Plus-Size Hikers Find Community and Inclusion at Nakoa Adventure

Before embarking on a hiking trip in the Swiss Alps last month, Charlene Chotalal, a nuclear engineer from Virginia, was afraid of heights. But as she took in views of the Matterhorn from a gondola at over 12,000 feet, Chotalal discovered she wasn’t scared anymore.

This shift in confidence wasn’t random; the realization hit Chotalal on her third trip with Nakoa Adventure, a travel company founded in 2019 and dedicated to serving plus-size travelers on hiking, surfing, and yoga adventures around the world. After participating in two group trips in Costa Rica, Chotalal signed up for the company’s inaugural hiking trip this summer. Chotalal said that the friends she made on her first two Nakoa trips encouraged her to expand her horizons with a hiking trip in the Alps. She joined seven other plus-size hikers for six days of trekking and exploring the peaks surrounding Zermatt.

“Nakoa Adventure didn’t just teach me about living in a plus-size body. It showed me that I can go beyond living and do things my mind didn’t even think of doing,” said Chotalal.

The company’s founder, Kanoa Greene, who splits her time between Orlando, Florida, and Costa Rica, said Nakoa Adventure all started as a MeetUp based on a yearning to find fellow outdoorsy folks in larger bodies. Greene said she’d had far too many experiences of being “left in the dust” on hiking outings, and she had a different vision.

Working full-time for Hawaiian Airlines in Oahu, Greene dreamed of creating a safe space for people of all shapes and sizes to move and explore on the island. She began by inviting folks in larger bodies to hike alongside her. In the meantime, she became a yoga instructor and personal trainer, documenting her journey learning to surf and other body-inclusive adventures on Instagram.

Greene modeled for a size-inclusive swimwear company in Tamarindo, Costa Rica. She found the community so welcoming of her and her fellow models that she vowed to return so others could feel the grace and space it afforded.

As she documented her surfing, Greene’s Instagram followers kept asking how and where they could have similar adventures that felt so welcoming to all bodies. She tried to find plus-size adventure tour operators to recommend and could find none. This surprised her, since 67 percent of US women are size 14 and above.

 “That was the point where I felt a sense of responsibility, that if there was nothing, I needed to create it,” Greene said. And so she did, organizing hiking trips in Switzerland, surfing in Costa Rica and Jacksonville, Florida, aerial yoga and paddleboarding in Mexico and more, specifically for plus-size adventurers. The first trip Greene planned sold out in 24 hours. She organized six trips in 2024 and is currently scouting out locations for her 2025 offerings.

The recent hiking trip in Switzerland was both a culmination, and a first step toward Greene’s vision for Nakoa. “For me, the highlight of this trip was witnessing these individuals take the leap of faith to join us and being willing to face the doubt, disbelief, or fear they have about trying something new,” said Greene. “Something special happens to someone’s confidence when they truly see what they’re capable of. To be able to be a part of that journey is nothing short of magical.”

Nakoa’s adventures are movement-focused, with the larger body in mind, Greene said. Greene considers everything from providing distilled water for CPAP machines, as a few clients have needed, to renting buses that have plenty of room for folks to spread out. If there are activities such as yoga and dancing, they are done in private spaces to mitigate any feelings of self-consciousness. It’s these details that set Nakoa apart from traditional guiding companies.

And most importantly, she ensures that her fellow travelers are treated with respect and dignity along the journey. She is currently mapping out Nakoa Adventure’s 2025 trips, and plans to return to Tamarindo, Costa Rica, where she has a strong relationship with the locals. She found surf instructors who are kind and adapt movements to the size and shape of her travelers.

Soon after returning home from Switzerland, Chotalal signed up for her first indoor rock climbing session, something she never would have done before adventuring with Nakoa. She plans to stay in touch with her fellow Alps hikers, saying that this newfound support network is the “cherry on top” of an unforgettable mountain adventure.

“[Nakoa] taught me not to try conquering my fears, but to exist with it in the same space and organically let it subside,” she said. “It’s one thing seeing someone do something and feeling inspired. It’s another thing to go out there and do it yourself to prove you are capable and worthy to take up space.”