Thrill seekers experience aerial excitement by ziplining from tree to tree

Ride attendant Romizal Lokman (in blue) waiting to assist a participant as she reaches out to catch the net at the end of one of the many ziplines at ESCAPE Park’s Flying Lemur attraction at ESCAPE’s Adventureplay in Teluk Bahang. — Photos: CHAN BOON KAI/The Star

MOTHER Nature is best loved from many perspectives.

One can hike through the woods and enjoy the peace of the forest floor. But the forest is not just at ground level.

At ESCAPE in Teluk Bahang, Penang, you can love Mother Nature like the birds and fly through the trees in the Flying Lemur attraction.

The thrill of ziplining through beautiful greenery, from tree to tree, is complemented by the serene almost therapeutic feeling one gets in midair. And the whole time, you are nestled in a comfortable harness.

Just do not forget to keep your knees bent and catch the net at the end of each zipline.

Comprising three lines with multiple obstacles, Line One is the easiest with five fun obstacles: a ‘fun bridge’, a tightrope and zig-zag walk, and two 129m long zip lines, with the highest being 135m above the ground.

Line Two is a heady affair of two 132m zip lines, 175m above the ground.

Ride attendants (in light blue) briefing participants before they make their way to the ziplines at the Flying Lemur. 

Line Three is a key attraction at Adventureplay in ESCAPE, launched early last year.

It has two fun obstacles, a tightrope followed by a steep rope bridge made with thick netting. And then you find four zip lines that gives you the ‘view of a lifetime’.

The longest zip lines are 150m long and 200m above the ground. Taller than all the trees around you, you will fly above the forest canopy at a speed that might make you scream.

ESCAPE park manager Afzainizam Abdullah said Flying Lemur was for everyone to let loose and enjoy themselves.

“It is one of the main attractions out of the 26 activities at Adventureplay.

“As long as they are above 120m tall and weigh between 40kg to 100kg, Flying Lemur is for them to enjoy.

“If they are taller than 120m but weigh below 40kg, we will give them a bag to carry to increase their weight as well as have an attendant go along with them,” he said.

American Cassa Burlson, 11, was happy she made the 40kg mark.

“I have been here twice. Line Three is the toughest but has the best view,” she said.

Afzainizam tests a downhill cart, which visitors will use to zoom downhill on a 600m track in Gravityplay, ESCAPE’s next phase, which will be ready by year-end. Photo supplied by ESCAPE.

But the best is yet to come.

ESCAPE founder Sim Choo Kheng announced that a new phase of the park, Gravityplay, will be taking visitors through the trees in new ways by the year-end.

“You will be riding on a non-motorised downhill cart through the forest. It’s a 600m path meandering through the trees.

“And there will be a waterslide, 1.2km long, also through the forest,” he said.

Along parts of the waterslide, you will be zooming past the forest canopy.

The slide will be the longest in the world and ESCAPE will submit it for entry into the Guiness Book of World Records.

Sim said Gravityplay will also have the Tubby Track, similar to the current Tubby Racer in Adventureplay, except much longer.

To get up to the hill and enjoy Gravityplay, ESCAPE visitors will use a chairlift, carrying along their downhill cart, inflatable raft or tubby.

“The fun will be powered by the law of gravity. The chairlift uses only four kilowatts an hour. The decorations of Gravityplay are our trees.

“It is an endeavour that uses Mother Nature. That’s what we get when we stop thinking high tech and stay low tech,” Sim said with a smile.

ESCAPE is open daily from 10am to 6pm except on Mondays. Visit www.escape.my.