THE GIBBON EXPERIENCE – LAOS

I had a vested interest in The Gibbon Experience even before I got to Laos. I initially heard about it from a friend who planned on doing it during his travels but never found the chance. Once I got to Southeast Asia, it presented itself time and again during conversations I had with other travelers in hostels, bars and long bus rides. Only a handful had actually done it and their stories had a contagious effect. I soon became infatuated with the idea of taking ownership of this experience. I developed a childlike obsession of finding out what all the fuss was about. By the time I had made my way up to Luang Prabang I had let the monetary constraint and lack of time convince me that it was not to be. However, sometimes the magic of travel avails and the freedom to do as you wish and when you wish, is enough to change your heart and mind at a whim. So it was with much ease that I booked the Gibbon Experience for the next departure date - which happened to be at 9am the next day.

I spent that night traveling by bus to Huay Xai, the Thailand/Laos border town, which sits peacefully on the banks of the Mekong River. I knew very little of the program at this point but figured that at least there would be some zip lining and Gibbons involved. The latter, it turned out, were nowhere to be found. In fact, other than the spectacular rain forest that surrounded us, there was not much wilderness to be seen in the ways of monkeys or any other exotic animals. So after the first few zip lines and some strenuous upward hikes, I started considering that perhaps this was to be a highly overrated experience and would not be worth compromising my sensitive budget. Then it happened. A 400m line that had me bolting over luscious canopy and strangling me of high-pitched screaming that usually accompanies such an adrenaline rush. And then it happened again. This time our line ended at the window of a tree house, sitting comfortably thirty meters off the forest floor and in the middle of a gaping hole of heavy vegetation. I always fantasized about having a tree house when I was younger and now here I was; zipping in and out of one that was outfitted with a bathroom, running water and had enough room to accommodate ten people comfortably. Wide-eyed and giddy with excitement, we committed ourselves to zipping circles around the tree house until nightfall. Spending our free time in a tree house was a different but equally rewarding experience. While surrounded closely by the wilderness, we ate meals that were made in a close by village and then zipped in, we shared exciting stories of our day and we got to know new friends. Still, my favourite moments took place in the morning. We would wake up in our sleeping bags and look out on to the vista as the rising sun shed light on all the fine details of the dense forest below us.

From my initial desire, to obsessing with the idea and then finally needing it for myself without any realistic evaluation – The Gibbon Experience had provoked a sense of puerile wanting that largely remained silent since my childhood. Our laughter echoed through the trees and ran along the zip lines. And in my own voice, I could hear that child – the one who sought adventure, dreamt endlessly and was determined to have it all. She was still very much alive.