Best excursion even for those scared of heights
mhorag_f, Feb 2022
Rainforest Adventures St Lucia Aerial Tram and Zipline Tour (with Transfer*)
The guides found it cold but as Europeans thought it was a lovely temperature, almost springlike!
Our group was two adventure junkies and me, a scaredy-cat. Age range 54 to 59. Pick up was at 8:25am from our hotel (Bay Gardens hotel, Rodney Bay) which was great , rather than having to find your own way. It took approx 25 mins up and over windy roads. On arrival, we were advised we could rent a locker for $6USD or $15 ECD with a $1USD refund at the end . YOU DO NOT GET ANY MONEY RETURNED IF YOU PAY IN $ECD! This was not made clear and was the only sour note of the day. There are large enough lockers to easily fit 3 of our bags.
A quick toilet break (recommended!) before getting kitted up - hair net for under the helmet and then helped in to the rigging and the guides made sure it all fitted correctly. From there, we all went to a practice zip line. This will make sure you are ok to go up to the main lines. If you're too nervous at this point and decide you don't like it, you can opt just to do the tram ride. I think this is a wise thing to do. Although I was the one who was terrified of going up to the lines, I gritted my teeth and went ahead. The guides were so thorough and safety conscious that they re-assured me completely.
We had Jesse and Jeffrey as out guides and they were brilliant.
We went up in the tram at a stately pace. As we moved through the rainforest and up to the top level Jesse kept up informed on the trees, plants & birds as well as talking of local St Lucia food and history. He was not only informative but also very funny (and he knows the Latin names of the trees & plants - impressive).
There were 9 lines in total, of various lengths with the longest and fastest as the last one. Be warned, once you're up there, that's it. You have to go through with it. There is no way back! I am so glad I did it. Yes, my knees were like jelly on each line, but I loved it and it challenged my own fears. Even the tarantula who live on the trees didn't deter our group (and the couple we saw were more afraid of us and ran away!).
On each line, Jesse and Jeffrey were super efficient, checking on us all, making sure our safety lines were attached, telling us what was going to happen next and that we were all ok. And they still retained their sense of humour. Honestly, I cannot recommend them enough.
At the end of the last line, there is a short hike of around 15 minutes back up to the tram area at the top where we started. Some sections are steep but no worse than walking up to a top tier in a sports stadium, although I think anyone with limited mobility or bad knees may find it a bit difficult. We were given water too and I needed it! It's not hot up in the trees or on the lines. The guides found it cold but as Europeans thought it was a lovely temperature, almost springlike! Definitely not cold for us although if it had been raining it would have felt chillier.
The view on the way back down is spectacular, overlooking the northern part of the island, with the Caribbean ocean on one side and the Atlantic on the other.
We saw a few birds on the way up/down (hummingbird, scaley neck pigeon, broad wing hawk and other local birds). We heard the national bird - the parrot - but it flew behind us so we didn't see it! Very pleased to have seen what we did.
Back at base, you'll get a glass of lemonade or passion fruit juice. And then it's chance to tell the guides what a great time you had (and you will!) and to tip them (they are so worth it!)
So, wear mozzie repellent, just in case. Have a camera with a fast shutter speed to get the hummingird in action, bring a layer if the weather that day is rainy/not sunny in case you're cold, don't wear white trainers or sandals (you must wear closed in footwear as the path can be slippy/muddy, make sure your footwear is waterproof or they can be washed), don't expect any refund on your locker and be prepared to have an amazing time! Do it, you won't regret it.
