The Gibbon Experience
The Gibbon Experience
4.5
Full view
About
Huay Xai, Laos
Features animals
Awards
Travellers' Choice
2023
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingRevenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Similar Experiences
The Gibbon Experience
Booking unavailable on Tripadvisor
Want other options you can book now?
Show optionsTravellers talk about
(322 reviews)
(247 reviews)
(66 reviews)
Contribute
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.5
929 reviews
Excellent
685
Very good
152
Average
52
Poor
24
Terrible
16
Maggie
6 contributions
Nov 2023 • Friends
If staying in the world’s highest treehouse, surrounded by pristine jungle, being spellbound by the hypnotic rhythm and harmony of nature isn’t wow factor enough, then add on 15km of zip line as your main mode of transportation and you have the makings of an experience of a lifetime. Which it was for us. Atith and Pon, world class guides, imparted their knowledge on wildlife, plant life, tribal usage of medicinal herbs and plants and gave us the basics on surviving in the jungle while we trekked from platform to platform. Three days flew by. Highly recommend for all lovers of nature and adventure seekers.
Written 27 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dolally
London, UK116 contributions
Oct 2023 • Friends
Wow. Where do I start. This is a journey and a half to get there which we were ignorant of. We got a train to nateuy from Vientiane. We then got a minivan to Huoixai that took about 4 hours . We got up in the morning (make sure you get breakfast ) and we met in the gibbon office. Had a briefing and we set off. Two hours in a Tuk Tuk and then a wee walk and then two hours in a Tuk Tuk with chains on the wheels. That’s where the adventure starts. The journey is exhilarating and a little scary. The muddy roads are wet and a couple of times we had to get out and let the van do its thing.
We arrived and started our zip lines into the tree house. The zip lines feel so safe. And the instruction the guys give you is clear.
We had eight people in our treehouse. It was wonderful. We played cards, played games and got to know each other.
The next day we ziplined through the jungle, the views being amazing. All of our meals arrive by the ladies on the zip lines. Food was amazing and plentiful. That afternoon we were lucky to see three gibbons. Two black and one orange. Very fast. Zipping across the trees. The final day we got up, the rain stopped and again we were blessed with the gibbons singing. What a beautiful sound and that was the complete highlight of her trip. You then zip line again out of the jungle and reverse the journey. Back out on the muddy roads and on to Huoixai.
This was a slow burner. The journey was long to get there. The first night it rained heavily and personally I didn’t sleep much. But as the trip went on. Zip lining through with the most amazing views. Seeing gibbons and then hearing them sing. Seeing other tree houses and realising number 1 was the nicest. Returning home to our treehouse felt wonderful. And the union of people that didn’t know each other and sharing the experience , wonderful. Would do it again in a heartbeat. Wonderful thing to do whether with family. Friends or solo.
We arrived and started our zip lines into the tree house. The zip lines feel so safe. And the instruction the guys give you is clear.
We had eight people in our treehouse. It was wonderful. We played cards, played games and got to know each other.
The next day we ziplined through the jungle, the views being amazing. All of our meals arrive by the ladies on the zip lines. Food was amazing and plentiful. That afternoon we were lucky to see three gibbons. Two black and one orange. Very fast. Zipping across the trees. The final day we got up, the rain stopped and again we were blessed with the gibbons singing. What a beautiful sound and that was the complete highlight of her trip. You then zip line again out of the jungle and reverse the journey. Back out on the muddy roads and on to Huoixai.
This was a slow burner. The journey was long to get there. The first night it rained heavily and personally I didn’t sleep much. But as the trip went on. Zip lining through with the most amazing views. Seeing gibbons and then hearing them sing. Seeing other tree houses and realising number 1 was the nicest. Returning home to our treehouse felt wonderful. And the union of people that didn’t know each other and sharing the experience , wonderful. Would do it again in a heartbeat. Wonderful thing to do whether with family. Friends or solo.
Written 16 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Georgia K
13 contributions
Oct 2023 • Solo
Absolutely amazing! Kee and Saiphon were absolutely fantastic guides and made sure we were safe and comfortable at every single moment. Be aware there is a fair bit of hiking but nothing unmanageable, especially in comparison to Nong Khiaw hikes. Staying in the treehouse was epic. Did the express because the classic was sold out but the express was full of backpackers and the classic was a much older crowd (35+), so it worked out perfectly! The food was incredible and so tasty. I couldn’t recommend this experience enough.
Written 1 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
APL P
1 contribution
Sep 2023 • Business
love these places good for people who love to identify her/his self and resfresh for better energy
Written 24 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gareth H
Montaigut-sur-Save, France83 contributions
Jul 2023 • Family
Really great experience despite the weather. We did the classical experience, spending 2 nights in the tree house, with good food. Lots of great zip lining and trekking to the different tree houses. Saw monkeys on the first day and heard and saw gibbons on the last morning. Amazing.
The trip is not for the faint hearted, need to be fit, comfortable with heights and zip lining. The Gibbons team were lovely and looked after us well.
The trip is not for the faint hearted, need to be fit, comfortable with heights and zip lining. The Gibbons team were lovely and looked after us well.
Written 1 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alice B
9 contributions
Jun 2023 • Couples
A must do experience in Laos we had the best time. We stayed in the Honeymoon tree house which was lovely - it’s a bit less high than the others but still get great views. It also means you get two guides for the two of you for the whole of the 2nd day and start of the 3rd day. The 1st day you travel and go into the jungle with the other group which we also really enjoyed.
Our guide Charlee was absolutely brilliant. He gave us information about the jungle - cut down fruits etc and even made us a bamboo flute to try. He went above and beyond to make the trip special.
The food was delicious and there was lots of it. We were a bit worried about it being the start of rainy season and the second night it did rain all night and a bit the next morning but it was fun zip lining in the rain. It did mean we had to get a different truck back part way which was an adventure and we enjoyed and had to do a 15 minute walk because we couldn’t get across the river. There were some questionable bridges over some streams but again the guides were great, we felt safe and enjoyed the adventure.
Our guide Charlee was absolutely brilliant. He gave us information about the jungle - cut down fruits etc and even made us a bamboo flute to try. He went above and beyond to make the trip special.
The food was delicious and there was lots of it. We were a bit worried about it being the start of rainy season and the second night it did rain all night and a bit the next morning but it was fun zip lining in the rain. It did mean we had to get a different truck back part way which was an adventure and we enjoyed and had to do a 15 minute walk because we couldn’t get across the river. There were some questionable bridges over some streams but again the guides were great, we felt safe and enjoyed the adventure.
Written 27 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
troycesolley
Lillington, NC36 contributions
Jun 2023 • Friends
We chose the express option for the more difficult hike and more zip lining. That’s exactly what we got. The well worn trail was slick from a rain the night before. The elevation changes made it a strenuous hike. The views and zip lines make the effort more than worth it. The treehouse was more comfortable than expected. Our guides Tan and Don were fantastic. The meals were very good and plentiful. This experience is what I envisioned when traveling to Laos.
Written 17 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gwenllian SJ
9 contributions
Apr 2023 • Friends
A very unique experience , which has to be experienced in person to truly appreciate what they've created here. The treehouse we stayed in was 45m high and it's a really incredible experience. Falling asleep to the sound of the forest was very special. Ziplining in and out of your treehouse is also really very cool. Food was so much better than I was expecting - as a vegetarian I was really very happy with what I was served.
I don't know if it was because of the terrible air quality (caused by the terrible fires that were happening all around North Laos and Thailand in March because of crop burning) but there were hardly any birds to be seen, I was astounded by the lack of wildlife in general in fact. I think with just 2 gibbon families in the vicinity they need to stop using the gibbons as a major marketing point. Regardless the experience was fab.
One other thing to mention is that the hiking is not easy unless you have a pretty good fitness level, so get in shape before you join in!
I don't know if it was because of the terrible air quality (caused by the terrible fires that were happening all around North Laos and Thailand in March because of crop burning) but there were hardly any birds to be seen, I was astounded by the lack of wildlife in general in fact. I think with just 2 gibbon families in the vicinity they need to stop using the gibbons as a major marketing point. Regardless the experience was fab.
One other thing to mention is that the hiking is not easy unless you have a pretty good fitness level, so get in shape before you join in!
Written 11 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jason W
2 contributions
Mar 2023
Safety: The lack of safety precautions is disturbing. The liability response is even worse: if you sign the liability waiver - you 100% out of luck and will get no remorse from this company. One of the members in our group ended up with four broken bones in one foot and a fracture in the other with zero medical attention available other than a first aid kit with a bandage. Once you are on location, the nearest hospital (if you can call it that) is over 2 hours away. We ended up having to travel to Thailand for decent medical treatment.
Smoke: The smoke from the annual burning of the nearby forests made visibility and air quality very low. It was impossible to see across the forest due to the thick, choking smoke that is apparently normal from December to May but especially horrific in March. The fact that the company knows this to be an annual phenomenon and does not mention it in any of the literature is upsetting. We felt cheated the moment we entered Laos and could barely breathe or see. There is a constant thick haze. Expect your eyes to burn, nose to run, and to choke on the air.
Smoke: The smoke from the annual burning of the nearby forests made visibility and air quality very low. It was impossible to see across the forest due to the thick, choking smoke that is apparently normal from December to May but especially horrific in March. The fact that the company knows this to be an annual phenomenon and does not mention it in any of the literature is upsetting. We felt cheated the moment we entered Laos and could barely breathe or see. There is a constant thick haze. Expect your eyes to burn, nose to run, and to choke on the air.
Written 6 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello,
We are very sorry about what happened to that person and that she was not able to start the Classic tour. She reached out later and we refunded her tour and that of her daughter.
However, you fail to provide all information to the reader. The accident you mention happened in the village restaurant during lunchtime, outside, and before the guided tour.
Our guides during the tour always carry a first-aid kit and have first-aid training.
We are located near a border crossing with Thailand which makes it faster to get medical care there. It is an advantage compared to many other places in Laos.
As for the smoke, the description you give is very exaggerated, as you can read other reviews about that period (there are more on Google) and none of them match this unreal description.
Here is all the other members' feedback of the group that went that day 28/03/2023:
(Guests fill out a feedback form when they return from their tour, we had no Jason that day btw)
Q: What are your suggestions?
Anne: "[blank]"
Kim: "It was amazing"
Trishal: "Have beer at the tree house for us to buy"
Dana: "None, excellent tour and guides"
Written 10 May 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Alex H
Port St. Mary, UK1,313 contributions
Mar 2023 • Couples
One of our favourite activities across a month in Laos. Wow, what an experience. We chose to do the 2d1n express tour, which involves so many zip lines going through and over the magnificent jungle. The overnight stay in the tallest tree houses in the world is amazing and one which you will remember forever. Both days are action packed with zip lining. We also got to experience some great location culture (playing Kator Y which is a type of foot volleyball), we learned about how locals make fires, various plants and wildlife and saw flying squirrels and tons of insects. Of course on this tour there are no gibbons, but nevertheless we loved every second. Big shout out to our guides Kee and Soay who truly made our 2 days amazing - thank you.
Written 22 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
kelleyann1968
Brisbane, Australia11 contributions
Hi, I'll be doing the Classic Experience in January. Just wondering if anyone else who has been in the treehouses at that time of year can give me some idea of how cold it might get in the evenings, and what sort of clothes I will need? Is it likely to rain?
Sue M
Harpenden, UK382 contributions
What are the sleeping arrangements/bathrooms please? I cannot see anything on the website other than you sleep in a tree house. A description of these three houses would be helpful and the facilities. Thank you.
Higgles
Wairarapa, New Zealand13 contributions
Have a look at the photos. The one we stayed in had a bathroom on the floor you arrived in and the six of us staying at our hut had beds on the second storey. Its a basic treehouse. The pictures we found on trip advisor shows the huts well.
Daniele B
16 contributions
we would like to do this experience but we don't know yet when we'll arrive to Huay Xai exactly. So how much it is difficult to book directly on place for two people, more or less on the next 15th january? is it better to arrive one day before the tour starts?
Sander H
Gouda, The Netherlands10 contributions
Hi Daniele, I think it is better (and also more relaxed) to arrive in Huay Xai the day before the tour starts, because you leave in the morning so there's a risk you will not be in time (depending where you come from off course). And I will advice to book in advance because you do not want to come there and hear it is fully booked.
Suezanne C
Melbourne, Australia2 contributions
Looking to fly in to Luang Namtha and travel to Huay Xai to do the Gibbon experience. Has anyone taken this route and can provide any advice? Thanks!
Josh Foster
Toormina, Australia15 contributions
You can travel to Huay xai to start your tour. Bus for around 100000 kip. Though they do drive out to ban dai village which is between luang namtha and huay xai. Call the office to discuss. They speak good English and will be able to advise.
Agistribird
London, UK645 contributions
I am wondering about the night time temperature in November. ( 17-19th ) Does it get cold or would I be fine with just a very thin long sleeve top over my t shirts? I will wear long trousers for the daytime anyway. Would I need to start the day in long sleeves or is short sleeves enough?
I haven't left home yet and want to pack light.
Thank you
Michael
Newcastle upon Tyne, UK5 contributions
It doesn't get cold, certainly not two weeks ago anyway. It gets a little cool in the middle of the night. I would say a very thin long sleeve top for the evening is a good idea which also helps stop biting insects. I had convertible shorts which I turned into trousers for the evening and was comfortable. I was lucky with the weather as it was dry. Double check the weather just before you go and if it threatens to be wet, make sure you have good grip shoes as it's steep and no doubt very slippy when wet.
Kim v
Haaren, The Netherlands15 contributions
Hello, can someone tell me what the minimal age is to do the trip? My sons are 9 and 11 years old but they are very sporty. Thank you!
Sander H
Gouda, The Netherlands10 contributions
Our guide told us that children can do the gibbon experience. But they have to cross the ziplines with the guide or with a parent because they do not weigh enough to reach the other side.
Just send an email to the office for more information.
Wij willen de 3 dagen 2 nachten experience doen. Hoeveel uren wandelen zit er in en hoe goed moet je conditie zijn?
Kylie S
7 contributions
Hi thinking of doing this in late September. Taking kids 12 and 15, I’m nervous about safety though.
gal p
4 contributions
Hi,
We did it with our 3 kids (12,14,16). they all had a lot of fun and enjoyed the zip lines and the tree house very much. Felt very safe although the rain we had.
Matthew H
Cairns, Australia9 contributions
Did anyone fly in to Hua Xai Airport rather than get a bus or boat? I'm looking at doing the Gibbon Experience in August 2019 but would prefer to fly in as I am short on time.
Cheers,
Matt.
Tania E
Montreal, Canada212 contributions
Huay Xai airport was closed for renovations in December. The airline cancelled our flight the 2 days before we were to fly in. We were told by locals that it is closed for 2 years, but we didn’t look into it. We ending up flying to Chaing Rai from Bangkok. There is a 2 hour bus that will take you to the border and then a 20 minute ride into Huay Xai by taxi. We actually didn’t take the bus from Chaing Rai, we hired a taxi for the day and stopped at various spots on the way to the border.