For many travelers, northern Thailand is the gateway to Laos. After exploring the northern capital of Chiang Mai, and then delving deeper into the countryside in towns like Pai and Chiang Rai, many will make their way to the border town of Chiang Kong, perched on the Mekong River. Upon crossing the border from Chiang Kong into Huay Xai in Laos, you immediately feel that you are in a different country. A simple long tail boat ferries you across a section of the river you could easily swim yourself, but the difference is palpable. One of the first differences becomes apparent when you change money- the Laos Kip is virtually useless. 10,000 kip = $1. Change $50 and you come away with a stack of kip looking like you just hit the slots in Vegas. The next thing you notice is the French influence- baguettes everywhere! My wife, China, and I hadn’t had any good bread since we left San Francisco, so this was a welcome sight. That first night we watched an incredible sunset over the Mekong while sipping Beerlao (a delicious brew with a near monopoly in Laos) and headed back to our guesthouse early. The next day was set to start at the crack of dawn- we were off to the Bokeo Nature Preserve for two nights, for a true adventure in every sense of the word.

Called "The Gibbon Experience" (though no gibbons would be involved), our tour picked us up at 7:30 the next morning from a cafe in Huay Xai. Ten of us would be heading into the preserve- A German couple, an older German man, two Dutch girls, two Americans and us, plus a Dutch guide. The 11 of us, plus three locals, piled into a modified pickup truck (called a "jumbo") for a 3 hour dusty, bumpy ride up to the preserve. Laos is mostly mountains, and the scenery was beautiful. We arrived at a local hill tribe, which was the starting point for the hike into the preserve. The concept of the "Gibbon Experience" is to help protect this pristine, natural jungle from poachers and loggers, using local tribes to lead expeditions into the preserve. Our funds (about $100/each for three days, two nights, everything included) would help expand the program and help the locals fight off poachers. From this village, we began our hike, starting through the vegetable fields that served as the main source of food for the locals, then entering the jungle itself. The hike was about an hour to just outside our lodging for the night. Read More...