Zip Lining in Chiang Mai

By Paula Parker

Zip lining through the jungles of Chiang Mai was never on our list of things to do on a recent holiday in Thailand.

And to be honest I had never imagined myself being adventurous enough to try ziplining.

You see I am scarred of heights, No not just scarred I am petrified.

So when my husband suggested that we go zip lining, my first response was you have to be kidding.

But he wasn’t, the more I tried to talk him out of it, the more he wanted to do it.

After lots of contemplation I agreed to have a go, but with the full understanding that I could back out at any time.

We checked out two companies that were recommended on TripAdvisor, Jungle Flight and Flight of the Gibbon, of which both companies had good reviews.

Before we booked we decided to go for a walk to the Tourism in Thailand Information Office (TIT Office) that we spotted earlier in the day near Wat Chedi Luang to see if we could pick up a tour at a better price, and to our surprise we did.

We booked our eco adventure for the following day and ended up choosing Jungle Flight.

Jungle Flight Eco Adventure Zip Lining Tour Review

Jungle Flight offer two different zip lining packages, option A is the longest with 33 platforms and option B with 24.

As we never do things by half we booked the package which included a 300 metre zipline.

The next morning a mini bus arrived to collect us from our hotel, the journey out of the City and through the mountains took around an hour, the road is a little windy and narrow in parts, but very scenic and the mini bus was very comfortable.

On arrival at Jungle Flights base camp we were given a welcome drink and keys to lockers where we were able to store our belonging.

In total there were 7 people on our group and two guides, once we were all fitted with our gear we set off through the village to the first platform, where the guides gave us a safety brief.

One of the guides hooked himself up to the line and flew across to the second platform.

We were the first of our group to go, the guide that was on the platform with us hooked us onto the zipline, when we reached the next platform the other guide hooked us on to a safety line that was attached to the tree.

With the first line done and out of the way, and safely hooked up to a large tree on the second platform, I was feeling a little more at ease about the next 19 zip lines and even built up enough courage to have a look around while waiting for the others to have their turn, the scenery was absolutely amazing.

Zip lining was probably the least challenging part of our eco tour adventure, as the guides do everything for you, they hook you on and off the lines and catch you as you land on the platforms.

Navigating our way down this spiral staircase was a little tricky, but with lots of encouragement from the guides we finally managed it.

Then we had to mentally overcome the challenge of abseiling down from not one, but three platforms to the jungle floor, this was certainly one of my biggest fears, but to my surprise once I had abseiled down the first the other two were quiet enjoyable.   

The hardest challenge for me personally was walking across a series of sky bridges.

Even though we were hooked on to a safety line the idea of walking across an uneven narrow wooden bridge some 50 metres above the ground was quiet a daunting experience.

Throughout the zip lining course you also get to walk through the jungle, we didn’t find the walk too challenging, just a little hot.

Drinking water and snacks are provided throughout the day as well as a toilet stop.

After completing the course we were given complimentary T shirts before being served a delicious Thai Lunch including, tea and coffee.

Overall we both thoroughly enjoyed our zip lining eco adventure with Jungle Flight; the experience of soaring high in the trees through the jungle of Chiang Mai was definitely exhilarating, lots of fun and one of the highlights of our trip to Chiang Mai.

What to take Zip Lining

• Make sure you wear closed in shoes
• Comfortable fitting clothes
• Sunscreen
  
• Mosquito repellent
  
• Don’t forget your camera

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