It's an incredibly special travel moment you won't find anywhere else in the world made possible by the Gibbon Experience, a tourism-based conservation project that kicked off in the late 1990s as a response to illegal logging.
At a height of 30 to 40 meters (about 100 to 130 feet), the Gibbon Experience's eight treehouses are the tallest in the world, according to staff.
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But here's the best part (or worst, if you're not a fan of high-speed thrills). The only way to access them is via zipline.
"We have a 15-kilometer network of ziplines," explains Yann Gourmelon, the Gibbon Experience's GIS specialist.
"It allows us to bring customers deep into the forest very, very quickly. The longest line is 600 or so meters, which means you'll be zipping along superfast for about 50 seconds enjoying the views."
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In terms of construction, there are several techniques used depending on the tree structure and shape. For instance, some are suspended on rope wires, others set on wooden consoles.
As for build times, Gourmelon says it depends on the size of the structure though on average it takes about six months to complete one treehouse.
Some are multi-level, allowing for a bit more privacy at night, while others make up for their lack of space with incredible views of the jungle canopy dozens of meters below.
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The Gibbon Experience was born of a desire to conserve the area's valuable ecosystem and protect it from pressures like Illegal logging, commercial cropping and excessive slash-and-burn practices.
It all started in 1996 when founder Jef Reumaux arrived in Laos and went trekking in the area. While on a hike he spotted black-crested gibbons and took some images.
It turned out that particular breed of gibbon, endemic to the area, was critically endangered. It was then that they realized they had to find a way to conserve these luscious forests.
The first treehouses and ziplines opened in 2004.
By working with the local authorities, the Gibbon Experience project area, covering 136,000 hectares of mixed deciduous forest, was officially designated a national park in 2008 by the Lao National Assembly.
Today, the Gibbon Experience employs more than 120 full-time staff, many from the neighboring villages.
Profits are spent on various park projects. These include funding for the National Park Patrol team, which is focused on illegal logging, hunting, bomb fishing and land use and reforestation schemes in both the national park and its surrounding farmland.
According to edition.cnn.
