Thailand
Gibbon Experience Treehouses & Ziplines
2024
$1,898 Group Departures
2 person minimum
Domestic flights required ~$398 p/p
Call for custom departure dates and other combinations of segments.
Exchange rates are subject to change without notice, and additional currency equalization fees may be required at the time Wild Planet pays for local services, which may occur up until 30 days prior to departure – even if you have already made your final payment.
A Little More Info
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT
Single travelers staying in a room by themselves will be charged this additional single supplement fee, as all of our regular prices are otherwise based on double occupancy.
SINGLE SHARE OPTIONS (if available)
If you are traveling alone and wish to share a room, we will make every effort to find you a roommate of the same gender, in which case you will not have to pay the single supplement fee. The single supplement will be charged until we are able to confirm a roommate for you. If we are able to match you with a roommate, the single supplement will be refunded. In the event that we cannot find a share for you, you will be required to pay the single supplement fee.
New: Click the Singles Find a Share' icon below or check our "Community" page to connect with other single travelers looking to share.
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Thailand
Gibbon Experience Treehouses & Ziplines
Destinations
- Huay Xai
- Bokeo Nature Preserve
- Chiang Rai
Highlights
- 2 nights Remote Rainforest Treehouses accessed by a network of ziplines.
- Wildlife viewing from your treehouse during dawn, dusk and all night - the best time for wildlife activity.
- Witness gibbons - a small ape - sing love duets to each other that echo throughout the rainforest each morning.
- 1 night's lodging in a beautiful Thai boutique spa hotel to pamper yourself after this truly once-in-a-lifetime experience.
- Program starts in Chiang Rai and returns to Chiang Rai.
Itinerary at a Glance
- DAY 1 Chiang Rai - Laos - Huay Xai B2 Monethong Hotel (or similar)
- DAY 2-4 Bokeo Nature Preserve Gibbon Experience
- DAY 5 Chiang Rai Phowadol Spa (or similar)
(Note: Logistically intensive - All travelers must be screened)
In a remote part of Laos, a primate once thought to be extinct sings a duet with its mate as the mist burns off of the rainforest. You will have the ultimate front row seat for this rare wildlife experience; a magnificent, rustic tree house towering high above the canopy, accessible only by an innovative network of zip-lines!
Five tree houses are spread out over a vast expanse, linked by a unique network of cables - each up to 400 meters long and several hundred meters high. Each day you'll hike the rainforest and observe the wildlife as you visit the other tree houses using the zip lines. This system allows for low-impact travel deep into the preserve, while the tree houses afford unparalleled wildlife observation during dawn, dusk, and other peak hours of wildlife activity. The comfortable, well-designed tree houses are securely anchored and even have water, toilets and showers!
The Gibbon Experience is an exemplary model of wildlife eco-tourism - a combination of hardcore conservation and a serious humanitarian effort. It has been enthusiastically embraced by the local population, who participated in its planning, implementation, and operation. It's impact is unprecedented: Local communities are proud, jobs are generated, rainforest is protected, and wildlife poaching has decreased.
Each tree house is stewarded by a trained local guide from a different village. A generous portion of your fee goes to the local villages for critical community items such as tractors and health care. Your package includes choice of tree house and priority 4WD transportation.
Gibbon Experience Treehouses & Ziplines
Detailed Itinerary
DAY 1 Bangkok - Chiang Rai - Laos / Huay Xai
Meet representative in Chiang Rai downtown (or airport if arriving from Bangkok). Transfer to the Thai Border town of Chiang Khong. Cross the border to Huay Xai and transfer to hotel. Evening free at leisure. Overnight at B2 Monethong Hotel.
DAY 2 Gibbon Experience
After breakfast transfer from hotel to Gibbon Experience’s office before 8.00 am by hotel’s shuttle bus. Here you'll meet with their staff and begin your 4WD journey to Bokeo Nature Preserve. This is a very poor road, but a long stretch is in the process of being paved. After a break for lunch in a small Laotian village, you'll continue your journey through rivers and over dirt roads to a small native village. Here you'll leave your 4WD behind and walk about 1-2 hours with your bag (assistance available from your guides upon request), up to the Gibbon Experience. (Note that in the event of heavy rain, the 4WD truck may not be able to make it all the way to the village, and additional walking may be required.)
Upon arrival, you'll meet your local Laotian guides, who will provide a short orientation and safety instructions. They will fit a rock-climbing harness to you, show you how it works, (including an innovative cable breaking system), and help you zip to the first tree house. From their your guides will accompany you on a series of zip lines and short hikes to the tree house where you'll be spending the night. The guides will bring your hot, delicious Lao meals, prepared with incredible taste and packed ingeniously to travel with them on the zip lines. Overnight in one of the magnificent treehouses.
Highlights: Traverse a unique system of zip line cables that end in magnificent treehouses, affording panoramic views of the rainforest. You'll have front row seats to see the gibbons, a small ape that sings duets with its mate each morning as the mist burns off the rainforest.
Wildlife: Gibbons, macaques, asiatic bear, barking deer, giant squirrels, and over 300 species of exotic tropical birds.
DAY 3 Gibbon Experience
Early this morning your Laotian guide will guide you as you explore the network of ziplines and treehouses. One of the great benefits of the treehouse/zipline network is that it allows wildlife lovers to be up in the canopy at dawn, dusk, and at night...the best times for wildlife observation. We know of no other eco-tourism effort that caters so specifically to wildlife observation, especially with such conscious attention on serving the local community and conserving the rainforest and wildlife. Overnight in one of the magnificent treehouses.
DAY 4 Gibbon Experience / Phowadol Spa
Around mid-morning you will begin the hike back to the last village and wait for your 4WD transportation back to Houayxay. Once you've crossed the Me Kong River again, you'll check in at the Thai border crossing to get your passport stamped, then transfer by vehicle to Phowadol Spa, ready for a relaxing afternoon of pampering yourself after your adv
This gorgeous, peaceful Thai spa is very special. It has been designed to compliment their uniquely beautiful environment. Emphasis is given to the landscape, and the elements of water, wood, and earth are rich and nurturing with trees and and colorful tropical flowers abounding. In addition to the very best in traditional Thai massage, there are extensive choices of health and beauty packages comprising proven treatments from Thailand and around the world. The spa utilizes a whole host of herbal preparations, fresh ingredients, and professional aroma therapy-based skin care to provide a tantalizing range of one hundred percent natural scrubs wraps and skin treatments.
Overnight Phowadol Resort and Spa.
DAY 5 Chiang Rai - Phowadol Spa / Bangkok
Choose to spend the morning at the spa and leave for Bangkok in the afternoon, or enjoy another night at the spa at additional cost (recommended, in case you don't make it across the border in time). If needed, transfer to the Chiang Rai airport for your flight to Bangkok, in time to make your international flight home.
Note: Due to the logistics required in order to travel to and from the Gibbon Experience, flexibility is required of all passengers. To make it easier for you, we cross the border into Laos on the arrival day and spend the night at a hotel near the Gibbon Experience office. The evening after crossing back into Thailand will be spent at a beautiful spa near Chiang Rai. In the event your transportation does not make the border crossings back into Thailand as scheduled, you may need to spend the night in Huay Xai in Laos instead, at minimal extra cost.
Additional nights are available at the Gibbon Experience's more remote treehouses. Please contact us for more details.
The Gibbon Experience is both thrilling as well as relaxing and peaceful. You choose how you want to spend your time, there is no schedule; food will come when you are hungry, and the guides will always be around, at your service.
Groups of eight people depart on alternate days at 8:30 a.m. for two nights in Bokeo Nature Reserve.
Wild Planet Adventures' Gibbon Experience package includes:
- - 1 night hotel accommodation in Laos before the Gibbon Experience
- - 2 nights accommodation in a rustic, canopy level tree house with spectacular views
- - 1 night at Phowadol Spa or similar after the Gibbon Experience
- - Transfers from Chiang Rai downtown airport to Chiang Khong, and from Chiang Khong to Phowadol Spa
- - Me Khong River crossing
- - Exclusive access to Bokeo Nature Reserve
- - Delicious snacks and fire cooked meals
- - Unlimited access to the ziplines to explore the forest
- - Local guides eager to show you the forest and its inhabitants
- - Transportation to and from the Gibbon Experience
- - Return flights from Bangkok to Chiang Rai if needed (for an additional charge)
Thailand Lodging
HUAY XAI
B2 Monethong Hotel
The hotel is located in Ban Huay Xai, set in beautiful natural forest surroundings. Guests will enjoy a peaceful environment and calm atmosphere of this border area of Laos and it is for many visitors their first introduction to Laos, lying across the river from Chiang Khong – a historically an important market town on the Thai side for local hill tribes and for trade with Northern Thailand and Laos, with the Mekong River in-between.
BOKEO NATURE PRESERVE
Gibbon Experience Treehouses
Five tree houses are spread out over a vast expanse, linked by a unique network of cables - each up to 400 meters long and several hundred meters high. Each day you'll hike the rainforest and observe the wildlife as you visit the other tree houses using the zip lines. This system allows for low-impact travel deep into the preserve, while the tree houses afford unparalleled wildlife observation during dawn, dusk, and other peak hours of wildlife activity. The comfortable, well-designed tree houses are securely anchored and even have water, toilets and showers!
CHIANG RAI
Phowadol Spa
Phowadol Resort and Spa is a unique 5-star hotel perfect for those in search of unspoiled peace and relaxation. With its roots stemming from the sacred Bodhi tree that spreads widely to offer rest and peace of mind, Phowadol Resort and Spa offers an ideal holiday hideaway with a perfect blend of relaxation and indulgence.
Urbanized Lanna decor combines traditional Lanna lifestyle with all the necessities and amenities of the urban globetrotter. Phowadol encompasses a spacious 16 acres of unspoiled nature, containing 159 ornately furnished rooms and all the facilities of a 5-star hotel, including air conditioning, a terrace, satellite television, and private bathrooms. Not to mention an exquisite dining experience at the Baipho Restaurant, serving refined Thai and international cuisine prepared by the Phowadol chefs; in addition to an assortment of spas and treatments available on the premises, guests may wish to sunbathe or take a refreshing swim at the fitness center, or take a walk amongst serene and secluded scenery while taking in the luscious views of undisturbed rice paddies and farmland.
Thailand Activities
At a Glance
The Gibbon Experience is an exclusive, one of a kind activity. We know your vacation time is valuable, and we have crafted an unparalleled wildlife and cultural experience in Southeast Asia that is simply second to none.
- Zip-lines into Treehouses, Singing Gibbons
- Hiking, Wildlife Viewing, Birdwatching
- Spa Services
Other Activities
Zip-lines into Treehouses, Singing Gibbons
Simply one of the most unique and exciting eco-tourism projects in the world. Traverse a unique system of zip line cables that end in magnificent rustic treehouses, affording panoramic views of the rainforest. With luck, you'll have front row seats to see the gibbons, a small ape that sings duets with its mate each morning as the mist burns off the rainforest.
Hiking, Wildlife Viewing, Birdwatching
Our hiking philosophy is simple: "The slower you go, the more wildlife you see." Most of our hikes last anywhere from 2 to 4 hours and the pace is a relaxed meander with frequent stops to observe nature and wildlife. We may even spend intimate time with a troop of wild monkeys, especially if we observe exciting behaviors such as teaching a newborn to walk, a conflict involving an alpha male, or anything else that has what we call a high "wow" factor.
Spa Services
In addition to the very best in traditional Thai massage, there are extensive choices of health and beauty packages comprising proven treatments from Thailand and around the world. The spa utilizes a whole host of herbal preparations, fresh ingredients, and professional aroma therapy-based skin care to provide a tantalizing range of one hundred percent natural scrubs wraps and skin treatments.
Thailand Wildlife
Likely Sightings
Wild Planet's wildlife eco-tours are designed for nature lovers and wildlife enthusiasts. All our eco-adventures are specially designed for maximum wildlife viewing. We take care to seek out wildlife that is rare, off the beaten path, and in greater numbers than you will see on conventional tours.
Our expert naturalist guides will educate you in the field so your experience is intimate and unparalleled. Still, wildlife viewing can unpredictable and requires patience and sensory awareness. A partial list of some of the animals you are likely to see is below:
Primates: Black Cheeked Crested Gibbons, Macaques, Langurs
Other Mammals: Civet Cats, Giant Squirrel, Barking Deer
Rare or Endangered Possible Sightings
Cats: Tiger, Clouded Leopard
Other Mammals: Gaur, Asiatic Black Bear, Wild Elephants
Thailand Guides
Thailand Guides
Your guide is your gateway to the world of the tropics; you'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll learn things. Wild Planet Adventures' guides are naturalists, biologists or leaders in their field. As wildlife specialists, we know that your guide is the difference between a good trip and a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Our guides have been specially chosen both for their personality and interpersonal skills as well as their extensive naturalist knowledge and exceptional abilities to spot wildlife.
Thailand FAQ
Thailand Facts for Visitors
Government
His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej is the longest reigning monarch in the world, having celebrated his 67th year of reign in 2013. He and the rest of the Royal Family are greatly revered by the Thai people.
Religion
Thailand is one of the most strongly Buddhist countries in the world with more than 90% of Thais practicing Theravada Buddhism. There are many other faiths in Thailand, all of which are allowed full freedom of expression. The temple (wat) is very important in Thai society and is the heart of social and religious life. Monks are highly revered.
Population
Thailand has a growing population of about 55 million and 10% is flooded in the capital of Bangkok. It is basically an agricultural country and about 75% of the people work in the fields. Those living near the coastal zones are engaged in commercial fishing and marine farming from fish and prawns to oysters. The other 25% work in the cities. Assimilation of other races from Burma, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam in the early past was inevitable, being sandwiched in the middle of these countries. It is the tolerant nature of the Thais, which largely account for the large groups from neighboring countries who have now become Thai citizens. Besides its neighbors early immigrants come from as far as India, China, Malaysia and even European countries. These groups thus account for 20% of the population amongst 80% of ethnic Thais. The ethnic composition is as diverse as Thailand's attractions, especially so among tourist belts and coastal regions. The hill-tribes form a very interesting group in the northern highlands. History links them as far as China and Mongolia and some of them have fair skin and slanted light brown eyes. There are about 400,000 hill tribes living in the north, with their own language and culture - truly an enriching experience when visiting their homesteads. They are the Karen, Lahus, Yao, Akha, Lisu and Meo. The last hill tribes are more exposed to the commercial world and could be seen even in Bangkok and other provinces selling their handicraft. (Handicrafts purchased at their villages have a better chance to be authentic, as duplicates have been manufactured.)
Language
Thai is the official and national language in Thailand used at all levels of administration in government and other commercial offices. However, English is the second language and is widely used in the cities and tourist related industry. Other European languages are used in hotels or restaurants where a particular group is predominant.
Currency
The unit of currency is the Thai baht. 1 baht is divided into 100 satang. At the time of writing there were approximately 30 baht to the dollar. Please check the current exchange rate. Notes are in denominations of 1000 (brown), 500 (purple), 100 (red), 20 (green) and 10 (brown) baht. Coins come as 25 satang, 50 satang, 1 baht, 5 baht and 10 baht. Major currency bills and travelers checks can be cashed easily at hotels, tourist shops, banks and money-changers.
Voltage & Outlets
Electricity can vary by location in Thailand but is usually 220 volts, 50 cycles/sec, with Type A or Type C outlets. You will need to bring a converter for any appliances you plan to use that can't handle the higher voltage. Additionally, you will need a plug adapter that fit the specific plug types mentioned above. Please note that power points installed in bathrooms are meant for shavers only.
Climate
Most places in Thailand are humid and warm as it is in the tropics, except for the highlands in northern regions. As a general guideline, the hot season is from late March to June, rainy months being July to October and February. For Chiang Mai and further north, bring along windbreakers and pullovers as the evening temperatures drop quite a bit.
This Trip's Exclusive Wildlife Features:
- Exciting Treehouses Accessible Only by Zip-Lines - One of the only places in the world where you can stay up in the rainforest canopy during dawn, dusk, and at night - the best time for wildlife observation!
- Exciting Treehouses Accessible Only by Zip-Lines - One of the only places in the world where you can stay up in the rainforest canopy during dawn, dusk, and at night - the best time for wildlife observation!
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