Lucky Tours and The Green Carrot: Wild Gibbons Spotting

Yellow-crested cheeked gibbon

Option 1: 2 Days/ 1 Night

LUCKY TOURS is the first and original true trekking experience in Cambodia allowing wildlife lovers to see the newly discovered and incredibly rare ‘northern yellow-cheeked gibbons’ in their natural habitat.

Treks depart from BanLung in the Ratanakiri province of Northeast Cambodia.Our treks run between the 1^st November to the 25^th June as these are the best times to track the habituated gibbon family that we see on the treks.

LUCKY TOURS has created a simply amazing experience for everyone, our youngest trekker has been 9 and our oldest is 68. We really do go that extra mile to make you feel comfortable during your adventure in the jungle. From using the best guides, equipment and serving a fabulous safari style menu at camp.

So if you’re feeling adventurous, love wildlife or are interested in biology and nature conservation and want that once in a lifetime unique experience to see, be part of and help protect an incredible species of gibbon then look no further than including this true eco-tourism experience in to your Cambodian holiday.

We are the official partnership that has direct access to the gibbon sites, which are part of an ongoing conservation project to protect the gibbons and their environment.
Being escorted by specialist guides and researchers you have a much higher chance of seeing the gibbons, recently the gibbon just gave birth to a new baby; to date sightings have now risen in between to 85%-90%.
Our project is environmentally responsible and has taken many steps to ensure that the welfare of the gibbons is at the centre of everything we do. Such as limiting our groups to between 2-6 visitors per trek, making this an extremely special opportunity indeed.
This rare and endangered species of gibbon was only discovered in 2010 with an estimated 500 groups at the site, this is the largest known population in the world!
The Veun Sai-Pang National Park is teeming with other wildlife so there are also opportunities to see other wildlife on the treks too. The site is also incredibly important biologically, and is home to two other newly discovered species; the ‘Iridescent short-legged lizard’ and ‘Walston’s tube-nosed bat’and 'flying-dragon'.
The site is managed by a community-based ecotourism group and Virachey National Park ''ministry of environment'' made up of democratically elected community members. All profits which go to the community are spent by the community on developing the community and profit to the Virachey National Park will be used for patrolling the forest from illegal logging . Local people are also employed in positions such as trackers, guides,transportation and wildlife enforcement, which help maintain the forest and wildlife for their long-term benefit.

Seeing B52 bomb craters which are now waterholes for resident animals

Seeing a salt lick, where monkeys, deer and forest cattle come to eat soil which is high in minerals

Bird watching in Veal Thom as the sun goes down

Walk the silvered langur trail, you just might see a monkey staring back at you.

Walk the resin trail and see how local communities collect tree resin sustainably to support their local livelihoods

ABOUT THE GIBBON PROJECT

The Gibbons in Cambodia story started in 2010 when a new species of gibbon; the ‘northern yellow-cheeked’ gibbon was discovered in the Veun Sai-Siem Pang NP located in the north-eastern province of Ratanakiri.And in 2016 the area was listed as the National Park and get fully supported by Ministry of environment .

Treks to the area started in early 2012 and have achieved a great deal of success in terms of spotting the gibbons and the work that we do with the local communities. However more needs to be done and we need more people to see these wonderful animals. So that we can not only pay the local community members as transport ,guides and trackers but to also fund much needed law enforcement to prevent the illegal logging and poaching that unfortunately takes place in the area.

Your participation on a trek contributes one third of the money going directly to the communities. This means that you are not only helping the gibbons; but helping us to protect the forest and the abundance of other incredible wildlife that lives there. So from all of us at Gibbon Spotting Cambodia we look forward to welcoming you to our wonderful eco-tourism project.

THE GIBBONS

Yellow-cheeked crested gibbon

The gibbons are wild animals; there are no guarantees that you will see the gibbons on every trek. Based on previous sightings, the chances are about 85%, increasing slightly in the dryer months as the gibbons call more frequently in the mornings, which is how we locate these groups. You can expect to get within 20 meters of the gibbons and if you are handy with a camera, expect some great photos. It is often possible to follow the gibbons for several hours as they go about their morning activities, swinging through the trees and feeding on fruits and leaves in the forest.

THE VEUNSAI-SIEM PANG NATIONAL PARK

The station is where the researchers live while they conduct research. Armed government law enforcement agents also live at the station and are based there to patrol the Veun Sai-Siem Pang Np and to prevent illegal poaching and logging, offering additional security as well as protecting the gibbons. We will be based here while on the trek and are the guests of the station staff and must respect the area, the station staff, their rules and the work that they do.

FACILITIES

The station provides basic facilities such as a field kitchen, accommodation and sanitation. While at the station community-room with mosquito nets,blanket , mat,pillow will be provided for you to sleep in. At the moment, these have been set up in a basic solid structure for shelter from the elements.

There is a building used by the community-based ecotourism management team for storage and where you will be taking meals. Food is prepared on a wood fire in the designated kitchen area. The community-based ecotourism management team has also built a small traditional shelter with a thatched leaf roof and table and chairs. Shared with station staff and researchers, there are two bathroom stalls with fresh water for showering and squat toilets.

Each tour begins with an evening briefing:

Evening: At 7pm we will meet at ‘The Green Carrot Restaurant for a trek briefing. It is the first opportunity for everyone to meet the people on their trek and to run over the final details so everyone knows what to expect. All participants then sign the consent form and the equipment waiver and are then free to enjoy their last night before the gibbon spotting adventure adventure begins.

ITINERARY:

DAY 1

Insect eating plant(Picture plant)

Following Morning: You will be picked up from your hotel at 8am and depart by tuk tuk /or car from Ban Lung at 8:30am and travel 35 km north to Kachon village approximately 45 minutes away.
In Kachon, a boat will be waiting to take you 12 km to visit a Kachock tribal village and to observe a sacred cemetery of Kachock hill tribe where each tomb has effigies of deceased and very intersting decoration .Our guide will give you the explanation of the animism belief of the indigenous people , again approximately 45 minutes downstream on the Sesan River to Veun Sai town. On this journey you can observe the nature on the riverbank and the daily activities of the people who live along the river.
In Veun Sai town we will take the moto to travel about 15 minutes to I Tub village, a Laotian community approximately halfway to the Veun Sai-Siem Pang Np station inside the park .
Once in I Tub, we will take a short break for lunch and meet with a member of the Community- based Ecotourism Team.
After lunch we continue to the station by motorbike along a forest path, we might see tracks and signs of some of the local wildlife such as the claw marks of the sun bear on the tree trunks, or footprints of deer and other species as well as local birds.
At around 2:30pm we will arrive at the gibbon research station where you will be introduced to the station chief, scientists and researchers, your gibbon guide shown around the camp. You then have time to relax and make yourself comfortable before walking to the nearby savannah for a spot of bird watching; trekking on silvered langur trails to look for seeing them and to get chance of seeing other wildlife and enjoy the surroundings of the beautiful jungle .Walk to the resin trail and see how local communities collect tree resin sustainably to support their local livelihoods and the forest paths before to sit down for to an early dinner at 6:45pm.
At around 7:30pm we go for an hour night jungle hike, equipped with torches. The canopy is home to many nocturnal animals such as the pygmy-loris (a small arboreal primate)and the civet (a small jungle cat). Close to the ground, it is much harder to spot other night animals; however with the torches the reflection of their eyes often reveals their location. You will then head to bed at about 9:30pm before rising early as you will need to be awake well before sunrise the next day.
You will sleep in a basic room which is provided by the community at the based-camp for overnight.

Grumpy Early Morning Start!

DAY 2

Today we rise early at 3:15am because the gibbons wake up with the sun and call to mark their territory as soon as dawn breaks.
At 4am, whilst it is still dark we following a small trail to the protected gibbon area about 45 minutes away to make sure that we are there in time to hear their call. We then reach the edge of a grassy savannah and wait for the call of a certain gibbon family, currently the only group that accepts people in their presence. The different groups start to call (sing) at around sunrise with some calls carrying up to 2km. Once the habituated groups of gibbons starts to sing, the gibbon guide will try to locate them in the forest as fast as possible and he will guide us to the spot so we can watch them as they go about their morning activities in the tree canopy. In some cases they let you come very close – less than 15 meters – which provides an excellent opportunity to take pictures. This is a special time as the gibbons can travel quickly in the trees and leave in a split second, anytime they want. Once they do, it can be very difficult for us to find them again, however the group can often be followed for a couple of hours throughout the forest.
After the gibbon spotting we head back to the station for brunch at about 10:30am.
We then pack up and get ready to leave. We catch moto back to I Tub village. Again, some parts we will be on moto ,some we will walk. On the way we visit a Chinese and Laos settlement and take a short walk around the village. It’s a nice idyllic village with friendly people and on certain days you will be able to witness traditional local weaving.
We then continue back to Veun Sai town, cross the Sesan River by a small ferry, before stopping off for lunch at a restaurant that boasts a beautiful view of the river and its banks.
Our journey has now come to an end and we are picked up by tuk tuk/or car and travel back to Ban Lung arriving at approximately 3pm.

We will always do our best to follow the trekking program as listed however changes may occur without prior notice. This is due to various seasonal changes and the personality of the guide that will be escorting you on the trek.

***Important note:

This itinerary is written based on our research expeditions. It should be read in order to get a good impression and NOT as a detailed hour by hour itinerary.

Lucky Tours Adventure Trekking Ratanakiri, Cambodia has the right to change parts, or divert the route of the trek due to extreme weather and terrain conditions for your safety and /or in order to follow guidelines of the indigenous rangers without any prior notice.

Vuernsai-Siem Pang NP research station

Things to bring for trekking:

Clothes: Long trousers, T-shirts, Bathing suit, a set of clothes for the night.

Footware: Sturdy boots, socks, flip flops

Toiletries: Insect repellent, Suncream, Towel

Sun Hat or Cap

Head-torch

First Aid Kit

Purified Water pills if you have, optional

Backpack

Note : We can use a porter if you have a lot of stuff with you. How we sleep? We will sleep at basic accommodation at the research station inside the park.

The price includes:

Professional, Good English speaking guide

Indigenous ranger expert tracker

All necessary Transportation (1-2 people by tuk tuk, from 3 people and more by Car, Moto, Tuk-Tuk, Boat,ferry, etc)

All Meals (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)

Beverages (Water, Coffee and Tea)

Community Accommodation (room ,mosquito-net ,blanket and mattress)

All Entrance Fees

Lucky Tours and The Green Carrot

Lucky Tours and The Green Carrot

Wild Gibbons Spotting