La Aventura

You would think that being thousands of miles away from home would make you more cautious of engaging in dangerous activities, but for some reason, when you are traveling, that is never the case. Out of all the unhinged things I have done on my travels, hanging off of the edge of Victoria Falls, one of the world’s largest waterfalls, in Zambia, Africa, is amongst the top two…and it is not number two.

Mosi-oa-Tunya, or Victoria Falls, is one of the world’s largest waterfalls. Located in south central Africa, this world wonder can be found along the Great Zambezi River, which sits on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia. The name Mosi-oa-Tunya, which means “The Smoke that Thunders” in Lozi (the local language of Zambia), was given to the waterfall because of the billowing clouds of mist that the waterfall creates and the thunderous sound the water makes as it crashes down on the rocks below. The “smoke clouds” and thundering sounds of the falls are so large and loud that they can be seen and heard from miles away. The picture below is from our helicopter tour of Mosi-oa-Tunya and the Great Zambezi River.

We began our excursion bright and early at the tour office. There, we suited up in lifejackets and water shoes, signed waivers, and listened closely to our guide’s instructions. We would be going for a dip in the infamous Devil’s Pool. In short, Devil’s Pool is basically a small plunge pool that has formed at the edge of Victoria Falls. The water runs off the falls at a slower pace in this area, making it safe to wade around and hang out here. At the edge of the pool, the rocks form a raised curb like lip that has rivets that you can sit in and look out and over the falls, without toppling over the edge.

We piled into a speed boat and made our way downstream to Livingstone Island, which is a large area of land adjacent to the falls. We were greeted with welcome drinks and asked what we would take for breakfast after our adventure. Shortly after an additional safety debrief, we began our trek to the falls.

One of the funniest things about this excursion, was how calm everyone was. From the hotel concierge that helped us book the excursion, to the guide that picked us up in the morning, to the chef near the falls that asked us what we wanted to eat for breakfast before we went to go risk our lives, it was just another day in the life in Zambia for everyone. Meanwhile… I was sweating bullets, stressed!

Our trek to the falls did not actually require a lot of walking. We climbed over a few rocks, before coming face to face with the falls. It was absolutely breathtaking! Although we had found the falls, we still had to make a short journey through the river to actually reach Devil’s Pool. The water was deep and the current was strong. The guides encouraged us to swim, but if we couldn’t, we could use the rope of one of the nearby nets to pull ourselves along to the other side of the river. I tried a little bit of both, but eventually gave up and let one of the hunky guides carry me – princess treatment only, lol.

When we arrived at Devil’s Pool, I was speechless. We were literally at the edge of this magnificent, mighty waterfall. Gushes of blue water cascaded rapidly over the rocky edges and a double rainbow glistened in the misty clouds that floated above the falls. It was so captivating that it brought tears to my eyes. Victoria Falls was something I had only seen in my grade school geography books. Little Jasmine never dreamed big enough to believe that she would one day see it in person, yet there it was right in front of me. I remember thinking to myself, “How amazing is God to have made something like this! It’s impossible that this came about by chance!”

My tears of joy quickly turned into beads of sweat, as I heard the guide say, “Jasmine, it is your turn. Come on!” I had tried to put my turn off as long as possible, letting everyone else go ahead of me, but.. alas, it was finally my turn. “Well, here goes nothing,” I said. The guide grabbed my hand, led me down the rocks, and lowered me into the water. “Don’t get scared and jump when the little fish nibble on you, okay!? I don’t want you to fall over,” said the guide as he loosened his grip on my hand. “Wait, what!?” I said -fish will nibble at you while in the pool. It feels more like a pinch, but it is bearable.

Another guide, positioned by the curb-like edge of the pool, beckoned for me to swim over to him. I doggie paddled over and he instructed me on how to sit down in the curb’s rivets so that I could check out the view down below. I moved slowly and positioned myself in the rivet. Once I was comfortable, I waved to my best friend for a photo – “Hi Mom!”

It was finally time for the iconic lay over the falls edge moment. The tour guide helped me flip around and instructed me to scoot up to the edge as far as I could go. As I slowly inched forward, he firmly held my feet. I looked around, over, side to side, and of course, smiled for a photo as I hung off the edge of the great Mosi-oa-Tunya! After my near-death experience, the guide helped me find my way back to the center of the pool, where I waded around until it was time to make our trek and swim back over to Livingstone Island. There, we enjoyed a fresh, delicious breakfast by the chef of the island!

While Devil’s Pool is not for the faint of heart, it is a must do while in Zambia or Zimbabwe – it is an easy drive across the Zimbabwean border to do this activity. The guides for this tour are professional and ensure your safety the entire excursion! We booked our excursion through our hotel, Nkhosi Lodge, which I highly recommend for your next stay in Zambia! Don’t think to much, just do it! I am really glad that I did!