Big Island Zip Line Canopy Tour

Price: $159.00 per participant

The beautiful North Kohala Coast is one of Hawaii's best kept secrets, and now this splendid rainforest area has given birth to the Big Island of Hawaii's newest vacation adventure, the Big Island Zip Line Canopy Tour! Overlooking the incredible Pololu Valley lies 500 acres of old growth ironwood and albizia forest. The unique volcanic geology and nature's winds and waters have carved streams and waterfalls cascading through these woods. The unique terrain, the scent of ginger and guava, and the tropical birdsongs all combine to create a magical setting for an enchanting and exhilarating zip line experience.

The course consists of eight ziplines of various lengths. The shortest line is 200' and they go up from there to the longest line, which is an impressive 1100'. In addition to the ziplines, the course also features two bridges, waterfalls, majestic viewpoints, safety-conscious guides, and the entire operation is done with a commitment to eco-friendly practices. Ziplining in general is a low-impact tourist activity. Big Island Eco-Adventures respects and appreciates the upsoiled beauty of this land and the course was constructed in a low-impact fashion without damaging any trees. The use of guava underbrush for handrails, and recycled wood from a local builder allowed the tour operator to build aesthetically pleasing and safe platforms and bridges. Certified tour guides share an enthusiasm for honoring the rich cultural heritage of the North Kohala community. Of course the safety of the guests is the ultimate priority.

A Big Island Zip Line Canopy Tour is one adventure that few will want to miss! If you have never done a zipline tour before, now is your chance! Go for it!

BIE / D

Location: Check in is at their office location in "downtown" Hawi, which is on the very northern tip of the Big Island. Drive time from Kona is approximately 90 minutes, Waikoloa is 45 minutes, and Hilo is 120 minutes.

Schedule: Tours are held Monday through Saturday at 9am, 10am, 12pm, 1pm and 2pm and are approximately 4 hours in length.

Tour Includes: Offroad excursion in a 6 wheel drive vehicle from the baseyard to the zipline course, 8 ziplines ranging in length from 200' to 1100', one dry bridge and one suspension bridgeoverlooking waterfalls, snacks including homemade granola bars, organic fruit, water, Aloha beverages served at a pivilion overlooking a 32' waterfall

Weight Guidelines: Guests MUST weigh a minimum of 80 pounds and a maximum of 270 pounds. A scale is used at checkin and no refunds are given for anyone who misrepresented their weight when making a reservation.

Physical Limitations: No pregnant women, and no one with recent neck / back / bone injuries may participate. The zipline course requires a low to medium degree of physical stamina and is suitable for most guests who are in good health.

Group Size: Tour limited to a maximum of 10 guests.

What to Bring & Wear: Closed-toed shoes that fit securely on your feet (like sneakers or hiking boots), long pants or shorts that are longer (approaching knee length), shirts with sleeves (no tank tops). Also bring a water bottle, camera, day pack, etc.

Cancellation / Weather Policy: 48 hours advanced notice required to cancel a tour. No refunds are given for tours canceled within 48 hours. Tours go out rain or shine; no refunds are given for weather cancellations unless the tour operator cancels the entire tour due to extreme weather.  

CRUISE SHIP PASSENGERS

Because of the distance from cruise ship docks in Hilo and Kona, this tour is not practical for our cruise ship clients. We recommend doing a zipline tour on Kauai instead.

ACTIVITY TIPS

Kauai and Maui vacationers have enjoyed the luxury of multiple zipline tour options for several years. Our Big Island clients have been clamoring for this kind of activity for some time. Well, the wait is over! We are thrilled to offer this brand new tour to our clients!

We reserved our date for 2/9/2009 with high hopes that this tour was going to live up to our expections (and they're high ... we've done lots of great zipline courses in Hawaii). The location for check in is very easy to find as it is right along the road just one mile from the King Kamehameha statue in "downtown" Kapa'au. The staff at check in and the guides were all personable and friendly. They encouraged us to liberally apply some mosquito repellant which they provided and that proved to be good advice, as there was one spot on the course were the critters acted like they had never before seen or tasted people. Well, there's good reason for that. When you climb in the six wheeled Pinzgauer and journey up into the rainforest, you are going to a place were very VERY few people who have lived on this island all of their lives have ever been. The ride to the course was an adventure in itself! You are transported from a few hundred feet above sea level to the lofty 2200' level where a world of GIANT monkey pod trees camoflage the beautiful waterfalls tucked into the deeply carved ravines. This is a gorgeous setting for such a tour.

The first zip line is just a few feet off the ground and is a real confidence builder. After that the lines get progressively longer and higher. After crossing a bridge the next zipline soars high over top of a waterfall, the first of three that can be seen during this tour. Your guides will teach you how to "steer" so be sure to turn around and look. After a few more lines we took a break at a covered deck perched on the edge overlooking a 32' tall waterfall. Enjoy a beverage while cracking your own mac nuts, and sampling some home made granola bars and crackers topped with locally made passion fruit butter. Then on for more zipping action.

The last two lines are truly breathtaking, fast, long, high, and fun. The final line is ALMOST FOUR FOOTBALL FIELDS in length! For this final line I suggest that you turn around and take off backwards if the wind conditions allow. All in all we were THRILLED with this tour in every way and we highly HIGHLY recommend it as the most fun you'll have on the Big Island.

Zipline tours do not require any special levels of upper body strength ... guests where a harness and are clipped into the zip line pulley using redundant lines. These courses are professionally installed to the highest level of zipline industry standards. Weight restrictions have nothing to do with the ability of the line to hold someone's weight ... the lines are engineered to hold the weight of a pregnant elephant! If a person is too light, they may not make it all the way to the other side. This isn't really a safety issue as the guides can easily deploy a line and pull the partially unzipped zipper to the other side. But this process is time consuming and delays the tour. A person who is over the weight limit would come in just a little too fast on many lines, and create braking issues that could be jarring. So, weight limits are there for everyone's safety and enjoyment of the tour.

One word of caution: after you do one of these tours you will never ever want to go anywhere on vacation again if they don't have a zipline for you to enjoy! Yes, it's that much fun!

Big Island Zipline Tour Reservations

Upon submitting your activity reservation for processing, one copy is sent to your e-mail address so that you have a record of your order. We will make reservations for you and send an e-mail confirming all of the details. These confirmations are often sent a few minutes after your reservation, but some activities take longer to confirm than others. You will receive an e-mail confirmation by the end of the next business day at the latest. There are no tickets that you need to pick up prior to your event. Your e-mail confirmation will have all the details you need to check in and enjoy your selected activity. This saves you precious time when you arrive in Hawaii. 

A credit card is required to guarantee payment for your reservations, but in most cases WE DO NOT charge your credit card when your order is placed. Your credit card is typically charged five days before you leave for Hawaii, and a voucher is faxed to the vendor. Some activities are charged at the time of check-in and your e-mail confirmation will inform you if this is the case. If you cancel your activity after your credit card has been charged you will receive a refund less 10% to cover our credit card processing costs.

We do have one vendor that requires payment at the time that your reservation is made. These activities are clearly marked on our website with the words, "Payment required at the time of reservation."

After making reservations, you may reschedule or cancel your activity up until 48 hours prior to its start (a few activities have 72 hour cancellation policies ... see your confirmation e-mail for details). Within 48 hours of the start of your activity all reservations are final and non-refundable (unless the event is cancelled by the vendor due to weather or other factors). Due to our incredible climate here, weather cancellations are rare.  No-shows and cancellations without adequate notice are charged in full on the credit card used to secure the reservation and are non-refundable.