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| CATAMARAN
EXPLORATION CRUISE |
Embark upon an exclusive "Journey
Between the Seas" adventure aboard a luxury, 24 passenger catamaran.
The Discovery is equipped with well-appointed cabins, top of
the line equipment, kayaks, snorkeling gear, dining area, bar,
lounge and an exceptional crew.
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| Day 1 |
Departure from Panama City, Flamenco Marina
Sail the Pacific Ocean towards Contadora, where you will stay the first night before navigating to the Darien Jungle.
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| Day 2 |
Darien Jungle - Embera Indians & jungle wildlife
Today we visit with the Embera Indians and learn about their traditions and lifestyle that they have maintained since before the Spaniards colonized the region.
Along our river journey to the village, our naturalist guide will point out the abundant wildlife that is particularly active along the rivers edge.
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| Day 3 |
Pearl Islands - snorkel, swim & kayak
Snorkel and swim on the waters of the Pearl Islands. On the outer portion of the archipelago, the islands of San Telmo and Mogo Mogo are home to some pristine beaches and fertile fishing grounds. Kayak along unspoiled beaches and view remains of sunken submarines.
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| Day 4 |
Panama Canal Transit - Miraflores & Pedro Miguel Locks, overnight in Gatun Lake
Wake up at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal and join the morning's ship convoy for a northbound canal passage. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience up close the history and operation of this engineering marvel. Spend the night in Gatun Lake on Panama Canal waters.
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| Day 5 |
Barro Colorado Island and exit the Canal
Explore Barro Colorado Island where the Smithsonian's Tropical Research Center is located. Your expedition leader will take you on board small crafts past lush rainforests to secluded areas of the lake to witness first-hand the splendor and excitement of the jungle. Exotic birds, monkeys, sloths, iguanas, and crocodiles are just a few of the animals that you could see in their native surroundings. The sights, sounds and scents that make up this beautiful, tropical jungle will engulf you. Cameras are a must as this is considered the world's premier location for viewing monkeys and other animals in the wild. The Discovery will exit the Panama Canal in the afternoon on its way to the mouth of the Chagres River.
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| Day 6 |
Historic Chagres River and Fort San Lorenzo
Experience the magnificent Chagres River which was used by the conquistadors to move their gold across the Isthmus of Panama en-route from Peru to Spain and by the gold prospectors who attempted a "short cut" from the US East coast to the gold fields of California. The river was the center piece of the colonial inter-oceanic route and is now the lifeline of the Panama Canal full of wildlife and tropical jungle. Explore Fort San Lorenzo which is located on a cliff at the mouth of the Chagres on the Atlantic side where your leader will offer details of the immense amount of history found on this area.
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| Day 7 |
Portobelo town and railway to Panama City
Wake up to a farewell breakfast before you disembark the Discovery. Travel by motor coach to Portobelo and enjoy this quaint town rich in history as the site of many sea and land battles between the Spanish colonials and the pirates and corsairs raiding the Spanish Main.
Later in the afternoon, board the Panama Canal Railway for a one hour trip back to Panama City. The picturesque trans-isthmian route from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean flanks the Panama Canal passing through lush rainforests, cruising alongside the Canal's locks, through the historic Gaillard Cut and gliding over slender causeways in Gatun Lake. Overnight in Panama City.
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| Day 8 |
City tour and transfer to airport
Flight schedule permitting, we will take you on a morning tour of Panama City. Visit Old Panama ruins, visit artisan shops and charming Casco Viejo. Transfer to airport for return flights home.
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| CANAL HIGHLIGHTS & CARIBBEAN BEACH |
This program is a perfect combination
of Panamanian history, culture and tropical pleasure at an affordable
price.
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| Day 1 |
Arrival at the International airport in Panama City where you will be met and transferred to your hotel. For the next three nights, enjoy premium views of the Bridge of Americas and ships entering the Canal from the private balcony of your hotel room at Country Inn Amador. This evening, enjoy a welcome briefing with your personal guide.
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| Day 2 |
Morning departure for the boat terminal dock at Amador. Board the ship for a relaxing and memorable partial transit of the Panama Canal. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to personally experience the history and operation of this engineering marvel. Sail under the Bridge of the Americas to our first stop, the Miraflores Locks, the tallest in the locks system. Continue on through Pedro Miguel Locks and sail Gatun Lake entering Gaillard Cut, the narrowest section of the Panama Canal. We disembark at the town of Gamboa where our driver will be waiting to take you back to your hotel.
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| Day 3 |
Today we meet and experience the Embera people, an indigenous village in the midst of an exceptional natural setting that supports their lifestyle and traditions in perfect harmony. Board the motorized, dugout canoes and travel up the Chagres River through the rainforest spotting colorful birds and wildlife along the way. At the village, the Embera Indians welcome us with dance and music. We will learn about their customs and relationship with nature and enjoy a demonstration of local handcrafts. Savor a picnic lunch before heading pack to Panama City.
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| Day 4 |
Half-day morning tour of Panama City. Visit to the ruins of Old Panama, Casco Viejo (the old city compound) and Panama Canal Museum. Your personal guide will describe the detailed historical highlights. Transfer to the local airport for flight to Bocas del Toro. Greeting upon arrival and transfer to your hotel.
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| Day 5 |
Your guide will lead you on a journey of Caribbean adventure. A day full of snorkeling, beach time and a nature hike where we will find sea turtles, tropical fish, corals, sloth, monkeys and the endemic poison dart frog. Also visit the local Ngobe indigenous community.
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| Day 6 |
Day at leisure to explore beautiful beaches, tropical forests, mangrove channels, Panama's first marine national park and Bocas del Toro town.
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| Day 7 |
Enjoy a few moments in a hammock overlooking the Caribbean waters before departing on a flight back to Panama City. Farewell dinner at a popular local restaurant.
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| Day 8 |
Transfer to the International airport for return flights home.
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| PANAMA
HIKING AND WILDLIFE ADVENTURE |
| Day 1 |
Arrive in Panama City. Greeting on arrival
and transfer to
Gamboa Rainforest Resort Lodge, overnight
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| Day 2 |
Board an expedition boat to explore the
waters of the Panama Canal through coves and inlets in
search of wildlife, including countless species of birds,
reptiles and several species of monkeys. Overnight Gamboa
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| Day 3 |
Early morning pickup by your guide for
a visit to Pipeline Road and Soberania National Park.
Soberania National Park is considered to be one of the
most accessible areas for bird watching and wildlife observation
in Central America. Pipeline Rd. is world famous among
birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts due to its diversity
of wildlife.
Transfer to the domestic airport for your flight to David
Tour the Chiriqui Highlands with your guide and overnight
at
Hotel Los Quetzales.
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| Day 4 |
Spend the morning hiking and exploring
La Amistad.
Visit Sitio Barriles, a place in the highlands where archeological
artifacts have been discovered. Overnight Hotel Los Quetzales
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| Day 5 |
Los Quetzales Trail hike to Boquete
Today we will hike around Baru Volcano along Los Quetzales
Trail. The 8-kilometer trail goes through impressive the
cloudforest within Baru National Park. The all day hike
will take us to Boquete where you will overnight.
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| Day 6 |
Transfer to David airport for your flight
to Bocas del Toro
Transfer to your hotel and overnight.
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| Day 7 |
Boat tour to Salt Creek and Bastimentos
Marine Park
Overnight Bocas del Toro.
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| Day 8 |
Morning boat tour to Boca del Drago.
Spend the afternoon at leisure in Bocas Town
Overnight Bocas del Toro.
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| Day 9 |
Day at leisure to explore the town of Bocas.
Fly in the early evening to Panama City
Transfer to hotel and overnight in Panama City
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| Day 10 |
Transfer to International Airport
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| PANAMA FAMILY ADVENTURE |
| Day 1 |
Arrive Tocumen International Airport where
you will be met and transferred to the Gamboa Rainforest
Resort, your lodge for the next 3 nights, located along
the shores of the Panama Canal. This evening enjoy a welcome
briefing with your Naturalist Guide. Overnight at Gamboa
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| Day 2 |
Early in the morning you are picked up
by your guide and transferred to the marina, where you
board a specially equipped expedition boat. The voyage
takes you across Gatun Lake in the Panama Canal. Along
the way, you will have the opportunity to spot Green iguana,
Three-toed sloth, crocodile, Osprey in the hunt for Peacock
bass, Snail kite and Keel-billed toucan among other species.
Enjoy a picnic lunch on an island with extraordinary views
of the Panama Canal and the natural surroundings. Early
afternoon return to Gamboa This afternoon is free to enjoy
Gamboa. Overnight Gamboa
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| Day 3 |
Early in the morning, drive to 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, board a motorized piragua (dugout
canoe) and travel up the Chagres River to the Embera indigenous
village of Embera Drua. The boat journey passes through
the rainforest of the 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 you will have a chance to be painted
with the traditional jagua, a natural dye the Embera use
to adorn their bodies. After a picnic lunch, visit the
nearby waterfall where you can take a dip in the crystal-clear
waters of the Chagres River before heading back to your
hotel. Overnight Gamboa
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| Day 4 |
After a leisurely morning, you will visit
the Harpy Eagle Exhibit at the Summit Botanical Gardens
where you will see this magnificent, endangered species.
We continue to the Miraflores Locks in the Panama Canal
to learn about its history and marvel at this engineering
accomplishment.
In the afternoon, fly from Albrook domestic airport to
David, the capital of the Chiriqui province. Chiriqui
is known as Panama’s breadbasket, and contains some
of the most breathtaking highland scenery in Central America.
Transfer by van to the eastern side of the dormant Baru
Volcano to the quaint town of Boquete. Overnight in Boquete
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| Day 5 |
Early departure for an approximate 2-hour
drive to the river put-in. This white water river rafting
experience will be a floating tour down the Chiriqui River.
A picnic lunch will be served on the riverbank. Those
who choose not to go rafting can hike Los Quetzales Trail
from Cerro Punta to Boquete through the cloud forest of
Baru Volcano National Park. The Baru Volcano is the highest
peak of the country. Stop along the way to enjoy the views
and to look for the elusive Resplendent Quetzal. Picnic
lunch will be in route to Boquete. Overnight Boquete
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| Day 6 |
Depart for an early morning flight to Bocas
del Toro. After check-in at your hotel, you will receive
a briefing on the activities that will take place during
the trip. Start the adventure with a boat ride around
to Boca del Drago around Colon Island. Weather permitting,
you will visit Swan's Cay, a rock protruding from the
depths of the Caribbean Sea, which serves as rookery for
Red-billed tropic birds (the only place they are found
in Panama) and Brown boobies. After lunch at a localrestaurant,
enjoy the beach at Boca del Drago and search for colorful
starfish. Along the coastline, stop at coral reefs and
mangrove isles for snorkeling. Return to hotel and overnight
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| Day 7 |
Depart by boat and traverse the expanse
of Bastimentos National Park, Panama’s first marine
national park. Upon arrival, enjoy a walk along Caiman
trail. This trail takes you through several stages of
lowland forest. An older tract of rainforest has tall
trees that provide life to birds such as the Three-wattled
Bellbird and Green-breasted Mango. A nearby lagoon is
home to Spectacled Cayman and Slider Turtle. After the
hike, enjoy a visit to the indigenous community and a
chance to purchase handicrafts such as painted woodcarvings
and Ngobe handbags, followed by lunch. In the afternoon,
you can snorkel among mangroves and coral reefs, searching
for numerous fish species, as well as dynamic and brightly
colored sea fans, sponges and brittle starfish. Overnight
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| Day 8 |
Today’s adventure will take you to
Bastimentos Marine National Park. The first stop is Zapatilla
Cays where the white sand beach and coral reefs are simply
extraordinary. More snorkeling and beach time here. After
a full morning, head out to Red frog trail where we will
look for the amazing strawberry frog. This tiny amphibian,
the size of a fingernail, was used in the past by indigenous
to poison their arrows tips used for hunting. Overnight
Bocas del Toro
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| Day 8 |
After the morning flight to Panama City,
today’s activities today include a visit to the
ruins of Old Panama and Casco Antiguo. After lunch at
a local restaurant, visit the Smithsonian Marine Exhibition
at Culebra Point at the entrance to the Pacific side of
the Panama Canal and the International Handcraft Market
where crafts from Panama and other Latin American countries
are sold. Then back to your hotel where you can check-in
and enjoy the pool and other facilities in the afternoon.
Farewell dinner at hotel. Overnight Panama City
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| Day 9 |
Transfer to Tocumen International Airport
for flight home.
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FEATURED
RESORTS |
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Currency:
US Dollar "Balboa"
Language: Spanish
Gateway
airport:
Panama City (PTY)
Travel time
from:
- ATL 4 hrs
- MIA 3 hrs
Time zone: (GMT -5)
Eastern Standard Time.
DST is not observed.
Voltage: 110 V
Dialing code: 507+city
code+number
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