The Devil's Pool
Twice the height of Niagara Falls, Victoria Falls in southeastern Africa is the largest waterfall in the world. But for some brave souls, the top of the Falls is just another swimming hole. With water levels at their lowest from September to December, swimmers venture into the Devil's Pool
, an area with minimal current, mere feet from where the water gushes 355 feet down into the gorge below.
Barton Springs Pool
Fed from freshwater underground springs that were once used for purification rituals by the Tonkawa Native American tribe, the Barton Springs Pool
in Austin, Texas, covers more than three acres and maintains a temperature of about 68 degrees year-round. Admission to the 18-feet-deep pool is free from November until mid-March and every evening after 9:00pm; from mid-March until October, the cost is $3 for adults and $1 for kids.
Bondi Iceberg public pool
A 15-minute drive from Sydney, Australia, where the country's southeastern coast meets the Tasman Sea, sits The Bondi Baths
at Bondi Icebergs. The historic 50-meter public saltwater pool has been around for more than century and features a small beach, bar, and kiddie pool—not to mention the occasional wave crashing harmlessly into the pool. The entry fee ($5.50 for adults; $3.50 for kids) isn't much considering the million-dollar view.
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Hot Springs National Park
Located in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and designated by President Andrew Jackson as a special reservation in 1832, Hot Springs National Park
, and the 47, 143-degree springs within the 5,500-acre nature reserve, have been a sanctuary for those seeking healing and solace for more than a century.
The East Fork Black River in southeastern Missouri cascades over and around billion-year-old lava rock to form dozens of small rivulets and wading pools in the 8,550 acre Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park
Dudu Blue Lagoon
Does floating in a secluded 100-feet-deep freshwater pool so pristine that it glimmers with a shade of cobalt blue sound like paradise to you? Then check out the Dudu Blue Lagoons
, located near the town of Cabrera on the northeastern coast of the Dominican Republic. The lagoon also features underwater caves, making it a popular scuba diving destination.