22 Jun 2021
We did the zipline at Bocawina earlier today, and we loved it. The staff was extremely professional and had great attitudes. The place was super organized--they had set aside helmets that had been used, and I saw them disinfect the helmet very thoroughly before putting it back on the shelf. They also already had the harnesses set up with gloves, etc. attached--a better system than other places I've been where it feels like an ordeal to get all the gear together from different places. Felt like we could just walk in and go.
For those families out there with one kid who is afraid, request Sandy! My eight-year-old is afraid of heights (normal fear, not phobic) and doesn't like thrill rides, and Sandy made him feel totally safe, but without embarrassing him. Sandy didn't try to force him to do it when he didn't want to, but also made it no big deal so that my son didn't feel too different from his braver siblings. By the end, my fearful son was asking to do the course again--I couldn't have been more shocked and pleased. (It is hard to be a mini golfer in a family full of zipliners!)
In addition to being amazing with a fearful child, the guys were well-trained--they told us a little bit about the training they have to do, regularly, and it includes all kinds of unlikely rescue-type situations. They really know what they're doing, and they take the rules seriously--no fudging on anything from Victor and Sandy, they are by-the-book in the best possible way.
For those who have done the Arenal ziplines in Costa Rica, these are different because you end up climbing around on trails or staircases a bit--in Arenal you drive to the top in a jeep, then you climb once and from there you just go from platform to platform. This was a little more stairs--nothing too challenging but for those who have done Arenal that's an important difference, here.