I had a recent epiphany that there are many things I haven’t done yet that I still want to try. Whenever I listen to family or friends discussing their recent travels, I have this unspoken longing to visit other countries and try some of the activities they describe. My stepmother told me that she went ziplining in New Zealand and really enjoyed it. I weighed this evidence: my stepmother is not overly sporty or daring and she was able to go ziplining, so if she could do it, so could I! With that sentiment in mind, I decided that when we visited Antigua, I was going to try ziplining. I knew that Antigua had a rainforest so I figured they must offer ziplining and indeed they do: Antigua Rainforest Zipline Tour.
When we arrived at The Verandah Resort where we were staying, I reserved the zipline tour with our Air Canada representative. My mom said she would go with me to watch me zipline, but was not going to do it herself – she is 87!. The rainforest is about a 35 minute taxi ride from The Verandah Resort where we were staying so we had to pay US$100 for the round trip ride. When you consider that this price included our taxi driver waiting for us while I ziplined, the fee is not unreasonable.
On a sunny, balmy Saturday morning, our taxi driver picked us up at our resort at 9 a.m. sharp and we took a drive across the island to the southwestern part. In the premium zip code areas of Antigua, the roads are fairly even and well maintained, but not where we were headed. They were bumpy, narrow in sections and twisty, but our experienced driver navigated them with ease.
I noticed that the landscape was becoming more hilly as we snaked up a winding road that lead to the rainforest. The temperature noticeably cooled as we arrived at the zipline site, nestled among banana, mango, breadfruit and coconut trees.
There were several zipline packages available: 6, 8 or 12 ziplines. The six zipline package was definitely enough for me. I paid $74 for six ziplines and waited for the rest of the participants to arrive. Sitting on the patio looking out into the forest and listening to native birds was incredibly soothing. And for those who were anxious about ziplining, a few dogs and some feline companions were hanging out on the deck to help calm our nerves.
When all the guests had arrived and paid, we were led to a room where we had to put on our ziplining gear. Fortunately, the staff were very helpful and conscientious, ensuring that we had put on our harness and helmet properly. Now was the moment of truth as we followed our leader to the first zipline. The staff member showed us how to hold on to the line; how to straighten yourself if you found yourself swerving to the right or left; and how not to bend your knees when you land at the end of the zipline to prevent you from banging them.
I didn’t really consider how high up we were and perhaps I should have? I don’t think I have a fear of heights, although you won’t see me bungee jumping any time soon! I was more focused on ensuring I followed the ziplining technique so that I didn’t injure myself.
Fortunately, there were about eight people ahead of me, so I was able to watch them on the first zipline to see how they did it. Now it was my turn and I did have a few butterflies in my stomach, but I wasn’t overly nervous. I got up on the plank and the staff member instructed me to start in a sitting position. I loosened my grip on the rope above my head as instructed, and found myself gliding along the zipline. Okay, this was fun! Within 15 seconds, I was at the end of the first zipline and was able to land with my legs straight out as another staff member helped me get stable on the platform! Yayyy! I did it!
The next two ziplines were fairly easy as they were also short distances and I even willed myself to look down, although all I saw were treetops that I mistook for the ground. This gave me the false sense that we were a lot closer to the ground than I thought. The woman ahead of me advised that we were in fact 350 feet in the air!!
When I finished the third zipline, I couldn’t see where the rest of my zipliners were! I quickly saw an arrow pointing up – I didn’t know exercise what part of this gig! – so I followed the arrow up the hill, climbed several stairs and saw my fellow participants higher up to the right. I continued until I met up with them and to be honest, I was a bit out of breath.
The fourth zipline went smoothly, but when I got to the fifth zipline, I saw it was much longer than the other lines. Okay, now I got a bit nervous. I got up on the plank and got ready to take off, but I noticed I was veering a bit to the right on the zipline and tightened my grip on the line to straighten myself out. I got to the end of the line okay, but my heart was beating a bit faster. Thankfully, the sixth (and final zipline for me!) was shorter and it was over before I knew it!
As I walked back to the patio, I felt exhilarated and proud of myself. I couldn’t believe I did it! I had to buy a t-shirt at the gift shop as proof I had gone ziplining in Antigua!
Needless to say, I do recommend going ziplining at Antigua Rainforest Zipline Tour if you are visiting Antigua. The staff are extremely professional and take the time to ensure you are employing the right technique when you zipline.
Have you ever gone ziplining? Let me know about your experience in the comment section.
This post reads like a front-row ticket to adventure. You can almost feel the rush of air and hear the rainforest humming beneath each glide. I love how it balances the thrill of ziplining with the beauty of Antigua’s lush canopy, capturing that rare perspective where you’re soaring above the trees instead of walking among them. It’s the kind of vivid, experience-driven storytelling that makes readers want to step out of their comfort zone and chase a little adrenaline on their next trip.
Thank you Jerry! It was such an exciting experience for me and I wanted to share how it felt with my readers. Cheers, Lori
Oh wow! I’ve always been interested in ziplining but that view you had looks amazing! Great post!
Hi Jess, Yes, the view of the rainforest was spectacular. The whole experience was super exciting! Cheers, Lori
I have always wanted to try this. It looks like a ton of fun. I am afraid of heights, but I think I could get over it and enjoy the views.
Hi Amber, It was a lot of fun! When you are up ziplining, you are not aware how high up you are. I’m not sure if that helps or not? Cheers, Lori
This would be a cool place to zipline. The views would be the best on the way down.
Hi Tara, It was a wonderful place to zipline. I loved being in the rainforest and yes, the views were pretty spectacular! Cheers, Lori
I’ve never been ziplining before. It looks super fun but I don’t think my back would be up for the adventure. I would have totally done it in my younger years though.
Hi Christy, Yes, I think I read somewhere that people with back issues should perhaps take a pass on ziplining. It was fun and a bit scary! Cheers, Lori
OMG! This is soooo cool. I’ve been wanting to zipline for some time now but I’m too scared…lol, plus I do have a bad back, but my kids experienced it and loved it! The Antigua Rainforest looks so beautiful
Hi Lisa, It wasn’t as scary as I thought. The ziplines are very fast and the staff were super helpful, especially when landing at the end of the zipline. I agree that the Antigua Rainforest is beautiful and lush! Cheers, Lori
OMG, now that is a wonderful once in a lifetime experience. Not sure I’d cope with my fear of heights but I bet that the views that you would have seen must have been incredible!!!!
Hi Melanie, I was a bit scared, but not overwhelmingly so. And after the first zipline, I realized how fun it was. Yes, we saw beautiful views of the rainforest! Cheers, Lori
I love ziplining! I’ve done it in Vegas, Ventura and even at Utah Olympic Park. Antigua is on my bucket list! Ziplining through the rainforest looks awesome!
Hi Jen, That’s amazing that you’ve gone ziplining so many times. I didn’t know you could do it in Vegas! Yes, the rainforest was beautiful. Cheers, Lori
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