2-Day Ratanakiri Gibbon Spotting Tour

Meeting Time: 4:30 PM | Location: Your hotel in Ban Lung, Ratanakiri

Before setting off on this jungle adventure, we’ll meet at your hotel in Ban Lung for an evening briefing. This is an opportunity to meet your guide, go over the final trip details, and ensure you’re fully prepared for the journey ahead.

Your adventure starts early with an 8:30 AM hotel pick-up in Siem Reap. From there, we travel north to Veun Sai, a small town where you’ll have time to pick up any last-minute supplies before crossing the Sesan River on a local ferry.

On the other side, we register at the conservation area and meet a member of the Community-Based Ecotourism Team. Then, we hop on motorbikes for a scenic ride to I Tub village, a remote Laotian community situated halfway to the research station. Depending on our timing, we’ll stop for lunch along the way or once we arrive at the station.

At around 12:30 PM, we reach the gibbon research station, where you'll meet the station chief, scientists, and researchers who dedicate their work to studying these fascinating primates. After settling in, you’ll have time to relax before we set off on an afternoon nature walk.

At 3:00 PM, we explore the nearby savannah, where you might spot wildlife signs such as sun bear claw marks on tree trunks, deer tracks, and a variety of bird species. As the day winds down, we return to camp for an early dinner at 6:45 PM. Since we’ll have an early start the next morning, you’ll want to head to bed early to rest up for the main event—gibbon spotting at sunrise.

Accommodation: Veun Sai-Siem Pang Conservation Station

Meals: Lunch, Dinner

We rise well before dawn at 3:15 AM to prepare for our trek into the heart of the forest. The gibbons wake up at sunrise and sing to mark their territory, and we need to be in position by then. At 4:00 AM, under the cover of darkness, we begin our 45-minute trek along a narrow jungle trail to a prime viewing spot near a known gibbon family’s territory.

As the first light of day emerges, the jungle comes alive with the hauntingly beautiful calls of the gibbons, which can carry for up to 2 kilometers. Our expert guide listens carefully, pinpointing the location of the habituated group we’ve come to see. We quietly move through the forest, following their calls, and if we’re lucky, we’ll observe them as they leap effortlessly through the treetops. At times, they may come as close as 15 meters, offering incredible photography opportunities.

This is a rare and magical experience, but the gibbons move fast and can disappear in seconds, so we make the most of our time tracking them before they move too far.

After a couple of unforgettable hours with the gibbons, we return to the station for a well-earned brunch at around 10:00 AM. Then, we pack up and begin our journey back, following a different trail through the jungle. We retrace our route to I Tub village, cross the river once more by ferry, and finally return to Ban Lung, arriving at approximately 3:00 PM.

Your adventure ends here, but the memories of this incredible wildlife encounter will stay with you for a lifetime.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch