The Gibbon Experience, Laos
The next morning we made the one minute walk from our guesthouse to the office of the Gibbon Experience, the non-profit organization that offers jungle adventures that include 15 kilometers of zip lines and sleeping in the highest tree houses in the world (50 meters/~155 feet). After storing our lugging at the office, grabbing coffee and breakfast and watching a group safety video (apparently what we were going to do had danger involved!) we split into groups and boarded very fancy, four-door, four-wheel-drive, Songthaews. We lucked out as the only family and were offered a ride in the comfy new cab instead of the benches in back. And so began the two hour drive into the Nam Khan National Park, where our two-day adventure awaited.
Arriving at a rustic farmhouse/office, we gathered our things and enjoyed finger bananas and a much more insightful discussion of safety and what to expect on our two day adventure. Following the presentation the four guides asked the eighteen of us to split into groups of eight and ten, as this was the limit to the number of guests that could stay in one of the two treehouses we would spend the night in. To our luck, we wound up quickly pairing with seven Dutch nationals, a kind and adventurous couple close to our age and five young, amazing, new friends (four women and one young man). Two were traveling together and the other three alone, but met the same morning at the main office and hit it off instantly (we were shocked they didn’t already know each other, as they had an instant rapport). We began our adventure, starting off with a “intro” zip-line, crossing above the river between the back of the farmhouse and the trail on the other side.
We spent the better part of the day hiking through the jungle and traversing verdant, vine draped, canyons and canopies on zip lines that stretched up to 550 meters in length and hundreds of meters above the forest below. The group connected incredibly, with Oliver and Wessel (the solo young Dutch guy) had an instant rapport, never mind the 13 year age gap and Oliver’s dislike of his new Dutch donut inspired nickname, “Ollie Bollie”. Throughout our first day the guides, Tha Vone and Pad Thai (his spelling!), demonstrated incredible knowledge, patience and a clear proficiency in both a focus on safety and in their ability to connect with us all (poor Pad Thai was surprisingly alert while regretfully nursing a hangover). The final zip line of the day, a short and effortlessly glide through the forest where an otherworldly looking treehouse slides into view, becoming tangible as we each landed on lowest of four levels, the entry and exit deck and the glorious bathroom in the sky.
The treehouse itself is frankly a marvel to behold. It has a freak mushroom with tentacles look, with tufts of tree branches jutting out of its rounded eves and pitched and uneven rooflines. First arriving on the lowest level, there are round trip zip lines coming and going to the top of a steep jungle ridge a few hundred meters away; their is also double basin sink and brisk shower draining into the void, while a 50 meter pipe connects the toilet to a septic tank at the base of the tree. This was definitely the most unique toilet experience of the trip. The octagonally shaped wooden console construction of the treehouse is fascinating; primary support is provided by steel cables connecting the consoles to central framing levered off of the stout tree. Each of the four levels is connected with a diagonal “stairway” that is essentially a steeply sloped wooden ladder. The second, and main, level was probably just under 30 square meters (~320 square feet) and had a kitchen area, dining area and mosquito netting enclosed doubles that could sleep eight. The third and fourth levels were essentially a split level and each was closer to bedroom size, accommodating six more people in double mosquito nets. Much to Katharina’s relief there was very well constructed railings that wouldn’t allow someone to accidentally roll off in the night. All in all, it was a magnificent place to spend the night.
The evening started with a tranquil and enchanting sunset, its golden light bathing us all as we leaned against the railing, chatting and soaking in the splendor. Following the final rays of daylight we enjoyed an incredible fresh meal, lovingly prepared by a few talented young women that live on the ridge top seasonally to care for the treehouses and prepare meals for guests. Our party of twelve (including Tha Vone and Pad Thai) made easy conversation, recalling the thrills and stunning experiences of the day. We ended the night playing drinking games (with water and “happy” water), laughing, sharing more stories and feeling like an oddly familiar family, of sorts.
Sleeping in a very high treehouse, deep in the jungle, was surprisingly relaxing, aside from the early morning wakeup alarm created by two very loud birds rhythmically, and piercingly, shrieking at one another until they finally merged into one stereophonic natural alert system. Irked by the birds, but enthusiastic for another day of adventure, we joined everyone downstairs for coffee and cookies in preparation for a sunrise excursion before breakfast. Donning our harnesses and fashionable helmet hats, we each traversed the exit zip-line, landing on the high ridge; what a way to start the day. We ended up hiking to the base camp where the staff lives seasonally, giving us a chance to meet them all, see how they live and cook (open fire only here!). We watched the dramatically lit clouds pass by while poorly playing Sepak Takraw, a traditional Laotian ball game that uses a woven wicker ball and deft foot skills in a very different version of volleyball. Tha Vone and Pad Thai skillfully demonstrated their mastery of the sport and were supportive and patient, laughing along with us as we exhibited less than stellar skills.
Following the rollicking game, with the morning sun rising higher in the sky, we meandered along a giant bamboo laden jungle trail back, enjoying awe-inspiring views as we traversed several zip lines before arriving back in the treehouse for breakfast and to pack our gear for the full day that lay ahead. While gathering our belongings, the young ladies laid out yet another remarkable meal that we enjoyed while all assembled together, sipping coffee and making a plan to stay connected after the trip ended. After cleaning up our breakfast detritus we collected our gear, donned our harnesses and helmets and regretfully departed the tree house one last time.
The rest of the day was spent much like the first, hiking, zip-lining, hiking, zip-lining and on and on. With it being the second day and Tha Vone and Pad Thai having a good understanding of our overall skill levels, they allowed the group a bit more flexibility, offering more adventurous styles (hands free!) of flight and less rigid rules that we wait for them to cross certain lines. Wessel had brought along a nifty selfie-stick on a powered gimbal that allowed those of us he “trusted” to experiment with making intriguing solo and tandem aerial videos. Having only done limited zip-lining prior to this extended journey we all felt like professionals, even to the point where some of the less stunning lines almost (but not quite!) seemed mundane.
The final line took us out of thick jungle and over an expansive valley, crossing a large local farm and a wide and clear stream below; it was certainly the cherry on top of the mind-boggling escapade. From there we had a several kilometer hike along a rough red dirt road through farms, managed forests and past several simple local homes. At last we came upon the last stop before heading back to Huay Xai, a covered and partially enclosed simple wooden structure that comprised a small farm, the “restaurant” making our lunch, a breathtaking riverside scene and a magical fountain containing local beers and sodas to quench our well-earned thirst.
We cracked open a collection of “boutique” Beer Lao’s (they have some decent stuff now!) and sodas, toasting each other, taking in the spectacle of the wandering farm animals, cats and puppies. We then all enthusiastically changed into water gear and made our way into the stream for swimming and attempting to navigate the loosely constructed long bamboo rafts (it wasn’t especially pretty to see…). A flavorful fried rice lunch was waiting when we were done playing in the water. We soaked in one last meal together, continuing the Klein tradition of “Peeping” before meals, which we had introduced the group to the night before (they insisted we keep doing it).
As we wrapped up lunch our fancy Songthaews and drivers greeted us next to the farm. We pulled together our gear once again and hopped into the trucks for a wild and bumpy four-wheel trip along rugged dirt road for the first hour. Oliver wanted to sit with the youngsters in the back, so both of the older couples were gifted the opportunity to enjoy comforts such as seat padding for the rough ride. Another hour later we arrived back at the Gibbon Experience office, dirty, tired, thrilled and a touch melancholy knowing we’d be saying goodbye to our new gang.
After a quick and much appreciated shower, we met up with the rest of the group, said our goodbyes, shared contact info and promised to share the hundreds (or, thousands?) of pictures and videos we had collectively taken in less than 48 hours. A chapter in our lives, this seemingly exotic, was something that we will all recall with fondness and we will surely make an effort to try something similar when the opportunity presents. Our timing was tight and we needed to take a shuttle to the Laotion and Thai land border, considering new experiences and adventures ahead and wishing we had more time here. After saying goodbye to our new friends we also found ourselves sadly saying goodbye to the mystical and magical country of Laos.
