Dare to take the plunge: Five of the world's most death-defying swimming pools

Every once in a while, people get a kick out of making their imagination come alive. For artists, among their aspirations is combining euphoria with fear in its various depths. Infinity pools evoke exactly this kind of theme. Creating this type of pool is what makes the job of being an architect or a designer thrilling. Also known as negative edge pools, infinity pools are created to convey a visual effect of stretching out endlessly to the horizon, usually to a larger body of water.

People who want to experience a great staycation would usually spend their days poolside and take a plunge into their swimming pool. But there are those who love to globe-trot in search of gravity-defying pools that quench their thirst for boldness and adventure.

So where do these globe-trotters go in search of the best swimming pools?

Here are five of the world's most death-defying swimming pools:

• The Devil’s Swimming Pool in Victoria Falls, Africa - Swimmers who come here have to endure being only inches from a deadly 328-ft. (100-m) drop that is Victoria Falls.

Image Credit: extremesportsx.com

• Ubud Hanging Gardens, Bali – Made to resemble the surrounding hills, the pools have edges which seem to drop off into the depths of forests.

Image Credit: telegraph.co.uk

• Holiday Inn, Shanghai Pudong Kangqiao – The hotel takes swimming to new heights with its 24-story high, glass-bottomed pool.

Image Credit: vagabond.se

• Hotel Caruso, Ravello, Italy – Overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, the hotel’s infinity pool is perched on a top of a cliff, about 1,000 feet above sea level.

Image Credit: finest-spa.com

• Langham Place Miora Resort and Spa, Thailand – The zero-edge pool is nestled on the second floor of the resort, overlooking the ocean.

Image Credit: juxtapost.com

Beyond the edgeless feature of these pools, they share the same goal as with the traditional above-the-ground pools -- allowing people to loosen up and have fun.  


Transform your yard into your own luxe resort at a price you can afford. Visit Blue World Pools’s website for more details.

Urban decay: A look at some of America's abandoned swimming pools

Swimming pool dealers, like Blue World Pools, would have started in the business thinking that swimming pools aren’t just bodies of water but potent symbols of the American life. True enough, the social history of this man-made body of water conjures a significant fact: The pools people dive into today have come a long way, from being austere public baths for laborers and leisure resorts supporting the divide between the blacks and the whites, to being an urban space that challenges segregation and underscores America’s shift from an industrial culture to a modern society.

Image credit: healthylivingandlearning.com

Who better capture the archaeological remnants of America’s abandoned pools than J. Bennett Fitts, a photographer from Kansas whose project No Life Guard On Duty took him to the scenic locations from Panama City Beach to Victorville, California, to photograph the stunning contrast between the desolate pools in long-forgotten motels and their legacy which never runs dry.

The marred haven in a motel in Salton Sea - The pool is unprotected against wear and tear, yet it continues to provide breathtaking views of California’s oddly beautiful Salton Sea.

Image credit: jbennettfitts.com

Dried up oasis in a motel in Victorville, California – The swimming pool lays barren along the highway. Surely, it was once a great haven for urbanites seeking a respite from the daily grind.

A remnant of circa 1950s lying in North Shore, California – The pool was clearly a reflection of America’s industrial landscaping. Motels became popular in the 1950s but soon lost to the giant establishments dominating the highways.

Image credit: jbennettfitts.com

Today, people don’t have to travel far to take a dip. Most people can have a pool in the comfort of their own homes, thanks to swimming pool dealers like Blue World Pools. In this way, fun and excitement come in handy and homeowners would be able to add value into their homes.

For more information on pool construction and maintenance, visit BlueWorldPools.com.