Recommend September 2013 - (Page 46)

Congos in Portobello and Panama’s national bird. Advantage Tours recently built a small lodge in the Embera village of La Marea; accommodations are basic but comfortable in rooms with private baths and no electricity. The village stay combines two unforgettable experiences: living among the Embera Indians and being in close proximity to a harpy nesting site. #99 The penultimate adventure in Panama? The Darien National Park experience, one usually pursued by avid birdwatchers, but perfectly suited to nature lovers. Ancon Expeditions offers 4- and 5-day trips, including charter air into the landing strip at the Cana Field Station, remotely but gloriously located on the southeast side of Cerro Pirre peak. Accommodations come with comfortable beds with sheets and shared baths with hot water, as well as separate dining and roofed areas ﬁtted with hammocks. #100 Off the southern Darien coast, world records for landing the big ones—black marlin (December to April) and sailﬁsh (December to June)—have been set and broken by anglers staying at Tropic Star Lodge in the Bahia de Piñas. CRUISE PANAMA #96 Touring the islands by private yacht or kayak are the optimum ways to get up-close and personal with the islands: snorkel along ﬁsh-rich coral reefs, picnic on uninhabited beaches, or drop in at rarely visited villages. DARIEN PROVINCE Near the Colombian border in eastern Panama, the Darien Province, a remote, sparsely populated expanse of tropical rainforest, is considered Central America’s last grand, untamed wilderness. Access to Darian is overland, by scheduled air (not daily) aboard Aeroperlas from Panama City and Chitre, as well as charter ﬂights to interior landing strips. The Darien complex of preserved lands includes the Punta Patino Private Nature Reserve and the Darien National Park, the largest national park in Central America (1.5 million acres) and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. #97 Overlooking the Gulf of San Miguel, Punta Patino Nature Reserve is the largest private natural protected area in Central America and part of the Darien National Park complex of preserved lands. Visitors can stay here in one of 10 air-conditioned cabins with private bath at the Punta Patino Lodge, located on a bluff overlooking the Paciﬁc Ocean. Excursions include a motorized dugout canoe ride up the Mogue River to spend time in the village of the Embera people, learning about their culture and traditions— the men are expert carvers and the women weave extraordinary baskets—and taking time to go on an excursion into the forest and along the shore on foot, by tractor, or by boat. Ancon Expeditions owns and runs the lodge. One of the most comprehensive, informative, comfortable and luxurious ways to experience Panama is on a 6-night Journey Between the Seas exploration cruise, navigating the ﬁrst night to the Darien jungle, cruising on to the Pearl Islands (San Telmo & Mogo Mogo), transiting the Panama Canal and cruising on Gatun Lake, stopping at Barro Colorado, exploring the Chagres River and Fort San Lorenzo, visiting Portobello and taking the Panama Canal Railway train back to Panama City. #101 Experience Panama on a Journey Between the Seas aboard the 24-passenger Discovery, a purpose-built catamaran providing six queen and ﬁve twin cabins. The dining area, bar and lounge are located top deck and ﬁtted with ﬂoor-to-ceiling glass walls providing nonstop spectacular vistas. The vessel is equipped with a platform that lowers and raises kayaks and zodiacs gently into the water for excursions. The itinerary operates northbound (as noted above) and in reverse southbound. Discovery’s itinerary explores the Chagres River #98 From Punta Patino Lodge, clients can head up the Mogue River and, on a long day’s walk accompanied by Embera guides who know the rainforest and eagle nesting grounds, head into the realm of the harpy eagle, the world’s most powerful bird of prey 14 SEPTEMBER 2013 4-7 10-15 101ways.indd 14 8/22/13 9:45 AM

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend September 2013

Editor's Notes
Hotel Desk: Aston Hotels & Resorts
Tour Talk: Learning Journeys
Norwegian Breakaway
Family-Friendly Cruise Options
Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort
Top Family Resorts
Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo
Panama Travel Planner
Adventures by Disney's Scotland: A Brave Adventure
Club Med Punta Cana
Top Family Resorts
Hawks Cay Resort, Florida Keys
New Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom
Globus Bridges Generation Gap With Exciting China Tours
Far-Flung, Family-Friendly Destinations

Recommend September 2013