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Piiholo Ranch Zipline // © 2010 |
While ziplining is usually associated with tropical travel destinations such as Costa Rica, the adventurous activity is becoming more and more popular — and prevalent — on the islands of Hawaii, which offer equally stunning vistas and landscapes through which your clients can zip. Here are just a few tour operators guaranteed to get your clients’ hearts racing.
Big Island Eco Adventures
Big Island Eco Adventures offers a ziplining tour that starts from Kohala, the oldest of five volcanoes that make up Hawaii’s Big Island. The tour begins with a ride in a six-wheel-drive Swiss Army vehicle that heads out on an off-road safari up through the North Kohala mountainside. Once at the top, guests take a short walk to the first of eight ziplines to begin their adventure. The tour consists of two bridges, three waterfalls and a cantilevered lanai (balcony) called the Mac Nut Hut, which overlooks a 32-foot waterfall. After feasting on locally prepared snacks and drinks, guests take the last two ziplines with views of waterfalls, the Kohala Lighthouse and Maui. The tour ends with another off-road safari and clocks in at approximately four hours in length. Tours are $159 per person, with no more than 10 guests per group.
Big Island Eco Adventures
www.bigislandecoadventures.com
Kauai Backcountry Adventures
In addition to tubing tours, Kauai Backcountry offers ziplining adventures during which guests can learn about the island’s history, culture and natural environment from a certified guide. The company has exclusive access to more than 17,000 acres of former plantation lands, consisting of tropical forests and deep valleys. Kauai Backcountry offers a total of seven zip lines which zoom down the mountainside to the valley floor, providing views over forests, streams and jungles. The three-and-one-half-hour tour concludes with a picnic lunch in a bamboo grove and a refreshing swim. Daily tours take place at 9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. and cost $130 per person. A maximum of 11 guests and two guides per tour are allowed per tour.
Kauai Backcountry Adventures
www.kauaibackcountry.com
Piiholo Ranch Zipline
The newest and longest side-by-side zipline in Hawaii can be found at Piiholo Ranch, a seven-generation family cattle ranch that also offers horseback riding. Upon arrival, guests traverse a 317-foot-long suspended bridge leading to the ziplines. From there, they soar more than three miles through eucalyptus forests, native koa and ohia trees and indigenous plants while catching grand views of the coast and canyons. Piiholo Ranch offers the only zipline on Maui where up to four people can zip side by side. Guests can choose from either a five- or four-line adventure. The first starts from a freestanding tower and ends at a grassy meadow; the second crosses over a lush valley of guava, kukui nut trees and a variety of ferns; the third crosses back over the valley to a treehouse area for stunning views of Maui’s north shore; the forth zipline heads to a high tower, and the fifth goes to the base of Piiholo Hill, where guests are driven to the top of a hill for a 2,800-foot grand finale. Piiholo Ranch also offers a walk-along adventure for non-zipping friends, with optional photography opportunities. Zipline tours start at $140 per person and walk-alongs at $25 per person.
Piiholo Ranch Zipline
www.piiholozipline.com
