As I mentioned in my blog last week, my favorite activity during my Hawaiian escape was zip lining. We went out with Big Island Eco Tours, a tour group I would absolutely recommend to anyone considering zip lining in Hawaii. The adventure starts with a 40-minute off-roading excursion to the course, buried under the canopy of the Albizia forest in North Kohala. Bouncing along in a Humvee or Pinzgauer definitely sets the mood for the trip.

Big Island Eco Tours starts you out slowly. Zip Line One (of eight total) is a straightforward zip, where you have the opportunity to work on turning yourself (a skill I never quite mastered), practicing how to land straight, etc. Gradually, the zips get more advanced. You fly over waterfalls;,skim past the beautiful plant life. Landings become more difficult once the wooden platforms disappear. Zip Eight was probably one of the greatest thrills of my life. At more than 1,000 feet long and 250 feet high, zip liners propel themselves across by walking (or running) off a nearby cliffside. Talk about exhilarating!

I am definitely a little bit of a thrill seeker, so I was eager and fearless when it came to the zip lining adventure. I even let Shannon (one of our tour guides) spin me so I spent the whole length of the zip line flying around in circles. There were a few in my group who were nervous, but the professionalism and friendliness of the staff immediately put everyone at ease.  Should you decide to zip line with Big Island Eco Tours, be sure to ask for Keneeko and Shannon. They were hilarious and made the whole day an adventure to remember!

— Kim Krol, eFlyer editor, circulation and public relations executive