Sunday, March 7, 2010

ZZZZZZZZZZZZIP! WHOOP WHOOP WHOOP!

5 - 7 February 2010
My last Laos adventure takes place high up in the canopies and between the valleys of Bokeo Nature Reserve. This is not only called The Gibbon Experience because you zipline like monkeys between the trees, but because, if you're lucky, you also get to see and hear real gibbons living in the forests, and we were lucky!

There are 7 treehouses to choose from spread out over the nature reserve. It's about an hour hike up to the first zipline, which takes you to treehouse number one. After a brief explanation about your harnass you're free to go. The first time is pretty scary, the treehouse is only about 30 m's away, but you're also about 40 m's up in the air, what an exhilirating moment!

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZIP! And you're across. It took me a few times to get used to and finally look at my surroundings, how surreal! Being so high (sometimes over 100 m's over the valley!), ziplining like a cable-car, except the cable-car is you! No electricity helping you out, just gravity and making your body as aero-dynamic as possible (it happened a few times that I didn't make it all the way across, so I had to pull myself along with my hands. Not recommended if you're scared of heights, but great for your upper-arms and abs!)

Our treehut is the third one we go to, we have the best view of all the treehuts (if I say so myself), 45 m's high, sleeps 5, a little kitchen and a bathroom with shower and toilet on the side. Sitting on the toilet you can see for miles over the valleys, toilet with a view! It's a squatty and you can see "your business" dropping through the hole all the way down to the ground. Luckily no paths cross underneath...

We stayed here for 2 nights. The views, sunsets and sunrises from the huts were amazing! In the mornings we were woken up by the WHOOP WHOOP WHOOPING of the Gibbons. What a sound they make! There are about 7 groups of gibbons in the park (each consisting of about 7-10 monkies), every morning they sing to each other to check where their boundaries are for the day. The first day, right in front of us we could see them climbing the trees. The second day they were even closer and 2 of the girls from our treehouse got to see them. WHOOP WHOOP WHOOP! Apart from the monkies, the walks and the views, the zipling was the other highlight, wow, what a feeling! Definitly recommended for everyone who visits Laos!

1 comment:

  1. Saffron! Net al je foto's en Gibbon filmpje gezien/gescand, echt heel gaaf! Super mooie foto's. Heb die van Gibbon er af gestolen en een paar mooie bloemen/andere gave omgeving foto's. Heel mooi. Zie je de 7e!

    PS Als je de foto's van Akoe (Finse lekkere dude ;)) wilt van die trekking, stuur even een memory stick op (of ik koop er 1?) dan zet ik daar de foto's op en neem ik ze mee. X Karo

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