News
Tourists take holiday on the edge in Africa
23 April 2008
A new craze in southern Africa is taking tourists to the edge of the Victoria Falls, with visitors pictured swimming in a small natural pool just inches away from a 110-metre drop.
The area, known as Devil's Pool, is inaccessible for most of the year but during the dry season the Zambezi river flows slowly enough for people to enter the water without being swept off the edge.
Victoria Falls is one of the world's most famous waterfall systems, stretching for a mile along the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Local guides take tourists on a trip that is perilous in itself to reach the top of the falls – the three-hour walk involves negotiating slippery surfaces and crossing fast-flowing water.
Francisc Stugren, a software engineer from Seattle, said that the journey is worth it, describing the Devil's Pool experience as better than bungee-jumping.
'Being in the Devil's Pool is a serious adrenaline rush,' he said.
'The thought that you may get sucked away from the relatively calm waters of the pool and down the foamy hell into the pit makes you giddy with apprehension, although you have to stray out quite a bit for that to happen.'
If you'd like to see this destination for yourself, use Opodo's travel search engine to find flights, hotels, holidays and car hire worldwide.
The area, known as Devil's Pool, is inaccessible for most of the year but during the dry season the Zambezi river flows slowly enough for people to enter the water without being swept off the edge.
Victoria Falls is one of the world's most famous waterfall systems, stretching for a mile along the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Local guides take tourists on a trip that is perilous in itself to reach the top of the falls – the three-hour walk involves negotiating slippery surfaces and crossing fast-flowing water.
Francisc Stugren, a software engineer from Seattle, said that the journey is worth it, describing the Devil's Pool experience as better than bungee-jumping.
'Being in the Devil's Pool is a serious adrenaline rush,' he said.
'The thought that you may get sucked away from the relatively calm waters of the pool and down the foamy hell into the pit makes you giddy with apprehension, although you have to stray out quite a bit for that to happen.'
If you'd like to see this destination for yourself, use Opodo's travel search engine to find flights, hotels, holidays and car hire worldwide.
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