Publisher's Message:
I have always appreciated nature encounters, so when I first heard about a chance to get up close to the Black-Crested gibbon of the ape family, in Northwest Laos, I quickly made it apart of my recent itinerary of the country.
Set in the Bokeo Nature Reserve, The Gibbon Experience is a conversation project. It combines zip-lining, trekking, and treehouse living accommodations amongst some of the most beautiful forest and jungle in Southeast Asia, where the stars of the area live and sing- the Black-Crested gibbon.
I have been fortunate enough to have experienced animal safaris and wildlife spotting in several reserves and parks around the world. The Gibbon Experience was a completely new way for me of getting up close, for a glimpse of natural behaviour and wildlife.
I couldn’t have imaged how it would feel to live in a treehouse for three days, high above much of the forest canopy. The experience of living in a natural “tree condo” with no stairs or elevator and only a zip-line for an escape altered my world for those three days.
The highlight of course, was listening to the early morning “singing” of the gibbons. The unusual sounds were made even more mysterious by the early morning mist on the first day that covered the canopy and made it impossible to see the gibbons until later that morning.
I am very excited to be sharing this unique adventure with you.
Zip-lining over the forest canopy, living in a treehouse, and the sights and sounds of the endangered Black-Crested gibbon; as well as a ride on West Bengal, India’s Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, all featured in this month’s edition of Far East Adventure Travel Magazine.
John Saboe
Far East Adventure Travel