monkey business fly gibbon-like from tree to tree

ANOTHER WAY TO FLY

Soar through the trees with The Flight of the Gibbon’s zipline adventure

With all the exciting ways of exploring Th ailand, (by boutique airline, tuk-tuk, boat, bicycle and rickshaw) might there be room for one more? We think yes … especially when the latest mode of travel involves flying from tree to tree over rainforest canopy via a taut steel cable.

Ziplining, as this type of jungle exploration is called, originated in Central America. Now in Thailand, thanks to a company called Flight of the Gibbon Treetop Adventure, thrillseekers can dangle from a safety harness while they zip along cables, using constructed treetop platforms as landing pads (above). The platforms are as high as 100m above the jungle floor, so a healthy love for risk (and heights) is a must.

Flight of the Gibbon built its first zipline just an hour outside of Chiang Mai, and today it’s one of the area’s top attractions. In May, a new site in Chonburi was opened in the middle of a nature reserve less than an hour from Bangkok and Pattaya. A third site on Koh Phangan, (an island off the coast of Koh Samui) is now under construction.

Flight of the Gibbon’s safety record remains intact even after some 20 years of business, and the company donates 10% of its profits towards conserving the kingdom’s gibbon population. Fearless fun while helping a good cause in the process – what a thrill. Priced at 2,300 baht (Chiang Mai) and 2,500 baht (Bangkok/Pattaya), including transport.

Tel +66 (0)8 9970 5511, www.treetopasia.com

– Text and images by Oliver Benjamin

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