The Gibbon Experience

Ahh The Gibbon Experience. I refer to this experience as Fat Camp for good reason. A little background: The Gibbon Experience is touted as a "eco tourism forest conservation project. Our project funds forest protection and community projects in Bokeo Nature Reserve, Northern Laos. Guests stay in tree houses and use our zip line cable gliding network to scour the primary forest in search of the illusive Black Gibbon." Easier to just copy paste from their website. Em and I were happy to spend some money helping the locals preserve their forest and animal life. Little did we know what we were getting ourselves into.

We spend the weekend with 3 guys and 1 girl, a small enough group that we got to know each other fairly well. The drive out was uneventful...the driver picked up locals and gave them a lift during the 3 hour ride. We were dropped off next to a river and promptly started our hike. During the rainy season in Laos, the way to Gibbon is by foot...a 7 hour hike on dirt roads, muddy footpaths, and deep jungle ravines. We only had the water that we carried with us, 1.5 liters each, and a sandwich. It must have been in the 90's with 70%+ humidity. Before we were halfway there, we were dripping with sweat. One "shortcut" through the jungle proved to a primer for the rest of the trip, an hour slog down one of the steepest hillsides I've walked on, then back up the other hillside to the road. The sun bore down on us relentlessly while we trudged up and down hills.

After 6 hours, we arrived at a small village where we could buy more water, soda, or beer. We rested and interacted with the local village children. The young ones were a bit shy but eager to see their images on our cameras. The older ones hung back, watching us with emotionless faces. After a brief rest, we struck out on a small, muddy footpath the rest of the way up the mountainside. We believe that it was during this part that Em lost her moneybelt. Perhaps it fell in the river, or was picked up by some soldiers we saw descending the hill. Who knows.

At the top of the path, we were met by a group of guides who handed us each a harness and instructed us on how to safely put it on. Once we had our gear, we walked a bit longer to our first zipline, attached ourselves to it, and flew across the jungle to our first treehouse. On arrival, we removed our dirty shoes and socks, cleaned up, and started claiming beds. The bathroom had a small toilet, sink, and wooden grate for showering. The kitchen had a sink, a container of coffee, sugar, plates, cups, and a plastic snack chest. There wasn't much else. Our guides immediately dug into the snack box, grabbing M&M's and hanging out. After they left, we checked the snack box only to find no more candy (shakes fist), a huge bag of lychees, and cans of condensed milk.

After dinner was brought to us, we settled down to sleep. Before we passed out, one guy gave a yelp and flashlights were turned on. Apparently rats came out at night to find food, running everywhere. The beds were just mattresses on the floor with sheets for mosquito nets, so most of us lay awake worried that a rat would wander inside. This wasn't how I thought it would be.

In the morning, we were shown a series of ziplines that we could play on until breakfast. Once you get the hang of it, ziplinning is pretty fun. The hardest part is getting the momentum to make it all the way to the end (otherwise you have to turn backwards and haul yourself to the platform) and braking enough that you won't slam into the tree at the end. Back at the treehouse, most of us managed to see Gibbons playing in the treetops. They are fast little guys, and none of us took photos.

After breakfast, we packed our stuff and took off for Treehouse #5, a 3 hour hike. This time, we encountered more mud, leeches, and 3 more ziplines. Leeches were smaller than expected, but very very very fast, grabbing onto our shoes and legs before most of us knew what happened. By the time we made it to the treehouse, we were all ready to drop. The guides at this treehouse informed us that we may or may not get dinner that night. The supply man from the village hadn't been up with the horse for 10 days, very lazy they called him. Some nights, they themselves didn't get to eat. Luckily, they managed to scrape together enough food for us to have dinner, and then came back after we had gone to bed with even more supplies after the horse arrived. Fortified, we slept much better than the first night.

The 3rd day arrived, and we started the long trek back down to the road. We had to traverse leech country again, gave back our harnesses, and descended the way we had arrived. It was tough going. If anything, it was even hotter. Thunderstorms brewed in the distance. It took us 8 hours to make it back to the road and by then, I could barely walk. I wasn't the only one. Most of us left our Gibbon shoes there for the locals, never wanting to see them again. We were fed, packed back into a truck, and headed back to town.

I think if I were to recommend this, I would suggest going during the dry season. This way, you can get a ride to the village, then only have an hour walk up the hillside to contend with. The walk was hard...the hardest physical experience I've had in over a decade. It was worth it though, now that I've had a month to reflect on the experience.



The very beginning. Little did we know what was in store for us.


Crossing a bridge at the very beginning of our hike in...this is the easiest part.


Taking a break on the hike in.


Em taking a break on the hike in.


Cows.


Rice farmer's house.


Example of slash and burn agriculture. The locals cut most of the trees down, burn it, then plant fields of rice in the nutrient-rich soil.


Village at the base of the hill below Gibbon Experience.


Village children. The smaller ones loved checking us out. The older ones watched us warily.


Village children.


Children looking at a photo of themselves.


Village children.


This little girl carried this baby everywhere for about 15 minutes. As she made one more pass by us, her skirt slipped and started to fall off. She ran up the hill while we tried to giggle quietly to ourselves.


Mud mud mud mud and more mud.


3 pairs of socks and I still got blisters.


View from Treehouse 1.


Guestbook in Treehouse 1.


Mud on my shoes.


Em coming in via zipline.


Dirty shoes.


Map of Gibbon Experience...treehouse locations, ziplines, and paths.


We were so hungry before breakfast was brought over on the first morning that we roasted baguettes over the propane burner.


Bamboo surrounding the path between ziplines.


Ferns...I think I have one of these growing at home. :)


Name of one of the treehouses.


Checking out a treehouse being built near the ziplines.


Luke.


Em relaxing after we trudged through leech country to get to the 2nd treehouse.


Moonrise on our 2nd night.


Spiderweb in the morning.


Stickbug.


Spiderweb in the morning.


Village child.

Teapot, coffee cups, sugar, and candle.


Coffee crystals.


Breakfast. Basket of rice, container of sausage and vegetables, and a basket of fruit (lychees).


Typical meal: rice, cabbage, beans, tomatoes, onions, a bit of meat (we only had meat 2 out of 7 meals).


2 locals from the kitchen located near the 2nd treehouse.


Mosquito coils.


Roof of the 2nd treehouse.


Kitchen in the 2nd treehouse.


Bathroom in treehouse 2.


Leech in my shoe. I hate these little buggers. They are very fast, very persistent, and I carried a few back with me long after we left the leech-infested area.


Driving back to town.


Rainbow at the end of our day.