Bungee Jumping in South Africa

Does the thought of tying a rubber band around your ankles and hurling yourself from a great height off a bridge scare the living daylights out of you? Well it should - that's kind of the point! Every year thousands subject themselves to this exquisite torture for the unbelievable natural high that ensues.

South Africa has a number of jump sites, the highest being at the Bloukrans ("blue cliffs") bridge on the border between the Western Province and Eastern Province along the Garden route. It's been running since 1997 and is an eye-watering 216m (over 700 feet) from the bridge to the water below, so definitely not for the faint-hearted!

For your first jump you may wish to try the smaller Gouritz bridge jump near Mossel Bay - it's a "mere" 65m high (a little over 200 feet).

History

Although it has its roots in tribal initiation rituals, bungee jumping as we know it has been around for about 30 years. The first jumps were performed in 1979 in the UK by a group of Oxford University students, for which they were subsequently arrested, but these days it is considered a perfectly reasonable, if slightly crazy, thing to do.

Safety

In spite of the extreme nature of bungee jumping (or perhaps because of it!) it's a fairly safe activity. Jump operators are tightly regulated, and safety procedures like double-checking of harnesses before every jump are enforced. Whilst there have been fatalities in the past (not in South Africa though, as far as I know), these have mostly been related to the wrong length of bungee cord being used, or to detachment from the cord. Most commercial operators now use body harnesses rather than mere ankle attachments, to prevent you losing the cord at the bottom of your jump.

Less severe, but more common injuries include dislocations, haemorrhage of the eyes, whiplash, uterine prolapse (ouch), back injuries and rope burn.

But for most people, the lasting impression is one of euphoria and satisfaction that you faced your fear ... and overcame it.

Bookings

You can find out more or book online at the Face Adrenalin site.

About us

This is not a travel company website. Rather I speak as a native South African who has also lived abroad for many years. This site represents a collection of information I believe will be useful to anyone considering a South African holiday.

South African Holidays