As writer Stephen Hunt said, if you’re not living on the edge, you’re taking up too much space. Imagine floating in a natural rock pool right on the lip of the largest waterfall in the world, looking down into the gorge far, far below as the waters of the great Zambezi River thunder past, the spray rises and perpetual rainbows dance in the air.
This is the Devil’s Pool at Victoria Falls on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe. At close on 2 km wide and over 100 m high, the falls are the largest sheet of falling water on earth, and are often called one of the seven natural wonders of the world.
A trip to the pool is an enthralling, adrenalin-soaked highlight of any visit to Victoria Falls, and the only way to properly experience **Mosi-oa-Tunya** – “the smoke that thunders”. To experience this, you have to take a boat ride, hike across a small river island, and swim through currents before jumping off a rock into the world’s ultimate infinity pool.
It all starts at a jetty on the banks of the Zambezi, on the Zambian side of Victoria Falls. A boat ride takes you to Livingstone Island, a strip of dry land at the very edge of the falls. It was here, in 1855, that Scottish explorer David Livingstone became the first European to see the falls, a scene he declared to be “so lovely, it must have been gazed on by angels in their flight”, and named them after his queen, Victoria.
You can enjoy a quick tour of the small island, which remains lush and tropical all year round. It also offers spectacular views of Victoria Falls, as well as chance sightings of wildlife such as a family of elephants swimming across the Zambezi, hippos surfacing, or a solitary giraffe loping along the far shore.Then it’s time to head to the Devil’s Pool. It is important to have experienced tour guides with you, as this is no health-and-safety-sanctioned excursion. They will show you the safest way to cross the rocks on the shore, and then guide you through the swift currents of the Zambezi as you strike out for the pool. After a short swim, you climb out onto a rocky outcrop. And then it’s time to jump!
The guides go first, to show you where to jump and to ensure that everyone gets in safely. Experienced guides may do a bit of showing off here, somersaulting spectacularly into the rock pool, right at the edge of the waterfall. Then it’s your turn.
You spring off the rock and into the pool, the water deep enough to cover your head. As you surface, the current takes you, sweeping you towards the brink of the massive waterfall. But before you hurtle over the edge, you are stopped by a slippery lip of underwater rock right on the edge of the precipice. There you are: Swimming at the edge of the world. The sun-warmed water whirls around you, while little fish nibble gently on your legs.
Sit yourself down on the Devil’s Armchair, an underwater ledge at the edge of the pool, and take in the view. Below, the Zambezi plunges into the canyon, thundering as it goes, and as the spray rises, rainbows form in the mist of the gorge. It's the closest you’ll ever get to the Victoria Falls, and the best view in the world. There’s nothing else like it, anywhere.If you’re particularly adventurous, you can even pull your head and shoulders right over the edge of the falls – while a guide holds your feet, of course! There you get a direct, spectacular look straight down the massive sheet of water and its frothy, tumbling spray as it drops over 100 m to the riverbed below. If you bring a camera (preferably waterproof), the tour guides will take photos of you looking out over the waterfall, jumping into the water, or just chilling out in the pool at the edge of the precipice.
Once you’ve had your fill of adrenalin and natural beauty, it’s time to head back through the Zambezi to Livingstone Island for a picnic lunch and a few drinks to toast your experience.
The Devil’s Pool is not for the faint-hearted. It is essential to only make the trip in the company of experienced tour guides from a reputable travel company. They know the river and its currents, and will explain the guidelines and ensure your safety every step of the way.
It is only safe to visit the pool in the dry season from around September to December, when the water level is low. In the wet season the Zambezi rises dramatically, submerging the Devil’s Pool.
Bring swimwear, a towel, and sturdy shoes for hiking and scrambling over rocks. Dry clothes to wear at the picnic after your plunge are also a good idea. And in case nobody back home believes your experience, don’t forget your camera.
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