We planned our ten-day stay in Chiang Rai because we booked an experience in Laos called The Gibbon Experience, and Chiang Rai is only two hours from the Laos border.
The Gibbon Experience project began in 1996 to help stop illegal logging, commercial cropping, excessive slash-and-burn practices, and overall pressure on the forest in Laos. The Gibbon Experience works with the Laos government to build a sustainable tourist adventure that brings in visitors (and their money). It provides locals with work (they employ hundreds of locals as guides, cooks, firefighters, construction workers, rangers, and drivers) and job security while teaching them that the jungle is worth more if left intact. The area where the Gibbon Experience runs is now a protected national park – Nam Kan National Park in the Bokeo Forest.
From Chiang Rai, we took a bus to the border. The border crossing from Thailand to Laos was easy. We got a visa on arrival in about 30 minutes. We spent one night in the little town of Huay Xai. We wandered around a temple and watched a beautiful sunset at a fort overlooking the Mekong River.
The next morning, we woke early to start our adventure into the jungle. Michael and Henry walked out to get breakfast and saw a procession of monks collecting offerings along the main street.
After watching a safety video at the office of the Gibbon Experience, we headed out with our backpacks for our 3-day and 2-night adventure. To get to the jungle, we took a two-hour drive. Some people were in the truck cab, and others bounced around in the back on benches. We had lunch in a village that leads to the jungle.
After lunch, we hiked and zip-lined for two more hours into the jungle with our zip line gear. The Gibbon Experience created an incredible pathway of hiking trails and ziplines that leads to a collection of unbelievable treehouses, including the highest in the world sitting at an impressive 150 meters/490 feet high!
Our guides, A-thit and Boun Kert made the trip exceptional. They grew up together in the local village and would hunt in these jungles when they were younger for wildlife to feed their families. They are happy that they can help protect and conserve the jungle for themselves and future generations. They were kind, funny, and giving, taking care of us, joining us for chats and games in the evenings, and pointing out wildlife and plants as we hiked. They even organized a birthday cake for Michael on our return from the jungle.
We stayed in “Treehouse Number 1” (think Swiss Family Robinson) accessible only by zipline. The treehouse is sparse but surprisingly comfortable. Our beds were situated under heavy mosquito nets to keep out bugs. The toilet and shower were open to the elements. Water came to the treehouse through pipes from a natural water source. The food, delivered by zip line, was delicious.
Michael, Lucas, Henry, and Jake completed 45 zip lines over the three days. Everyone else did at least 25. We explored the jungle via zip-line with our amazing guides (the longest was 500 meters long, soaring high above the jungle below). A few people in our group were afraid of heights, but they all conquered that fear or at least managed it for three days.
There is no guarantee that you will see gibbons on these trips, but we were lucky to see them twice. We first caught a glimpse of them from the ziplines on day two. We also got to see them the next morning from our treehouse. A couple of hours after we woke, we heard their distinct calls and saw them swing into view. Our guide pointed out that the best view would be from the bathroom, so we all piled in there together. It was cozy.
Michael woke up on day three, one year older. What an incredible birthday. We ended the Gibbon experience tired, dirty, and sore, but also exhilarated, inspired, and grateful.
