Personalized Panama tour

My family (two adults and a child) traveled to Panama, June 18-July 1, 2009, having utilized EcoCircuitos (Hotel Country Inn & Suites, Ground Floor, Ste. 3, Amador, Pelican Ave., Amador Causeway, Panama; phone +011 507 314 0068, vwww.ecocircuitos.com) to arrange a custom trip for us.

The cost was roughly $7,000 for three people and included domestic airfares, ground transfers, many of the meals, guides (except in Bocas del Toro) and entry fees. We went to Panama City, Boquete, Bocas del Toro and San Blas.

EcoCircuitos was fantastic, taking care of every detail and providing exactly what I had requested. All of the arrangements went perfectly, with all of the guides speaking excellent English and being prompt, well trained and very knowledgeable. On days that we had bird-watching scheduled, they arranged additional guides for us who were especially knowledgeable; I hadn’t requested this but was very appreciative.

All e-mail to EcoCircuitos was answered promptly, and I was told by the hotels/lodges that we stayed in that they had been very diligent in confirming all of our arrangements. In addition, the main office contacted us several times during the trip just to be sure everything was going well.

In Panama City we stayed at the Albrook Inn (Calle Las Magnolias No. 14, Albrook, Ancón, Panama City; phone +011 507 315-1789, www.albrookinn.com), very close to the domestic airport. It’s located outside of the downtown area, so it cost much less than the fancy, downtown hotels. Cab rides into the city were inexpensive ($5-$8).

The inn is basic accommodation, not a fancy hotel, and was frequently visited by wildlife. We saw agoutis, coatis and parrots without leaving the hotel.

In Panama City I recommend tours to the following:

• Barro Colorado Island — This is a Smithsonian reserve with much wildlife.

• Gamboa Rainforest Reserve — There’s a tower to climb and plenty of wildlife to see (birds, sloths, etc.). And the nearby Gamboa Rainforest Resort — It has a tram to take you up into the canopy.

• The Panama Canal — I recommend the full-day partial transit, which takes you through two sets of locks.

• Metropolitan National Park — There’s a small zoo and a harpy eagle sanctuary, probably the only place where you’ll get to see the harpy eagle (in an enclosure).

• Panama La Vieja (Old Panama) — I found the ruins very interesting.

• Iglesia de San José (Church of San José) — It has a golden altar that is impressive.

In Panama City I’d skip the following:

• Panama Canal Museum — Everything is in Spanish, and you cannot take pictures. If I could read Spanish, I probably would have enjoyed the museum.

• Emerald Museum — Really, it’s a jewelry store with a few displays.

Regarding restaurants in Panama City, Jenny’s Chinese Restaurant had very good food, but the menu was all in Spanish, so ordering was a challenge. It wasn’t a fancy place, and prices were very reasonable, around $7 per person.

Don Lee Chinese Restaurant had fast food Chinese style. The selection was small, but the food was excellent and the prices were reasonable, around $10 per person.

In both restaurants, all dishes were basically combination plates rather than “family style,” so we just shared them around).

BARRY HANTMAN

Danville, NH