Big Island: Zipline Tour

In my four days on the Big Island of Hawaii, I stayed at Waikoloa, I played three rounds of golf, I did a helicopter tour and a zipline adventure in and above the trees on the north side of the island (it has been a rough Christmas). You'll read more about my trip in an upcoming Away Game.Â

Big Island Eco Adventures is the only zipline option on the Big Island. There are eight lines, it takes four hours and it costs $155 per person. It took me 35-minutes (no traffic) to drive from Waikoloa to B.I.E.A.Â

This is the second time I've ziplined in Hawaii. My first tour of duty was at Kapalua on Maui. Now that I have something to compare it to, I'd say Kapalua is like the Rolls Royce of ziplining. This course was raw, I'd call it a Ford F150.Â

At Kapalua you can zip side-by-side with family or friends, you take off from man-made structures and you stay straight riding the line. On the Big Island course the lines are bolted to trees, you go one at a time and until you learn how to navigate the run you can end up riding backwards, which can exaggerate the thrill but it also gives you more to think about while you're taking in the scenery. I'd suggest wearing long pants and long sleeve shirts because mosquitos are a factor. Bug spray wouldn't be a bad idea either. The guides are high energy and most of them were involved in building the course. After six lines you take a break on a wooden deck overlooking a waterfall. They serve fresh fruit, banana bread, bread sticks, macadamia nuts and juice. The last two lines make the tour. They're longer and you go faster than the first six lines.Â

My brother Sean and I did the tour: