The Gibbon Expertise in northern Laos is sort of a childhood fantasy come true. This distinctive mission inside the Nam Ka Nationwide Park enables you to keep in a single day in tree huts as much as 40m above the bottom — after which soar above the jungle cover utilizing a mixed 15km (!) of zip strains.
It’s a thrill to glide from one facet of a valley to the subsequent whereas getting a drone’s eye view of the cover under. However I believed it was equally pleasant simply to get up in one of many tallest treehouses on the planet and see an excellent vista of a misty rainforest.
For the reason that Gibbon Expertise is a long-running mission, I’m removed from the primary blogger to write down about it. So quite than giving a blow-by-blow narrative account of the expertise, let me simply share some basic impressions with you that can assist you resolve if it’s price it. (I did the 3-Day Basic Expertise.)
3 completely different experiences
There are a number of variations of the Gibbon Expertise with completely different durations and group sizes. So earlier than I proceed, let me clarify:
The Basic Tour is what I did and what I describe on this put up. It takes 3 days and consists of 2 nights spent sleeping in treehouses. It’s a bit extra relaxed when it comes to climbing than the Big Loop because it covers much less distance per day. Extra probability of listening to or recognizing gibbons. Max group measurement: 8.
The Big Loop is a 2-day tour in a special a part of Nam Kan with one evening spent in a treehouse. It takes you throughout the western mountain vary of the park on one of many longest ziplining loops on the planet. Gibbon sightings are uncommon in comparison with the Basic Tour, however because it’s 2 days it could be simpler to suit into your Laos itinerary. Max group measurement: 12.
Honeymoon is a 3 days/2 evening expertise with a most group measurement of 24. Simply kidding, it’s simply the 2 of you! In 2025, the new Nest home was launched, so there are actually two personal honeymoon treehuts to select from.
What to anticipate
The Nam Kan Nationwide Park is house to a number of monkey species, together with the critically endangered Black Crested Gibbon and the endangered Indochinese Grey langur. Nonetheless, the Gibbon Expertise is much less in regards to the ‘gibbons’ and extra in regards to the ‘expertise’.
That is simply one thing to count on. The concept of being excessive up within the timber is that you could see the forest from a gibbon’s standpoint quite than it being some type of gibbon safari the place you’re assured to see these small apes up shut.
Because you’ll be with a bunch of a minimum of round 8 individuals and for the reason that ziplines clearly make some noise, the circumstances for seeing wildlife will not be at all times ideally suited.
However for those who’re fortunate, the elusive gibbons can be singing their songs within the early morning. Because it had rained throughout my keep, the gibbons had been a bit of shy, so I wasn’t so fortunate myself. However I’ve heard these cheerful rising calls of gibbons earlier than, and it positively makes you are feeling such as you’re in a wildlife documentary.
Nonetheless, the actual objective of the Gibbon Expertise is to see the jungle from a special perspective.
You realize that expression about not seeing the forest for the timber? Effectively, that additionally applies fairly actually to forests and timber. It’s usually tough to see a lot of the jungle while you’re smack in the midst of it. While you’re excessive above the cover, you may respect it a lot extra.
The zip-lining — a minimum of for me — was extra of a serotonin than an adrenaline factor. In case you have a extreme concern of heights, then perhaps I wouldn’t suggest it. In any other case, it’s simply quite a lot of stable good enjoyable. Hovering from one tree hut to a different over jungled valleys is solely an incredible sensation.
What makes the expertise all of the extra particular is the prospect to remain the evening in a tree hut. (There as soon as was once a 1-day tour centered simply on ziplining, however now all of the Gibbon Expertise choices embrace an in a single day keep.)
There’s fortunately no web, so there’s not a lot to do at evening however chat together with your fellow vacationers and play some card video games. Meals are delivered by the prepare dinner through zipline and are family-style at a shared desk. Within the morning, you’ll get up to beautiful vistas of the rainforest, with morning mist forming layered silhouettes.
By the way in which, perhaps that is an odd element, however I had fairly probably the most effective bathe of my life on the Gibbon Expertise.
The lavatory is on a platform only one stage down from the dwelling space. There’s a curtain behind you however forward of you it’s totally open, so you’re simply standing bare 30 meters above the bottom in entrance of an excellent 180-degree vista of a rainforest. Under you is only a slatted platform, after which nothing under however some distant foliage. You may hint the water drops together with your eyes as they go down by way of the platform after which alllll the way in which all the way down to the jungle ground.
I took my bathe simply because the solar was setting, seeing the golden glow whereas tropical birds zipped previous from left and proper. It felt like having a shower within the Backyard of Eden.
I give the bathe: 5 stars.
Is it price it?
That is simply the primary query I get every time I point out the Gibbon Expertise to anybody. My reply is solely this: for those who can afford it, it’s price it.
340 Euros (approx. $355 USD) for a 3-day tour is perhaps not so low-cost by native requirements. A frugal backpacker may use the identical sum of money to journey round Laos for 2 weeks.
Then once more, having travelled everywhere in the world I haven’t discovered an expertise fairly like this one. The ziplines had been a number of the longest and highest I’ve accomplished and the views had been spectacular.
2025 Replace: Since I did this expertise, a brand new 2-day choice was added, which prices EUR 215 (approx. $223 USD). The costs can be barely decrease throughout off-season.
One important factor to remember when contemplating the value is that that is an ecotourism mission! Not less than half of the revenues go to reforestation and help tasks, ranger operations, wildlife conservation, and the salaries for the guides that assist help native communities. I believe that simply makes it among the many most worthwhile issues you would be spending cash on as a vacationer in Laos.
From what I may inform, the mission has been profitable at serving to to guard the forests from poaching, unlawful logging, and different threats. Locals I spoke to who weren’t related to the mission spoke extremely of it.
The guides and employees all come from the native villages — in truth, I didn’t see a single Westerner on employees. One among my guides was once a logger, however now his work helps to guard the forests as a substitute. It will possibly’t consider something extra poetic than that.
The ecotourism factor right here doesn’t appear to be only a handy advertising hook. So far as I may inform, it’s genuinely arrange as a mission with a mission, which is kind of completely different from different ziplining companies in Southeast Asia that even have “gibbon” of their names (akin to a number of in Thailand). These different parks don’t embrace any treehouse lodging nor do they declare to spend a good portion of their funds on sustainable improvement and conservation.
Should you’re travelling on a shoestring price range, the Gibbon Expertise could also be a bit of dear. In that case, a multi-day trek in Laos (maybe ranging from Luang Namtha or Nong Khiaw) would nonetheless be a cool jungle expertise at a decrease value. Nonetheless, for those who’re not too intimidated by the value, then I believe the Gibbon Expertise is very price it.
Sensible particulars
What: The Gibbon Expertise, Basic 3-Day Tour
The place: The workplace is positioned in Huay Xai. Pre-booking on their web site is very suggested because it tends to be booked out weeks upfront.
Why: You’ll fly by way of the forest and keep in wonderful treehouses! It’s a singular immersive jungle journey, with the potential to see some wildlife as effectively. (My information didn’t at all times inform me in nice depth in regards to the wildlife, however this may increasingly differ from information to information.)
Who: It’s common with backpackers however appears quite family-friendly as effectively. The minimal age requirement for the Basic expertise is 8 years. Whereas I used to be there, a girl in one other group was 67 and he or she was loving it. Nonetheless, you need to be moderately match and there’s a weight restrict for the ziplines.
Professional Tip: Should you’re coming from Huay Xai, you may go away your luggage on the park entrance. After the 3-day tour, you may decide them up once more and flag down any bus heading to Luang Namtha. This protects you from having to backtrack to Huay Xai.
Our jeeps obtained caught within the mud, as even their 4×4 drives couldn’t deal with a number of the slippery roads.
Ready for our jeep to develop into unstuck, we took shelter beneath a farmer’s hut and had lunch round a campfire…
Bananabrella.
The primary day includes an hour or two of climbing to achieve the primary tree hut.
Slightly volleyball session with the guides on our means again.
Initially printed FEB 26, 2018. Up to date Jan 27, 2025.
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Posted JAN 25, 2025
