Itinerary

Day 1
Arrival to Panama

Upon arrival to Panama the group will be met in the Tocumen International airport by your guide and escorted to your accommodations at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort.  Nestled among the vast Soberania National Park Rainforest, on the banks of the Chagres River and Panama Canal, is this stunningly beautiful luxury hotel and resort.  This evening we will host a “Get Acquainted” event with food, drinks, and a briefing of what’s in store for the next week.

Day 2
Chagres River and Emberá Indians

This is a perfect opportunity to visit an indigenous village in the midst of a wonderful natural setting that supports the harmony of their lifestyle and traditions. Early in the morning guests are picked up at their hotel and transferred to Port El Corotu on the shores of Madden Lake, the main reservoir of drinking water for the cities of Panama and Colon. Madden Lake also supplies 40% of the water required for the operation of the Panama Canal. Here, we board a motorized piragua (dugout canoe) and travel up the Chagres River to the Embera indigenous village of Embera Drua or Tusipono.  The boat journey takes us through the rainforest of the 320,000-acre Chagres National Park, which is the largest of the National Parks protecting the Panama Canal Watershed.

At the Embera village we will be greeted with dancing and music. We will learn about Embera customs and their relationship with nature. There will be handcrafts available for sale and we will have a chance to be painted with the traditional jagua, a natural dye the Embera use to adorn their bodies. After a lunch of fish , plantain, and fresh fruit served in traditional style by the Embera, we visit the nearby waterfall where we can take a dip in the crystal-clear waters of the Chagres River before heading back to Gamboa.

Meals Included: B, L, D.

Day 3
The Wild Side of the Panama Canal

This day combines the thrill of encountering wildlife in their natural habitats while passing in the shadows of the mammoth cargo ships transiting the Panama Canal.  Gatun Lake, with a surface area of 423 square-kilometers, was created in 1914 as the main waterway for the canal and contains many small islands (former hilltops) that provide protected natural habitats for many of the animals that live in the region.

From the comfort of our expedition boat  which allows shoreline access to the rainforest covered islands we will search for white-faced capuchin, mantled howler monkey, central american spider monkey, and Geoffrey’s tamarin. We are likely to spot green iguana and three-toed sloth resting on tree branches, crocodile napping on beaches, osprey hunting for peacock bass, snail kite, and keel-billed toucan. At mid-day, we will enjoy a picnic lunch on a small island with extraordinary views of the Panama Canal and the natural surroundings.

This afternoon we’ll board a plane for the short flight to the Chiriqui highlands where we’ll embrace the mild climate of this beautiful mountainous region surrounded by cloud forest and coffee fincas.

Meals Included: B, L, D

Day 4
River Rafting Rio Esti and Finca Lerida

The Esti River is a Class II rafting experience that is ideal for a family adventure.  As the tropical river winds through Panama’s rugged countryside we have the opportunity to see a variety of wildlife including cormorants, kingfishers and more.  Along the way we’ll stop and swim in the many swimming holes and at mid-day enjoy a riverside picnic lunch.
This evening we’ll explore the trails at Finca Lerida’s natural reserve with its variety of trees producing the aguacatillo fruit and year-round quetzales. Among the many other highland species of birds found here, this private nature reserve is a unique place to study and experience the cloud forest environment and to discover the flora and fauna hidden within.

 
Meals Included: B, L, D

Day 5
Boquete Tree Trek and Bocas Del Toro
This morning we’ll take the skies using the same technology that botanists and naturalists utilize to observe and study the behaviors of wildlife in their natural habitat.  Gliding through the treetops of century-old forests, this vantage allows one to view the natural landscape with its pristine rivers and waterfalls from a different perspective as we move through the canopy bordering La Amistad National Park and Volcan Baru.After a lunch prepared with fresh, organic, local ingredients we'll make the scenic drive over the Talamanca mountain range from Chiriqui to the province of Bocas Del Toro where along the way we’ll visit the Ngobe indigenous village of Silico Creek.  Here we’ll see how the organic cocoa is grown and processed into chocolate.  Once we reach the town of Almirante on the shores of the Caribbean we’ll take a boat ride from mainland Panama to the archipelago of Bocas Del Toro.


Meals Included: B, L, D

Day 6
Bastimentos National Park

This day is spent exploring both the terrestrial and under water wonders of Bastimentos National Park.  First we visit Salt Creek, another Ngobe village, where we’ll be greeted by our local guide Salino, who will lead us through his nature trail where we have the opportunity to see sloths, monkeys, including the western night monkey, birds, Caymans, and the famous red strawberry frog, a poison dart frog that lives on the island.  Lunch will be enjoyed at a restaurant by the sea, built on stilts out over the water.  With a full stomach we’ll head for a short on respite on Red Frog Beach where one can lie in sun or take a swim in the Caribbean.  The afternoon will be spent snorkeling Tino’s reef and sponge garden and Solarte Gardens which are teaming with tropical fish and multiple varieties of coral and sponges.

Meals Included: B, L, D.

Day 7
Sea Star Beach & Panama City

After breakfast we head to the opposite side of Isla Colon to explore Sea Star Beach, bask in the tropical sun on a white sand beach, and swim in the warm turquoise waters.  At Sea Star Beach one can get up close and personal with the beautiful pin cushion sea star.  At lunch time we’ll dine at Yarisnori Restaurant which serves up some of the best food in the islands before we head back to Panama City for a free afternoon to enjoy the facilities at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort.  This evening we’ll enjoy a farewell dinner together.

Meals Included: B, L, D.

Day 8
Panama Departure

Today we’ll say “hasta luego” to this enchanting country and return home, where you’ll be eager to share your incredible Panama adventure and wildlife experiences.

Meals Included: B

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