|
Active family travelers who venture beyond the deck
of a cruise ship will discover that Panama has become the promised land
of family adventures in the New World. Until recently, it has been overlooked
as a small country run by an ousted, criminal dictator with little more
tourist interest than the Panama Canal. Today, Panama has a stable democratic
government, developing infrastructure, an extensive system of National
Parks covering 29 percent of the country, Caribbean and Pacific beaches,
and seven distinct, flourishing indigenous groups. Compared to Costa Rica
and other countries in Central America, the only thing Panama has less
of are tourists! Bordered by the Caribbean and the Pacific, the Isthmus
of Panama is a land bridge uniting two continents. Over eons of time,
flora and fauna have migrated between North and South America mixing and
evolving in Panama. Traveling through diverse habitats from highland cloud
forests to lowland rainforests, beaches and coral reefs, you and your
kids will discover tremendous bio-diversity including many species of
plants and animals found nowhere else on Earth. Family adventures in Panama
begin by zigzagging your way like a video game road race through the busy
streets of Panama City. Within easy reach from home on many carriers,
Panama City is an international cosmopolitan hub with a wide range of
excellent hotels including the family-friendly Cesar Park with a pool
and all-you-can-eat buffet. It's hard to believe that just minutes from
the city lie thousands of acres of wild jungles. In Soberania National
Park you will likely hear deep-throated roar of howler monkeys before
you see them. You will also encounter troops of white-faced Cappuchin
monkeys cavorting through the trees, the lethargic sloth, as well as colorful
toucans, parrots, and tanagers flying from tree to tree in constant search
of fruits and seeds. On easy walks through the rainforest with a trained
naturalist guide, your children will witness first-hand all the things
they have read about the rainforest at school: 1. Symbiosis. Aztec ants
and wasps build their nests together in a symbiotic relationship in which
the wasps attack the anteater trying to reach the ants, and the killer
ants swarm any insect predators seeking the wasps. 2. Seed Dispersal.
Seeds of the Black Palm are likened to "the M & M of the rainforest for
the Paca," by naturalist guides trained to provoke a child's imagination.
The Paca is a huge rodent that carries seeds through the forest and then
buries them. Fortunately for the tree, the Paca forgets where he buried
the grub and the seed eventually sprouts. 3. Adaptation: "Monkey vines"
grow like coiling telephone cords from the canopy to forest floor so they
have total flexibility to stretch out rather than break as trees sway
in the wind. 4. Mixed flocks: Birds of different species join a "club"
by performing a needed function. For example, some birds are foragers
and others in the same flock act as sentinels, on the look out for danger.
Why be a sentinel, you ask? Because, just when the forager is about to
taste your favorite morsel, you call out a fake alarm and quickly get
the goods when the forager is in a panic. The forager has plenty of time
to eat, though, in between those moments when the "scouts" are tricking
them with false alarms. 5. Natural remedies of the tropical forest: Want
to try local insect repellent? Put your hand on an ant nest, let them
crawl onto your skin, and squish them. Now smell. Folic acid. Best insect
repellant around. A fun way to experience the Panama Canal is navigating
by small boat among the freighters and cruise ships on Gatun Lake, which
forms part of the system of locks connecting the Pacific and Atlantic
Oceans. You can explore small islands teeming with wildlife, and kids
will enjoy the abundant fishing opportunities. On the way back to your
hotel, stop at the impressive Harpy Eagle exhibit in the Summit Botanical
Gardens. You can't help but be excited watching the incredible video footage
of a Harpy Eagle snatching a sloth right off a vine. Bigger than a grizzly
paw, the powerful mechanism of a Harpy Eagle claw severs the spinal cord
of its prey, instantly turning it into a meal. A world apart from the
lowland rainforests of Panama is the Chiriqui highlands, gateway to some
of the world's most spectacular cloud forests. The slopes of Volcan Baru
(11,430 feet), Panama's highest point, and La Amistad Biosphere Reserve
is home to the Resplendent Quetzal, the most beautiful bird of the Americas.
Revered by the Mayans and modern ecotravelers alike, this is the best
place in the world to see Quetzales where they congregate in wild avocado
trees to display their colorful reds and greens. Hotel Los Quetzales is
the perfect base to explore the cloud forests. Situated in a small agricultural
village, the alpine-style lodge features a cozy lounge with fireplace,
sauna, massage, and gourmet cuisine fresh from the garden. And there is
a pizza parlor downstairs for the kids! The two self-contained cabins
heated by wood stove, located a few miles from the main lodge inside the
cloud forests of Amistad, are an incredible place for families to overnight
in the forest. The smell of the Caribbean sea permeates the air as you
travel from the highlands along a smooth paved road through central Panama,
over the continental divide to catch a boat to the Caribbean island town
of Bocas Del Toro. An island with a laid back attitude, Bocas is a small
town surrounded by coral reefs. Like binoculars in the forest, a mask
and a snorkel turn the ocean into an aquarium. The shallow, calm, crystal
clear waters of Bocas provide the perfect conditions for kids to snorkel
among the corals. "Snorkeling is better than any of my games at home,
including Nintendo." The province of Bocas del Toro is inhabited by the
indigenous Ngobe-Bugle culture and by English-speaking Afro-Caribbean
immigrants. Locals make a living fishing and growing crops like plantain,
manioc, and other tubers. Journeying through the islands you encounter
local residents trading goods and commuting to school in dugout canoes.
They prepare the freshest and most delicious seafood dishes piled high
full of octopus, squid, mixed shellfish, lobster in a light coconut sauce,
coconut rice, and fried plantain. Younger palates will appreciate simply
prepared fried chicken or "fish and chips." A more popular alternative
cultural experience in the Caribbean is a visit with the Kuna Indians
in the San Blas Islands. Early morning daily flights from Panama City
take you to San Blas, an ideal place to relax on the beach, snorkel over
the nearby reefs, and hike on the mainland. Based from the upscale Kwadule
Lodge, or the more native style Dolphin Lodge in Aligandi, you stroll
among Kuna villages to learn more about their traditions and culture,
including the colorful mola appliqué, (which is the technique in which
indigenous images are cut out of a whole cloth and laid down onto another
color cloth so the desired images pop out from behind). No matter where
you travel in Panama, there is always time on an easy-going family itinerary
to shop for souvenirs at covered artisan markets selling molas from Kuna
Indians, Choco Indian baskets, tagua seed and cocobolo wood carvings,
and many more native crafts. While kids take advantage of their last swim,
parents can enjoy a cool one at pool side, while they reflect on the incredible
and varied experiences of their adventure. Diverse ecosystems teeming
with wildlife, authentic native cultural encounters, the convenience of
easy access and comfortable lodging, all within an easy day's journey
from home, combined with few tourists, make Panama an ideal destination
for family travel. The word Panama means "abundance" in an old indigenous
dialect. When it comes down to culture, nature, and adventure, the name
says it all. Kurt Kutay designs and leads active nature and cultural explorations
throughout the world, with his wife and ten year old son. Ivan Hoyos is
a freelance, master naturalist guide, in Panama.
|
|
|
