Post by spunky on Jan 16, 2023 15:14:39 GMT
Karla Cripps, CNN edition.cnn.com/
As the sun begins to break through the darkness in Laos' Nam Kan National Park, the cries of wild, black-crested gibbons echo through the jungle air.
Crawling out of our mosquito-net covered beds, perched high in wooden treehouses that tower over the jungle floor, we grab our binoculars for a closer look as these lively animals leap through the trees in the distance, the leaves around them shaking wildly as the branches bounce up and down.
It's an incredibly special travel moment you won't find anywhere else in the world made possible by the Gibbon Experience, a tourism-based conservation project in Nam Kan National Park, Laos, that kicked off in the late 1990s as a response to illegal logging.
At a height of 30 to 40 meters (about 100 to 130 feet), the Gibbon Experience's eight treehouses are the tallest in the world, according to staff. But here's the best part (or worst, if you're not a fan of high-speed thrills). The only way to access them is via zipline.
"We have a 15-kilometer network of ziplines," explains Yann Gourmelon, the Gibbon Experience's GIS specialist. "It allows us to bring customers deep into the forest very, very quickly. The longest line is 600 or so meters, which means you'll be zipping along superfast for about 50 seconds enjoying the views."
The Gibbon Experience offers three types of tours, all of which include a mix of trekking and ziplining.
The Classic Tour and Waterfall Tour are both three days and two nights. There's also a two-day, one-night Express Tour.
All of the treehouses are made with wood reclaimed from poachers and are equipped with electric lights. Beds, covered with mosquito nets, are basic but comfortable.
Each treehouse washroom is open air (though shielded from other parts of the treehouse) and has its own fresh water shower.
Laos-style meals are cooked up in a neighboring village and delivered to the treehouses by staff - via zipline, of course - along with fresh local fruits and local snacks.
Website: www.gibbonexperience.org/
As the sun begins to break through the darkness in Laos' Nam Kan National Park, the cries of wild, black-crested gibbons echo through the jungle air.
Crawling out of our mosquito-net covered beds, perched high in wooden treehouses that tower over the jungle floor, we grab our binoculars for a closer look as these lively animals leap through the trees in the distance, the leaves around them shaking wildly as the branches bounce up and down.
It's an incredibly special travel moment you won't find anywhere else in the world made possible by the Gibbon Experience, a tourism-based conservation project in Nam Kan National Park, Laos, that kicked off in the late 1990s as a response to illegal logging.
At a height of 30 to 40 meters (about 100 to 130 feet), the Gibbon Experience's eight treehouses are the tallest in the world, according to staff. But here's the best part (or worst, if you're not a fan of high-speed thrills). The only way to access them is via zipline.
"We have a 15-kilometer network of ziplines," explains Yann Gourmelon, the Gibbon Experience's GIS specialist. "It allows us to bring customers deep into the forest very, very quickly. The longest line is 600 or so meters, which means you'll be zipping along superfast for about 50 seconds enjoying the views."
The Gibbon Experience offers three types of tours, all of which include a mix of trekking and ziplining.
The Classic Tour and Waterfall Tour are both three days and two nights. There's also a two-day, one-night Express Tour.
All of the treehouses are made with wood reclaimed from poachers and are equipped with electric lights. Beds, covered with mosquito nets, are basic but comfortable.
Each treehouse washroom is open air (though shielded from other parts of the treehouse) and has its own fresh water shower.
Laos-style meals are cooked up in a neighboring village and delivered to the treehouses by staff - via zipline, of course - along with fresh local fruits and local snacks.
Website: www.gibbonexperience.org/