My Favorite Zip Line Adventures

In a span of a few years, Zip Line has gained a lot of popularity in the Philippines. So much so that it is now being offered in almost all known tourist destinations, even in the Metro. It is set up with a pulley suspended on a cable and mounted on an incline. The user travels from top to bottom. The steeper the incline, the faster the user travels because of gravity.

A zip line experience has started to grow old for me because it is now being offered everywhere and I have tried almost all of them in every destination I've visited. I narrowed my favorites down to five. The weather, speed, safety and the unique experience are among the factors that I considered.

Danao Adventure Park, Bohol
The adventure park is 2 hours away from Tagbilaran airport. This is also where I tried the infamous canyon jumping called The Plunge!

The park calls it the Suislide. The cable is 480 meters long with a 200-meter drop. What I like about this adventure is the unique setup. The zip line is set up in a canyon ( a deep ravine between two cliffs). Throughout the ride, I could see the thick vegetation and the river below.

The canyon - used for the Plunge

View from the top - a beautiful view of the river

Dahilayan Adventure Park, Bukidnon
The park claims that this is the longest dual zip line in Asia. I do not have reference to say whether this is true or not. It is 480 meters long with a drop of 100 meters. One can either ride it alone or in tandem.

What I like about this adventure is the very cool weather and the thrill of feeling like I would crash into the pine trees and the other tall trees. 


Agas-Agas Bridge, Sogod Southern Leyte
This ride is easily accessible since it is located at the side of the Agas-agas bridge. 

What I like about this adventure is the view of the bridge, which is something I have seen only once in the Philippines. As you are released at a very fast speed, you'd first pass by the Agas-Agas bridge and see some vehicles passing by below you. I could also see a narrow, almost dried up river, tucked between thick vegetation. The fact that the drop is lower that other zip lines is an unusual plus for me because you can fly close to the passing vehicles along the bridge. The ride is almost a minute long and the landing is smooth.

 El Nido, Palawan
This is a fairly new attraction in El Nido, as if all the amazing outdoor adventure was not enough. Going to and from the jump off point of the ride requires a bit of hiking. From the parking area, one can ride a motorcycle or hike for about 20 minutes. After the ride, going back to the parking area, one has to carefully go down some ladders and walk on the beach. 

What I like about this adventure is crossing through the sea, looking over the passing boats and swimming tourists below. I happened to go there when there was a typhoon so the wind was extra strong. It made it even more worth trying. The launch was fast but it slowed down towards the middle which was okay with me because I was able to enjoy the sea view longer. Because I did not want to walk back on the sandbar, I opted to ride the zipline going back. Both landings were smooth and there were many attendants making sure that the ride is very safe.
 
Camp Sabros, Davao
The road to Camp Sabros is very rough and one could only get there via 4x4 vehicle or habal habal or a horse. The place is surrounded with pine trees violently swaying because of the strong wind. The breeze was cold (similar to the temperature in Baguio on a cold day).

What I like about this adventure is that they offer several stages of zip line that vary in distance and form. Unlike some of the ones that I have tried before, the distance of each stage is enough to get your blood pumping and leave you wanting more. The line is positioned in a way that your speed gets faster and faster as you reach the end of the line. It will give you quite a good rush as you enjoy the view!