Flight of the Gibbon

If you like holidays that are packed with action sports, and regularly participate in
outdoor activities such as rafting and trekking, then a unique adventure awaits you
at Chiang Mai, Thailand. Chiang Mai, located in the northern part of Thailand, is
home to beautiful verdure mountains and unexplored rainforests that support an
amazing array of flora, fauna and brightly plumed birds of paradise. It is amid this
lush green rainforest, located in an obscure little village called Mae Kampong, that
the Thailand tourist development authorities have installed a series of zip-lines,
viewing stations, sky bridges and lowering stations that are specially designed to
attract the thrill seekers amongst you.
Your Safety is Well Taken Care of
Located 37 km away from the main city of Chiang Mai, at the border of the
astonishingly beautiful Jae Zorn National Park, it is situated 1.3 km above the sea
level, and hence remains 4 to 5 degrees Celsius cooler than Chiang Mai throughout
the year. While the Gibbon trail is advertised as a thrilling ride along the tree tops,
the authorities have taken care to make it as safe as possible for you. The pulleys
and rope ways have been installed carefully and inspected regularly; the guides
make you wear protective personal gear on the journey; and they also ensure, as
much as possible, that you do not come in actual contact with the gibbons and
other wild animals. The actual method of travelling from one station to another is
via a secure series of zip wires, mounted on pulleys along an incline. The setup is
under the supervision of expert engineers from New Zealand with more than 20
years of experience in designing and installing such systems.
Adventure atop the forest canopy
After arriving at Chiang Mai and putting up at one if its many hotels, you need to
contact a genuine tour operator who is licensed to conduct the Flight of Gibbon tour.
They will arrange pick-up from your hotel early in the morning, and assemble all the
participants in your group at the Gibbon Adventure base by about 9 in the morning.
You can have tea, followed by a demonstration on how to put on your personal
safety gear and how to use its components. A guide, who is certified in a safety
training course, will then give you a full briefing on safety procedures that should be
followed while you are attached to the zip line and hanging from the tree tops. The
actual adventure starts within an hour of your arrival, and will be one of the most
thrilling rides that you have ever undertaken. You will be individually tethered to
the main zip wire, and each one of you will go sailing over the tree tops amid
screams and laughter, flying over mountain streams, deep ravines and gorgeous
valleys. Observation platforms are emplaced every 30 meters along the line, where
you can detach yourself from the line, take a little rest as well as admire the serene
forest all around you. After three or four such series of platform runs, you will be
given an option of hiking through the jungle, including an extended rest at the base

of the Kompong Falls. This is a seven tiered fall where you can wade into the clear,
cold pool or simply relax, soaking in the refreshing spray.
A Sumptuous Lunch and Return
By afternoon you will be ravenously hungry, and the tour is designed to reach a
local village by around 1 pm for a delicious spread of local, home-cooked Thai
dishes that will be prepared in front of you according to your taste, and served on
earthenware dishes. You can have black Oolong Tea, a tasty dish called Kai Jeow
Miang, or omelet with miang leaves, and a local speciality called Laab Miang, which
is miang leaves added to minced meat along with indigenous spices and herbs. But
the cook will be happy to prepare the dishes without spices too, if you have a
delicate palate. After your lunch you can either return to Chiang Mai, or stay
overnight at a homestead in the village. If you wish to experience local culture, you
can stay at a guest house for 500 bahts per person, including three home-cooked
meals, or you can come back with your guide to the starting point. The trail
operator will drop you back at your hotel, and even if you have a few aching limbs,
you will have a great memory to take back home with you.