Tue-Thur 24th-26th Feb – Gibbon Experience
CR: Gibbon Experience was a two night, three day affair. It had the benefit of being established by a white Western man so broadly followed the scaffold of what we expect a tourist experience to be.
The jungle is about two and a half hours away. One and a half hours of ‘main road’ that is about the worst quality road you could feasibly imagine while still being paved. Then the final hour is on unpaved jungle road. It’s bumpy.
There are three types of tour operating. There’s a 1 night option where you do the whole course in 24 hours. This one is the cheapest and is popular with your classic backpacker type: 20-30 year olds, literal backpacks as luggage, fit. Declan comments that all men on this option try to out-alpha each other while the few women idle about silently (DW: I hear them discussing contemporary right wing European politics during lunch just enough) Then there’s the two night tour, split into two branches. Declan had booked a slightly different, more expensive two night option where we get our own tree house and guides. The other group of five sleep in the same tree house. Cultural stereotypes are abided by: the Americans are loud and obnoxious; the Dutch are upmarket and keep to themselves; the German is friendly and extremely process-oriented; the British are foppish and a bit frazzled.
There’s actually a fair amount of Trek involved in Zip. There’s about six main zip lines ranging from 200-400 meters in length. Then there are ancillary lines that are the access points to the tree houses. I find Trek pretty hard, especially on the first day where it is uphill and with our bags. It is, for a change, hot.
On the second day there’s a fair amount of Trek between lines as well. At lunch time we have the option to continue Zipping or to have Break. I strongly suggest Break. This proves to be a good decision as the rain settles in for the afternoon. Everyone retires to have an afternoon nap. I think our two guides are pleased to have half a day off. They hang out in a hut close by to our tree house.
Zipping itself is plenty of fun. First few were very scary because you don’t really go with that much safety equipment or training relative to the risk. After a few goes I ease into it. Now all I need is a harness and a cable and I’m good to Zip.
Spoiler: Declan and I see no Gibbons. When we arrive we’re informed there are a total of three Gibbons in the area. Not three families. Three Gibbons total.
DW: Our guides (Pormue and Amouagh) were really good. The Gibbon enterprise is mainly run from a small village and employs a number of staff from the village, but it is very well run. Pormue, now 40, only finished the equivalent of primary school and learnt English through the Gibbon enterprise and was pretty good. He made me a flute of bamboo and I impressed everyone with my skills. He was sad when we tried to explain biosecurity laws and that we couldn’t bring it home. Apparently I need to play it to girls to get a wife…
I’m shocked at the sparseness and poverty in Laos, despite being aware of it on paper before we left. From the moment you enter it is clear that this country has no money. In Thailand things are clearly not as well maintained as the West but many layers of society are visible at all times – and therefore there is the chance, even if theoretically, to ‘move up’ in life. Laos is the only country I have been to where that is not the case. There isn’t a middle class. In subsequent days we learn there are 8 million people in the country and 70-80% of them are farmers (DW: the specific statistic was from the early 2010s and was specifically for subsistence farming). It is an empty country that feels doomed to survive only through plundering of land and submission to the great powers around it (China).
DW: The barrel of his shotgun has a well blackened patina near its end.
DW: Caitlin is not a fan of Americans generally when travelling.
DW: Let the record show that this is not a hard trek holiday. The Flinders was a hard trek holiday. This just has jungle experiences.
CR: The German solo traveller takes what I can only describe as Great Contentment in the safety procedures we are expected to perform each Zip. He checks his carabiners with uninterrupted focus. He tightens his harness with purpose. He pats his handle-thing (a repurposed motorbike tyre) with the faith that he has performed a process well. And off he Zips. I do the same but with a much higher degree of trepidation and uncertainty.
DW: The “honeymoon” suite was definitely the right option. It gave us space from everyone else and meant we could just read for a bit.
DW: There were multiple large bee hives (only active during the wet season, maybe, some details are lost in translation). See next photo.
DW: Prior to this point (one day in Huayxai) we were disappointed with food in Laos. It lacked any clear flavour and just seemed to be whatever they could find mixed together. That could be because of Huayxai’s weird mini border town vibe, but I hope the bigger cities have some nicer food. There is nothing like the street food in Vietnam yet unfortunately.
DW: It actually needs a bit of finesse to do. If you weren’t paying attention you could definitely have a trip.
DW: On the plus side it meant the dust wasn’t as bad going back. You win some and you lose some.
DW: The German man is also unsurprisingly a victim of motion sickness. He has a firm regime of a little food to settle the belly and gazing determinedly forward through the grills of the tuk-tuk for 2 hours. I chose to just throw up over the back mid-drive and feel better afterwards rather than unnecessarily prolong the suffering.
CR: German man has picked his hotel in town specifically because it offers an overnight laundry turnaround service between returning from Gibbon Experience and departing via Boat to Luang Prabang the next day. This man has his shit together. He will not be impacted by the chaos of Laos through sheer willpower.
Wow, I love the tree house. It looks like you are in one of those old Tarzan movies, especially with the flying through the trees on the zip,
I wonder when people from other countries meet Australians what do they see as our cultural stereotypes.
Cait, for someone that didn’t enjoy theme park rides I’m very impressed that you did the zip lines.
So many thoughts about the tree house.
So you sleep up there completely open to the elements apart from a roof?
Any wild animal living in the trees could visit where you were sleeping?
I did think about the toilet situation. Did you go through the night.
If someone was a sleepwalker they could so easily just go over the edge.
Had a chuckle about the safety sign . In a bad storm you may have to evacuate the tree house via the zip line.
The same sign that also states that in a storm keep away from the metallic zip line cables because they may be hit by lightning.
Did you feel safe in the tree house
The sign mentioned bees but did not provide any safety advice on them. When you booked the tour were you aware about the bee issue.
Shame about the gibbons but you will never forget that adventure.
Cait, you look very happy in the photos. Good that you’re doing these activities now. At my age that is way beyond my capabilities.
Absolutely incredible post! What a day – it felt like we were there with you even though it is something I will never do. What an adventure. You will never forget it. Again great to see so many photos of you both.
Australian news: Watching Mardi Gras parade right now🌈
Favourite photo: all of them ❤️ Who knew what great zippers you would be 👏👏Treehouse looks amazing even with terrifying warnings. I would NOT like to be there in a storm.
Leo: Being Tarzan is fun – I can see why he likes all the ropes. We loved the tree house too. Was definitely a ‘luxe unit’. It was by far the most expensive thing we did and will do on the holiday – for the 2 of us it was A$1200 for the two nights, and getting the solo tree house was double the price of the regular one that is shared with multiple people. I think it was worth it though. Much nicer to know after a physically hard day that you have your own space to come back to.
Dad: good question about Australians! Maybe that we’re cool and happy and up for anything?
I was hesitant about the ziplining for sure. In 2017 there was a tourist death on this exact experience. It’s difficult to weigh up the risks involved versus the experience. There are so many other risks in Laos (driving a key one) that I figured while it would be catastrophic if something went wrong, it’s probably lower risk than the other stuff.
You are completely open to elements apart from the roof though there are drop down rain shields you can use if it’s wet and windy. You’d still probably get wet if it was really coming down.
There were wild animals! I could hear something breathing next to me on the first night. It was likely to either be a jungle rat or a bird squirrel apparently.
I didn’t go through the night and for good reason – it would be so easy to hurt yourself going down. It was not a very robust set up!!
Yes the safety sign was not overly inspiring. The bee swarm seemed the scariest to me. I think they mentioned it because last year a different ziplining company had tourist deaths when they were swarmed with wasps…
I didn’t feel super safe in the tree house. I know it was probably ok… But you are literally at the top of a HUGE tree (up 30 metres) with no access out other than a zip lining cable. That’s a scary thing!!
Dad, I think this was definitely an experience you can leave off your to-do list.
Dec, the image of you vomiting off a tuk-tuk while the ‘process-oriented’ German man stares determinedly into the distance is absolute gold. Hopefully the slow boat to Luang Prabang is a bit easier on the stomach. Fingers crossed the food there actually has some flavor!