Call time was 0545H in The Last Resort’s office in Sagarmatha Bazaar, Thamel. Excited for my adventure, I showed up at our meeting place fifteen minutes before the schedule and there were already people there, mostly Europeans, waiting and excited as I was.

At exactly six in the morning our group left Thamel. We filled the three buses that took us to The Last Resort in Listikot Village near the Tibet border. I was the only Filipino and one of the two Asians in the group. Travel time was three hours from Thamel to the resort, with a stopover at Dolalghat for breakfast where I had a serving of potato chili and hot tea for 35 Rupees.

A few minutes after nine o’clock in the morning, our bus stopped on one side of the street near a steel hanging bridge. We crossed the bridge and welcomed by the staff of The Last Resort.

We were gathered at the Bar and Reception Hall for the briefing. The Bungy Master explained to us in detail the safety procedures, and the what’s and what’s not of bungy jumping. Afterwards, we were called one by one for weigh-in and our weights were written on the back of our hands.

The group was then divided into two. Those weighing 45 to 66 kilograms were in the first group while those 67 kilograms and above on second. At 56 kilograms, I was grouped with the first and we would be jumping in the morning, the group two would be jumping after lunch. So when the briefing wrapped up, our group proceeded to the hanging bridge.

All were excited and nervous when the first one was called. But the guy, pressured and scared, eventually quit when he was already on the edge of the platform and about to jump. A brave European girl was second. She was in all smile and at the count of three, to our amazement, she jumped without hesitation. We were all bewildered and shocked. Excitement overpowered my fear though. I have done it before in Macau Tower, the highest commercial bungy jumping site in the world, and I love to do it again in Nepal this time.

One by one, those in the queue were called, starting from the highest number down to the lowest. But an hour passed and I was still on the queue. Time passed and the fear faded. We all became eager to finish the jump so we could all move on. It was as if we were on the death row and waiting for our time.

Finally, I was called. The staff geared me with harnesses and straps all over my body and let me sit in the lone chair, strapped so I could not move anywhere. Then they tied my feet. I could feel my heart beat, I was damned scared. Then, the bungy master came and inspected me, he made sure that the harnesses and straps were all attached well. When he was sure that everything was perfect, he looked at my face and said “just fly like a bird”, and he attached the bungy rope to a strap in my feet.

Cameras were rolling and all eyes were on me. It was my time.

I was asked me to stand and walk to the ramp. I obliged with baby steps until I reached the edge. It was a point of no return. I held my hands up sideways and waved at the camera and to other jumpers who were cheering for me.

In 3… 2… and 1…

I flew like a bird as instructed. I felt the adrenalin rushed to my stomach and I screamed my lungs out until I got tired of screaming. It lasted for only few seconds but it seemed so long. I bounced up and down for a few times looking down to the raging river and big boulders below me.

I made it. I was brave enough to jump to a high of 160 meters over the Bhote Kosi River and it was indeed magical and extraordinary experience.

After a while, the rope stopped bouncing and I was slowly lowered. The ground crew untied the ropes and removed the straps and harnesses.

The adrenaline rush eventually died down, but the experience was not yet over. The trek going up was a real punishment. I was exhausted when I reached the resort, 160 meters above. Good thing that the lunch was already being served and with the exhaustion and lack of proper meals for the past few days, I devoured a plateful of familiar dishes – fried rice, mixed veggies, chili chicken, fried potatoes and a weird colored radish. The buffet meal was already included on the package.

After lunch, it was the second group’s turn to jump. I just killed time watching them jump from the viewing deck and eventually decided to enjoy the comfort of the resort. I sat in a shaded corner and started reading Rob Mundle’s Hell on High Seas until it was time to leave.

By 4PM, we left the resort and arrived at Kathmandu after three hours. It was already dark.

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How much did the jump cost me?

Only 115 USD or approximately 4,800 PHP inclusive of the transport from Thamel to The Last Resort and back, buffet lunch, video and photos of the jump and a cool souvenir shirt to remind me of my experience. Way cheaper than in Macau 🙂

Experience bungy jumping, canyon swing, high ropes, white water rafting and other adventure sports in The Last Resort near the border of Tibet.

The Last Resort
URL: http://www.thelastresort.com.np/

For booking and reservation, go to their Thamel office at Sagarmatha Bazaar, Thamel, Kathmandu or book through their website.