Getting involved in the Gibbon Experience

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The Gibbon Experience

Day 150

After a pretty good night's sleep in our dodgy room, Mark got up at 6.30 to get the tickets for the bus to Huay Xai (it is a really busy route and tickets for the bus can go early) before going back to bed for a couple of hours before making our way down for the bus. At the bus stop we bumped into two Canadian girls, Keely and Kristel, who we found were also on their way for the Gibbon Experience. We had heard about this from a few people along the way and decided it sounded amazing so had booked it up a few weeks ago. As you read on you'll get an idea of what this actually is!

Arriving at Huay Xai we found a hotel with Keely and Kristel before making our way over to the Gibbon Experience office to check in. After reading an airtight disclaimer we asked a couple of questions and signed our life away. As we were sat there, another two guys also joined us, Craig and Brad and were shortly followed by another brit called Keith. With all of us on the trip leaving the next day we thought it would be a good chance to have dinner and a couple of beers to get to know each other. After a really good night it was clear that we had a really good group and we were going to have a great couple of days.

Day 151

After a quick brekkie with our group we met in the office to get a safety briefing and gather for the trip out to the Gibbon Experience site. As it was coming to the end of the season and rain was threatening to swell some of the river crossings, we were told that we may not be able to drive all the way to the village and that we may have a 7 hour trek in rather than the usual 1.5 hour walk. When we got to the river, our guide told us that we could not cross, so gathering our bags we started to walk.

It was a long and tiring walk to the village where the car drops you off in good weather, however it gave us a great chance to chat along the way. Arriving at the village we were all pretty tired but still really excited about being on the trip and getting closer to our tree house, our home for the night. The last section of the walk was really steep and muddy making an interesting end to the walk.

Arriving at the top we turned the corner to find the hut where the guides sleep and the main kitchen hut for the complex. When we arrived we were greeted not only by the rest of the guides but the resident monkey (jack), cat and baby black bear. They were all amazing and we all looked after them whilst we rested and sleeping arrangements were sorted. The animals were free to roam the forest but had been semi adopted by the guides and preferred to stay around the camp - an amazing start to the three day trip.

The Gibbon Experience was started as a conservation and eco tourism project in the northern Laos jungle where the organizers have built four tree houses (aprox 150 feet up in the canopy of the jungle) where you get around by trekking and a series of zip wires crossing valleys over 500m long and really, really high in the air. The money raised by sending people like us in helps to keep the site running but also provides jobs for locals and education to stop them from poaching in the area. A full-time ranger is also paid for from the proceeds. It sounded like great fun and a worthy project that we were pleased to be supporting. Donning our harnesses we were then taken a little further into the jungle where we reached our first zip line.

Clipping on the zip wire we flew out landing on our tree house (the only way in and out is by cable) where we were to sleep for the evening. The set up was fantastic and the views over the jungle well worth the long trek in. We had a quick cuppa before being taken around a loop of three zip wires which took us back to the tree house.

Left to our own devices by the guide we settled into the tree house and went out around the zip wire circuit several times until it got too dark to carry on.

After we had all showered (the bathroom was surprisingly well equipped for being 150m up a tree) our dinner was delivered by one of the guides zipping into the tree house and we sat down for a delicious and welcome feast. During dinner we felt it necessary to allocate everyone with nicknames for the trip … so for the rest of this entry, everyone will only be referred to by their nicknames:

Mark - Spiderpig
Chrissie - Mrs Potter (said in a cockney accent)
Keeley - Bunny
Kristel - Shandy
Craig - Ozzie
Brad - Saddles
Keith - GI Cheggers

After dinner we cracked open some of the LaoLao (local rice whiskey) a pack of cards and played, chatted and drank until the wee hours.

Making our bed on our platform overlooking the jungle canopy we fell into sleep.

Day 152

Being told to be up for 6am, Spiderpig and GI Cheggers woke even earlier to put stove on for an early cuppa. As everyone emerged from their beds our enigmatic guide, Som, joined us in the tree house. Suddenly we heard a family of Gibbons from across the valley. Som burst into action and rushing us into our harnesses threw us down the zip line to see the family. With some of us still in Pajamas and Som shouting “there’s no time for socks … go, go, go!” it was quite a surreal way to wake up.

At the end of the zip we walked along the path and saw the family of gibbons swinging through the trees above us. It was a sight we will all never forget - utterly amazing. After watching the family for a couple of minutes where eventually they decided to move further down the valley we made our way back to the tree house for our tea and breakfast. We were so lucky to have seen the gibbons as not all groups do with the park being such a large area.

We were joined by Mike (Airwalk) whose ‘tree house mates’ had to leave that morning. Packing our things as we were due to be staying that night at another tree house deeper in the jungle we got ready to leave.

Zipping back to ground level we started walking to the next set of zip wires. We crossed two valleys and then reahced the biggest zip wire we had ever seen. Pleading with Som, he let us stay for an hour to play on the wires. Soooooo much fun.

Back on the trail we headed to treehouse three to pick up Airwalk’s things before heading to our home for the evening.

Leaving tree house 3 and en route to our final destination Ozzie went to clip onto a wire suddenly realizing that he had left his roller at our previous stop. After a quick, and precarious, run he managed to get it back and catch us up.

The last zip into the tree house was huge and deposited us in a tree house with an incredible 360 degree view across the valley. Having a sit down and some snacks we rested from the day's activities. Ozzie and Bunny went on a short zipping trip to the kitchen to get some hot water, where Ozzie did an impressive zip back to the tree house with a full kettle of water - without spilling a drop!

Later on after a bit of a rest, we were getting ready for another zip when Spiderpig realized he had a bit of blood on his leg. Not really feeling anything he lifted his trouser leg to find that the blood had come from a leech that had obviously feasted on him earlier that day. Mopping it up there was gladly next to nothing there - so we all went zipping!

Another amazing meal and an evening chatting we fell into bed for another exhausted night's sleep.

Day 153

Waking the next morning we had our fingers crossed that it would be dry and that the jeep would be able to make it to the village leaving us with a slightly shorter walk out, however it was not to be. The rain was coming down in sheets and had been all night and there was no way we would be driving out today. Trying to persuade Som that it was raining too much to leave and that we should stay another night for it to clear up, our pleas fell on deaf ears and we had to leave.

We had a fantastic trek through the mud and swelled streams and rivers from the rain with all of us picking up leeches along the way. Reaching the biggest river of the walk we went in up to our chest before deciding that it was too fast flowing to cross, and made the decision to walk around instead.

Arriving at the village we had a last check for leeches with most of us finding them having a nibble somewhere and Mark finding one in his pocket (not sure how it got there).

We started the long walk back along the road and half-way back we took a short cut across some more muddy steep paths before rejoining the dirt track and eventually back to the main road to meet our ride home. We were shattered but had had such an amazing time and all felt great that we'd made the walk back. Before getting in the jeep back to Huay Xai we had time for a quick celebratory beer and late lunch.

We arrived back at the office and the whole group bought T-shirts to remember our experience and were given the dubious honour of being named the smelliest group to return!

Not fed up with each other yet we all booked into the same hotel and had extremely welcome showers before all donning our T-shirts (cool not geeky!) and going out for a huge curry and a few drinks. After dinner we all retired to our hotel balcony where we chatted until the small hours. What an amazing trip and a fab group of people! Cheers schmurgles - you made our trip!

Massive thanks go to Mark's Granny and Grandad, Sadie and Arthur, as this was part of their wedding present to us. Originally they had chosen a trek in Thailand from our list for our gift but having heard tales about these treks from other travellers we decided they weren't really our style so we opted to use the money to pay for the gibbon experience and an elephant experience in Thailand instead. Hope this is ok G and G - we have had a fantastic time - thank you so much!

PS make sure you have a look at th video attached at the top ... it is even better on video than in pictures!

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Photos

The Schmergles
Saddles, Ozzie, Shandy, Bunny, Spiderpig, Mrs Potter, Airwalk and GI Cheggers

Chrissie, Jack and the cat
Sounds like something from Dr Seuss