Rainforest Adventures park set to open this summer
“It is the steepest zip line in the world,” said Félicia Hassel, Director of Sales. The “Flying Dutchman” is one of the attractions that will be offered by Rainforest Adventures in Sint Maarten. Different from the classic zip line, the Flying Dutchman flies through the air at 56 mph over 2800 feet from a drop of 1050 feet while sitting in a chair-shaped harness.
There are three other attractions; a more typical zip line inland (Sentry Hill Zip Line), The Schooner Ride where participants will surf down a track in an inner tube, and the Soualiga Sky Explorer. The progress of the work on the last attraction has not gone unnoticed by residents who use road from St. Peters from Philipsburg. The chairlift is already visible up the side of Sentry Hill, which is 1,125 feet high. Wooden platforms offer a 360-degree view on the whole island including neighboring islands (Saba, Saint-Eustache, Saint-Barthélemy, and Anguilla).
Rainforest Adventures park, located at Rockland Estate, should open its doors during the summer before August. On top of the attractions, it will look like a real village. Around a paved area there will be a bar-restaurant, a souvenir shop as well as a museum that will present among others things, the history of the old plantation, the remnants of which are the foundation of the park buildings. This large-scale project is consistent with other parks from the same group in Costa Rica, St. Lucia, Panama, and Jamaica. For the last 22 years, Rainforest Adventures has specialized in the construction of Eco-Parks.
This commitment to environmental protection led the group to ensure that the platforms, the chairlifts, and the attractions have a minimal impact on the fauna and flora of the park. Even if the metal pylons that support the Soualiga Sky Explorer will use electricity, they were installed using a helicopter to avoid destroying the vegetation. Once the work is completed, the group plans to replant royal poincianas and mahogany trees and create the foundation to finance reforestation, education, agriculture, and history programs.
Rainforest Adventures wants to be a major attraction for tourists and locals. It has committed to the local economy by creating roughly 60 permanent jobs. A recruiting session is planned for June 30th and July 1st at the site (9 am to 12 pm and 1 pm to 4 pm) to fill more than 100 positions in the sales and restaurant industry.
Photo 1: Flying Dutchman
Photo 2: Schooner Ride
Photo 3: Sentry Hill
Photo 4: Soualiga Sky Explorer
Photo 5: progress of the works on June 21, 2017
