My name is Sasha and I am an adrenaline addict. I did my first bungee jump in 2012 and have been looking for my next high ever since. The buzz you get while plummeting towards the ground with only a thin cord between you and your imminent death is out of this world. With one epic 160-metre jump already under my belt, I’m keen to find another worthy bungee jump to add to my 2017 bucket list. Here’s my roundup of the top bungee sites in the world right now.
1. The Last Resort, Bhote Kosi River, Nepal
The Last Resort Bungee Jump is not for the faint of heart. Wikipedia
At 160 metres above ground, this bungee may only be the tenth highest in the world, but it’s location definitely adds to the scare-factor.
To get to the jump site, travellers must first cross the rumbling rapids of the Bhote Kosi river by Nepal’s longest suspension bridge to be weighed and measured for the leap. Doubling as the jumping platform, the bridge lurches periously from side to side. Somewhere in between the trembling knees and sweaty palms, jumpers must find the courage to let go, while every instinct tells them to hold on.
Fear factor: 8/10
2. Victoria Falls Bridge, Livingstone, Zambia/Zimbabwe
Situated over the Victoria Falls that borders the African countries Zambia and Zimbabwe, this dramatic bungee allows jumpers to be in literally two places at once. As they leap into the fall’s abyss, the brave jumpers traverse back and forth between the two countries.
At just 111-metres high, Victoria Falls Bridge is the smallest jump to make the list. Some may underestimate Victoria Falls due to it’s slight stature, but looks can be deceiving. An infamous cord-snap in 2012 saw an Australian tourist free fall for four seconds, plunging straight into the river rapids below, after her cord broke. Thankfully, the jumper was saved by the break in her fall from the rapids. Around 200,000 thrill-seekers have since jumped from the site – a testimony to it’s safety, according to the jump team.
Fear Factor: 7/10
3. Verzasca Dam, Ticino, Switzerland
Photo via World All Details
Recognise this location? This jump is famous for it’s feature in the opening sequence of James Bond’s Golden Eye.
Number three on my list and coincidentally the third highest bungee jump in the world. At 220 meters, the Verzasca Dam is the only site in the world that gives jumpers the chance to take leap in the dark.
Fear Factor: 9/10
4. Royal Gorge Bridge, Colorado, United States
At 321 metres, the Royal Gorge Bridge easily takes the bacon for the highest bungee jump in the world. The 1,260-ft-long suspension bridge was the highest bridge in the world until 2003 when it was trumped by the creation of the mighty Beipanjiang River bridge in China. Colorado’s Royal Gorge Bridge still stands proud as the highest bungee jumping site today, and the most exclusive.
This bridge is only legal to bungee from on three days each year. Even then, the jump remains closed to the general public, and is available only by invitation. They can’t keep us from dreaming though.
Fear factor: 8/10
5. Volcano Bungee near Pucon, Chile
One incredibly brave soul takes what is arguably the world’s most treacherous bungee jumps in Chile. Video via Susie Park
A terrifying 250-metre fall into a crater of molten hot lava awaits those brave souls jumping here. The Volcano Bungee, as it is known, may not be the highest bungee-jump but it is indisputably the most extreme.
Jumpers are airlifted 10,000 feet up in the air. Perching on the edge of a moving helicopter, jumpers then must summon the courage to throw themselves into the bowl of magma below at just the right moment. When you’re dealing with a live, erupting volcano, timing is everything. This is a leap of faith if we have ever seen one.
Of course, this unbelievable experience has an incredible price tag to match. At $9,995 US dollars for a 6-day package, this jump is ever so slightly outside of most backpacker’s budgets. Best get saving, adrenalin junkies!
Fear factor: 10/10
