Tree Top Adventure
http://www.clickthecity.com/Have you ever fallen off a 60 foot tree? I have.Of course, I have survived it and actually enjoyed the fall (with little bits of sheer horror in between, yes, I admit). It was totally safe, and made much more fun in Subic Bay's Tree Top Adventure.
But before I share the most exciting part of the Tree Top experience, let's take a look at what else is in store for you when you visit this forest of fun.
Tree Top Adventure just turned 1 this month, serving up people with doses of adrenaline rush and excitement in a lush, virgin forest setting. To ensure that they do not harm any of the trees, Tree Top claims to uses a unique 'Tree Trunk Clumping Mechanism.' Safety is also a top priority here, so all their guides and instructors are well-trained and are educated with standard first aid procedures. They are well-equipped with safety lines, harnesses and safety helmets, and all the instructors are friendly and helpful should you need to address some concerns regarding the different attractions. They have 9 attractions that range from walking, trekking, balancing; jungle demo and Aeta dance presentations; and even flying like Superman! They also have a cafe by the entrance if you want some food and drinks.
Upon climbing up to the main area of Tree Top, the first thing that greeted us was a couple of folks trying out the Tree Drop, the 60-foot rappelling attraction that allows the person several seconds of free fall with the safety features of rappelling (with harness, rope, and helmet). The first drop we saw automatically made our heads shake a big NO. No way did we ever imagine ourselves doing that! I immediately advised our guide to lead us to the Superman Ride instead. I was with a couple of friends who have a fear of heights, and I saw in their faces that I made the right decision.
So our guide, Jackie, led us first to the Superman Ride (P200/head), which was on the left side of Tree Top. There were several log benches on the ground that served as waiting area, so we all sat and look up at the group earlier than us who were now all geared up for the ride.
It's a stretch of 134 meters from platform to platform, and you get whisked away in a lying 'Superman' position as if you're flying. The tricky and scary part is gearing up for it - getting all your harness secure, climbing up the railing, and placing your arms stretched out in front of you on top of a bar, while stretching out your legs and securing your feet on top of a bar as well.
The more the instructor tells you to relax, the tendency is to get all the more tense. But when you've got a barkada to back you up with cheers and moral support, all you do now is to exhale, hang tight, and fly! It was pretty fun after the couple of seconds of shock, with the harness pulling you hard to glide to the other platform. You also get a trip back to the original platform, so that's a round trip Superman ride for about 30 seconds in total. If you want to try for fun, don't face front on your return trip and let them pull you back backwards, feet first. It's a different feeling not knowing where you're headed!
After the Superman, we shook off some of our fear of heights, but not enough to convince us we had enough balls for the Tree Drop. Jackie suggested that we all take the scenic attraction first to cool down and rest, so we lined up for the Canopy Ride (P350/head).
The ride is basically single seats that hang from a motorized cable, and takes you platform to platform at a slow pace, for you to have a beautiful view of the lush greens and appreciate the cool climate. You will reach heights of 18 to 100 feet in this attraction, moving from tree to tree. It's pretty much like that Flying Fiesta ride in Enchanted Kingdom, at turtle speed, in the middle of a forest. You can take your video cameras and cameras and just snap away to get a bird's eye view of the area.
When we landed on our last platform, we climbed down the tree using a steep and small flight of stairs and started our short trek back to the main Tree Top area. The full Trekking (P100/head) will take you to the different sections of the virgin forest, with a guide showing you various species of flora and fauna. In between walks, we would encounter centuries-old trees, some of which have small holes in the base which our guide told us were created by the Aetas for shelter.
So far, we were able to try out Tree Top Adventure's three major attractions: the Superman Ride, Canopy Ride, and a few minutes of Trekking. I thought that we would call it a day by then, but thanks (or no thanks?) to Jackie's unbelievable persuasion skills, she managed to have us all geared up for their ultimate attraction: Tree-Drop! Oh my.
The Tree-Drop (Rappelling, P200 per drop) can be done three ways: the Conventional (sitting on the harness), Face Down (ala Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible) or the Australian type, and the last and hardest drop style is the Lizard. Do you wish to fall 60 feet, facing the sky? Nope, definitely not doing it Lizard style, thank you.
You can also hold on to the rope if you wish to control the speed of the drop or to better balance yourself. You will be wearing gloves to prevent chafing, and a safety helmet, aside from the harness.
As with the Superman Ride, the toughest, most grueling part is when your mind plays games while you are about to step off the ledge and hang on for dear life. What on earth were we doing, right? There are some who have no ounce of fear in their bones and just go for it, while others (like myself) had a hard time letting go of their foot's hold or their instructor's hand. Once you've balanced yourself, you are given a few seconds of photo-ops (have you friends on standby for that!) and then whoosh! Down you go!
So how was it? Absolutely terrifying, and loads of fun. If I'm being contradictory, then so be it. Those seconds of free falling were just so fast and you get a flurry of emotions mixed with adrenaline rush. Okay, I have to admit, it wasn't so bad. You should all try it at least once, when you find yourself in Subic! Bring your army of friends to cheer you on, and you'll definitely have an unforgettable experience.
Tree Top Adventure is located at the JEST Area (beside JEST camp), Upper Cubi Area, Subic Bay. You can avail of different combinations of adventure with their packages (P400-P600/person). Call (047) 252-9425, (047) 252-9427 or visit www.treetopadventure.com.ph for more details.
http://www.clickthecity.com/
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