The Gibbon Experience

Overnight zipline and treehouse adventure in the Bokeo jungle, with black-crested gibbons

The Gibbon Experience is one of the most unusual things to do in Laos: you sleep in treehouses high in the forest canopy of the Bokeo Nature Reserve and travel between them on a network of ziplines strung through the jungle. The experience lasts two or three nights and includes guided walks with the chance of spotting black-crested gibbons, one of the rarest primates in the world.

The treehouses are simple but genuinely dramatic — built at canopy height, with views over the forest that stretch for kilometres. The ziplines are long and fast; no experience is required, but a head for heights helps. Booking is essential and must be done well in advance, especially during the November–April high season. The Gibbon Experience office is in Huay Xai town; book directly with them rather than through third parties.

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A story
The black-crested gibbon (Nomascus concolor) is one of the world's most endangered primates. The Bokeo Nature Reserve was established partly to protect a small surviving population. The Gibbon Experience was set up partly as ecotourism — the revenue supports anti-poaching patrols — and partly as an experiment in whether it is possible to make wildlife worth more alive than dead. The gibbons' morning calls, which echo through the canopy at dawn, are among the most striking sounds in Southeast Asia.

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