Panama holiday, cloudforests to the Caribbean

Planet

Much of this trip is spent exploring Panama's rich natural environment, from the cloud forests of La Amistad to the islands of Bocas del Toro. Visiting wildlife refuges and reserves means we are playing a vital part of the rescue, rehabilitation and conservation processes that go in these places, both by learning and being able to promote awareness, and also through our entrance fees and donations. Our travellers are fully briefed on how to treat these environments with respect, making sure that we stick to any designated trails to avoid damaging rare flora and fauna.

We always keep the environment at the forefront of our minds and take all litter with us, disposing of it responsibly in big cities and towns. We ask our travellers to also refrain from leaving cigarette butts.

Bringing a reusable water bottle is a great idea and if purchasing any snacks, it is best to avoid excess packaging.

People

Keeping money in local economies and supporting community-run projects is extremely important. We like to see small communities benefiting from tourism income and to ensure that our money doesn't just go to large hotel chains.

During our stay on the Bocas del Toro archipelago, we spend time exploring the culture of the Ngobe Bugle people, and our excursions here form part of their community based tourism projects. Not only does this provide financial support to the community, but we also help to keep indigenous traditions alive and encourage them to flourish, by spending time among the local community and taking the time to learn about their crafts and way of life.

Using local guides also ensures money stays within local economies and means we will be treated to such valuable, in-depth and honest knowledge which you perhaps wouldn’t get from a western guide. It also means we are keeping carbon emissions down.

Most people like to take photos on their travels, and it’s sometimes easy to forget that the photogenic person in front of you may not want their picture taken. We always ask if it’s okay, and respect their wishes if they say no. It is also best to refrain from taking photographs in churches, especially in more traditional parts of the Azuero Peninsula.