many Zambians at all but later on we realized that it is quite good that we spent our night in a safe and absolutely gorgeous place. We got a ride back to Livingstone a little after twelve since we wanted to celebrate in the town as well but we couldn’t believe what has happened in the city center. We were driving on the smashed bottle’s glasses and we were worried about the car tights, people were screaming… well it remind us a war area but our driver explained that this is absolute normal and it is a way to celebrate New Year in this country. We were more than happy to skip this event because it looked quite dangerous and we decided to stay at our safe hostel, and have few more drinks since it was the last night with our friends.

---

Comments

[Incentive Travel]

Incentive Travel
This is a fabulous blog post. The images are breath taking. We travel to Africa with a couple of groups each year. Victoria Falls will be in the works for us soon! Incentive Travel

[Muno]

The feature was on the news in the UK tonight about the rope snapping - wouldn't have wanted to be the next in the queu after that had happened!