“Your turn”, said Olly, the jump instructor at Jumping Heights, Rishikesh.
“OMG Whaaaaaat”, I thought. However, I smiled and said “Awesome!”
I could hear my heart in my ears! I was standing at the edge of the bridge, 83 meters above the ground, ready to take a leap of faith. This was the first time I was going to bungee jump!
What felt like an eternity but in reality was just a couple of seconds. In that moment, a lot of thoughts flashed through my mind but only a few of them I remember today. The common phrase is “butterflies in the stomach” but what I felt was more like a tornado through my nervous system. The tingling started from my toes, went up to my knees, made a circle in my stomach and rose up from my spine and I felt a little dizzy.
By the way, this post is my bungee experience near Rishikesh. In case you’re looking for travel information, then check out this travel guide to Rishikesh.
What if I accidentally pee while bungee jumping?
Don’t laugh but this can happen to anyone. Blame it on that MasterCard commercial where a guy actually poops in his pants while bungee jumping so the thought stuck in my head. What if I’m too scared while jumping and I end up peeing out of fear?
What if I puke while bungee jumping?
Even though I had eaten a very light breakfast, I could still feel my it in my stomach. I was hoping it wouldn’t come out while jumping. What if I puke while bungee jumping? Will my puke fall back on my face? If you’re laughing, then you’re going to love reading about this hilarious first bungee jump experience.
What if my chord breaks while bungee jumping?
There is a reason why bungee jumping is a leap of faith. It’s because you have to trust the system. I still remembered a news article that I had read about an Aussie woman whose chord snapped in Victoria Falls and she fell into the water.
What if my back breaks during the bungee jump?
It just suddenly struck me that they had asked me if I had a back problem before I registered for the bungee jump. Is it because a jump can break someone’s back? What have I done?
What if I get a heart attack while bungee jumping?
What if this rush of excitement is too much for my heart? What if my heart cannot handle it and gives up. Do I have a strong heart? I was going to find out now.
What if I am too afraid to bungee jump?
What if I’m not as much of an adrenaline junkie that I thought I was? What if I chicken out? At this point, I was really hoping that it wouldn’t happen.
Am I crazy to be doing this?
Not completely crazy, but only a little. No sane person would ever jump off a bridge just for kicks. Why can’t I just eat chocolate and enjoy the rush? Or some form of intoxication for a decent high.
My first bungee jump in Rishikesh, India
Yes, I did end up jumping and NONE of the above mentioned things happened. In fact, as soon as I jumped, the fear vanished and I was let out a sound that was a mix of laughter and scream. My friend Archana also bungee jumped in Rishikesh with me and she felt it was scarier the second time.
Oh and by the way, actually bungee jumped with the famous Dangal girls – Fatima Sana Shaikh (“Geeta Phogat” in Dangal movie) and Sanya Malhotra (“Babita Phogat” in Dangal movie). In fact, Sanya did Jumping Heights’ 50,000th jump. It’s crazy but the first three jumpers at Jumping Heights were also women. Talk about celebrating girl power, eh?
Here, you can watch this video
Have you ever bungee jumped? If so, let me know about it in the comments. Note: Cover picture credit
Or, watch San’s first bungee jump in Last Resort, Nepal. This is Asia’s second highest bungee spot.
PS: Drifter Planet contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, we will earn a little commission at no extra cost to you. These commissions help us reduce the costs of keeping this site active. Thanks for reading!
Coincidentally, I did my first bungee jump too in Rishikesh just a month before this post in March 2017. I had always had this dream of doing a bungee jump once, given my fear of heights and I am glad I got an opportunity.
I must admit everything you mentioned did cross my mind too, especially questions 3 and 7. And I was perhaps more scared than I had ever been. When I went to the platform, there was this sharp n acute fear that ran through me and I just couldn’t jump after trying 3-4 times. They brought me back, made me sit on a chair, gave me water along with a small pep talk post which was my final attempt. This time, I gave in and told myself, “We’ll see whatever happens”. And I just jumped. And those 15 seconds in air is what we call as BLISS. The sense of accomplishment that “Yes, I did it” and “Haash, I am alive” completed the moment which I’ll forever cherish.
Namaste, Guten Tag!
I'm Sonal from India, living in Germany and exploring Europe. I've been writing about my travel adventures since 2015. I often travel alone (and sometimes with my husband & our toddler).
I love nature, adventure, hiking to viewpoints, Yoga, and road trips. I love creating itineraries and in-depth travel guides which will help you make the most of your trip.
Hey Sonal, my mom is travelling to Rishikesh the coming week.
Would you be kind enough to share about Rishikesh and of course the location to Bungee Jumping.
Absolutely! The bungee is arranged by Jumping Heights and they will be happy to arrange a pick up from Rishikesh.
Hi Sonal,
Coincidentally, I did my first bungee jump too in Rishikesh just a month before this post in March 2017. I had always had this dream of doing a bungee jump once, given my fear of heights and I am glad I got an opportunity.
I must admit everything you mentioned did cross my mind too, especially questions 3 and 7. And I was perhaps more scared than I had ever been. When I went to the platform, there was this sharp n acute fear that ran through me and I just couldn’t jump after trying 3-4 times. They brought me back, made me sit on a chair, gave me water along with a small pep talk post which was my final attempt. This time, I gave in and told myself, “We’ll see whatever happens”. And I just jumped. And those 15 seconds in air is what we call as BLISS. The sense of accomplishment that “Yes, I did it” and “Haash, I am alive” completed the moment which I’ll forever cherish.
Cheers!