Launching on the zip line
	Don on the zip line – Don's final zip
	Boquete - View across valley
	Birding in Boquete
	Rainforest hike
	View over Panamanian Highlands
	Cabanas at Tranquilo Bay
	Tranquilo Bay's tiny red frog
	Don – kayaking among the mangroves
	Tranquilo Bay sloth munching
	Sunrise over Tranquilo Bay
	Ship entering Miraflores Locks, Panama Canal
	Casco Viejo house
	Casco Viejo renovated house
	Gold altar in St. Joseph Church, Panama City
	Panama City skyline

Tentative Itinerary
January 11 to 19, 2013 (proposed dates)
January 4 to 12, 2013 (backup dates)

Day 1 (Friday, Jan 11)

• Depart from U.S. in the morning.
• Arrive in Panama City in the evening.
• Transfer to Bristol Hotel.
• Dinner on the plane or on your own.

Day 2 (Saturday, Jan 12)

• Catch a morning flight to David, gateway to the Western Highlands, home of famous coffee plantations and cloud forests nestled around an extinct 11,000 foot high volcano.  Drive an hour to Boquete in time for a fascinating coffee tour to see how coffee is grown and marketed in this lush valley.
• Lunch included upon our arrival in Boquete.
• Check in to the Panamonte Inn, recently featured in Andrew Harper’s Hideaway Report, in the pretty town of Boquete.
• Dinner included at the Inn.

Day 3 (Sunday, Jan 13)

• Rise early to go birding with a local expert, who will guide our hike and help us discover some of the 950 bird species that visit Panama each year
• Lunch included
• Spend the afternoon on a thrilling zip line tour, streaking above the rain forest and criss-crossing the valley below, attached to a (strong) cable (included, but optional).
• Dinner on your own at the Inn or at one of the many restaurants in town
• Overnight at the Panamonte Inn.

Day 4 (Monday, Jan 14)

• Depart early for a 3 ˝ hour journey by private bus over Panama’s continental divide to the Caribbean side of Panama, seeing the sights and beautiful vistas along the way
• Lunch included
• Descend from the crisp, cool 3500 foot high highlands to the warm, humid, mangrove-lined Caribbean coast, dotted with small islands. One of these islands, Isla Bastimentos, is home to Tranquilo Bay, a small hideaway built over 12 years from the ground up (actually, mud, water, and mangroves up) by 2 Houston couples who still run the resort. We will be met by Tranquilo Bay’s boat for our transfer to the island.
• After checking in, relax in your cabana or participate in the many activities led by the resort’s naturalists.
• All meals included.
• Also included are a nature hike with a naturalist upon arrival, a fascinating kayak tour of the mangrove swamp, and a boat trip to Cayos Zapatillas, one of the islands in the National Park for a guided hike. Other activities, such as deep sea fishing, snorkeling, and visiting lovely beaches are optional and not included.

Days 5 & 6 (Tuesday/Wednesday Jan 15/16)

• Each day, choose your own activities or just relax in your hammock or cabana or in the comfortable lodge.
• All meals included.

Day 7 (Thursday, Jan 17)

• Leave early in the morning for the flight back to Panama City with the rest of the day to explore the city, including the old city, Casco Viejo, now being restored with boutique hotels, shops, restaurants and charming homes. Casco Viejo is a World Heritage site. We will also visit the Miraflores Locks on the Canal and the Canal Museum.
• Lunch included
• Transfer to the Bristol hotel
• Dinner on your own

Day 8 (Friday, Jan 18)

• All day visit to the Panama Canal, starting with an early morning train ride to Colon, on the Caribbean Coast of the Canal (which, since Panama runs east/west, is on the north coast of Panama). View the construction of the second, parallel, and very large capacity, canal (designed for the super cargo ships and oil tankers that now cannot fit into the Canal). Continue by bus through the historic sites of the Canal construction era to the northern locks. We will see ships passing through the locks as they make their way through the Canal.
• Closing dinner included
• Overnight at the Bristol Hotel

Day 9 (Saturday)

• Transfer to airport for flights home to the USA with same day arrival.
• END OF SERVICES

Cost

The ground cost for the trip per person (based upon double occupancy and not including international airfare) is $6880 per person, double occupancy, if we have 8 people, and $7400 per person, double occupancy if we have 7 people or fewer, not including us. The single supplement is $2050. If we do not have at least 6 people, not including us, we may cancel the trip.

The trip price includes 5-star, or the best available, hotels, breakfast, most lunches and dinners, internal flights, ground transportation, guides, admissions, transfers, and tips. Not included are international air fare between the U.S. and Panama, alcoholic beverages, excess baggage charges, independent airport transfers, incidentals (such as internet access, laundry, phone and fax calls), passport fees, and medical expenses. Internal flights will be coach class. We will have our own private guides and busses or vans exclusively for our group.

Currently, Panama does not require a visa for U.S. citizens traveling on a U.S. passport. However, your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after you leave Panama.

Please note that we may change the itinerary based on changes in airline schedules, natural disaster, availability of hotels, or other circumstances requiring such changes.

Travel Insurance

We strongly encourage you to purchase travel insurance in case you need to cancel your reservation after September 14, 2012. You usually need to buy this insurance prior to making your deposit if you have an “existing condition” you need to have covered. Please check with your travel insurance carrier and read the small print carefully.

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