Bungee Jump From Amazing Locations Around The World!

The people of the Penecoste Islands in the South Pacific have jumped from bamboo towers with vines tied to their legs for thousands of years in a ritual known locally as Gkol, but the modern version of bungee jumping owes its origins to the Oxford Dangerous Sports Club.

Have you already bungee jumped? If so we would love to hear all about your experiences (perhaps with a photo or two). You can send them to us by email and we will use them on the website whenever possible.

 

On the 1st of April 1978 it organised bungee jumps for its members from the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol. They used a bunch of small elastic ropes - the same ones used to keep luggage on the roof rack of a car! Thankfully, bungee jumping has come a long way since then!

Ten years after the madhatters from Oxford leapt from that bridge in Bristol, the Kockleman Brothers in the USA and A.J. Hackett in New Zealand started commercial bungee jumping for members of the public.

And today you can go bungee jumping at some amazing locations across the planet. Or should that be bungy jumping or even bunji jumping because wherever your travels take you the name changes along with the scenery and the height of the jump in question.

Here then, in no particular order, are some of the best bungee jumps you’ll find anywhere in the world.

First stop the Bungy Jumping Centre in Ticino, Switzerland, where you can jump from a world record height of 722 feet. The jump is from the middle of the Verzasca Dam, made famous by the stunt filmed for the James Bond movie, Golden Eye, which was voted the best film stunt of all time. Night bungy jumping is available too. Minimum age is 10 and the price is €130 (about £75) for the first jump. Full details are at www.trekking.ch.

In Africa we have two to choose from. The Bloukrans Bungy Jump is known as the Rolls Royce of bungy jumps and at 708 feet from the highest single span arch bridge in the world it takes some beating. Surrounded by the beauty of South Africa’s Tsitsikamma Forrest, it’s a must for bungee fanatics. Minimum age is 14 and the price is ZAR580 (about £50) including that all important video proof! Get over to Face Adrenalin for full details.

You can also jump from the world famous Victoria Falls Bridge in what is no-man’s land between Zambia and Zimbabwe. The bridge is around 335 feet above the water level with the Victoria Falls as your breathtaking backdrop as you plummet towards the Zambezi. Mimumum age is 14 and a jump will cost you US$75 (about £40) if going solo, US$105 (about £60) if going tandem. More details are over at Safari Par Excellence.

The Great Canada Bungee is by far the highest in Canada at 200 feet and is the only site in the world where you can jump off a shear cliff! Solid limestone surrounding a 160 feet deep aqua blue spring fed lagoon which is larger than three football fields. Jumps cost around £40.00 and if you’re under 18 you’llneed written parent approval.

Ultimate Bungy offers you the adrenalin pumping chance to jump from a steel suspension bridge over a 500 feet tropical gorge near the Tibet - Nepal border. www.tlrnepal.com US$80 (about £45) gets you to and from the jump site from the Last Resort sanctuary and includes lunch too.

For forest lovers, there’s Tropical Bungee in Costa Rica. From a bridge over the Colorado River, you plunge 265 feet into a tropical canyon. The youngest person to have tried it was just four years old. The oldest 80. Transport aboard the Bungee Bus from the nearby village of San Jose is free, the jump and video evidence will cost you US$60 (about £35).

And for those who prefer the bright lights, head to Las Vegas. Next to the famous Circus Circus Hotel is a 171 foot former observation tower that offers panoramic views of Las Vegas and its famous strip. Take the rocket-shaped elevator to the top tower and you’ll find the A. J. Hackett Bungy (telephone 702 385 4321) - one of many Hackett franchises around the world.

And in true Las Vegas style you can even get married while doing this!

The price is US$59 (about £35) for your first jump but for an extra US$5 you’ll get a t-shirt and video footage will cost you US$15. The rules state that under 18s must be accompanied by a parent. Presumably only as far as the lift.

Return to Before You Die's Fire category page