Our vacation in Panama was exactly what I needed – relaxing, eye-opening, and at times challenging (all things that make up a good trip for me).  We stayed at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort and the Trump Ocean Club, gorged on plantains and fresh seafood, got caught in afternoon rainstorms, and embraced a different way of life for the week.  Here’s how we spent our Panamanian vacation:
A few months into our relationship, my husband told me about a game he was obsessed with as a kid – Monkey Island.  I’m convinced it spurred some sort of monkey obsession with him that has only intensified over the years.  When we were booking excursions for this trip (through United Vacations, highly recommended), the expression on his face when he heard that Monkey Island was an option was indescribable.
I’m convinced he thought that the actual experience would be just like the game, with tribes of monkeys helping the players solve puzzles. Â It, obviously, wasn’t.
But it was still fun. Â We hopped in a small boat and sailed on the Panama Canal to several islands that house monkeys and sloths. Â We saw a cheeky white-faced monkey, a more aloof howler monkey, and a lazy sloth. Â We also spotted some beautiful birds and a baby alligator – before we got stuck in a massive rainstorm. Â Once we got back to the hotel, we did what anyone would do – spend the rest of the afternoon in the spa.
We woke up to a massive thunderstorm on day 2. Â Thunder, lightning, and pouring rain – not the ideal day to venture on a boat ride and visit a native village. Â I’m sad to admit that we nearly skipped out on this trip – and I’m thrilled we didn’t.
We hopped into a van and drove for an hour (on some bumpy roads that rival India’s, which is saying something). Â The rain stopped and the sun peeked out as our guide parked the car. Â We carefully walked down to the water, where boats manned by Embera villagers awaited us. Â Hopping in, we drove for another half hour before arriving to the smaller of the three villages in the area. Â We were welcomed by the residents and brought to the kitchen tent, where fresh tilapia and plantains were being prepared for us. Â “Chief” (actually the second-in-command, but I digress) explained to us the history of the Embera tribe and the structure and lifestyle of the tribe. Â After our tasty lunch, we were treated to a dance by the village (and brought up to participate in the last one) and purchased some of their handmade items before hopping in our boat back to the car – where it started raining again. Â We spent the rest of the afternoon watching movies on Netflix (Panama has a much better selection than the United States, for the record) and went to bed early – day 3 had our earliest start by far.
When I asked friends for Panama requests on Facebook, my friend Sherry made quite the argument for the San Blas Islands. Â However, I didn’t book a day trip until I saw of the photos of my friend (and amazing photographer) Gabe, who visited the week before. Â Even though the day trip was long and expensive (a 4:30 am pickup and $155 per person), we took the plunge and booked it.
My husband may have hated me when I woke him up at 3:45 that morning.
We slept through much of the three hour drive to the boats. Â Even at the docks, we were doubtful of our decision. Â We island-hopped to pick up other passengers, and each island was more beautiful than the last. Â We then journeyed to Little Dog Island, where we breakfasted on bread and Nutella before enjoying the idyllic beach. Â Clear, crystal waters, white sands, and quiet made up for the (very) bumpy drive, the bumpier boat ride, and serious hunger from the morning. Â We snorkled, read magazines, and napped in the sun before hopping back on the boat to Hook Island. Â A little busier than Little Dog, Hook Island was equally beautiful. Â We marveled over how similar the San Blas Islands resembled the Maldives, where we honeymooned. Â We lunched on rice and lobster, walked around the island with the water lapping on our feet, and relaxed with our fellow boat mates. Â Most had been camping on the islands – a great experience, but not quite for us (we like indoor plumbing and sleeping in beds). Â Even though our relaxed state was wiped out by the bumpy boat and car rides back to the hotel, it was still an incredible experience.
We slept in until 8 am (which was late, compared to the rest of the week) and packed up.  We left the rainforest for a night in Panama City, staying at the luxurious Trump Ocean Club International Hotel.  The 45-minute drive from the Gamboa rainforest seemed like nothing, compared to our drive the day before, and soon we were checking into our incredible corner suite at Trump.  After a second breakfast at the hotel, we lounged on the gorgeous pool deck and took advantage of the free WiFi to do some work.  As we wrapped up our al fresco lunch and collected our belongings, a MASSIVE thunderstorm hit – and didn’t relent.  Since the weather wiped out our plans to explore Panama City, we spent our final day relaxing with movies and the complimentary fruit plate from the hotel, naps, and a little more work.  We dined at the  hotel’s Tejas restaurant, gorging ourselves on more fresh seafood and plantains for a final time before a restful sleep to the sound of the rain. The next day, it was straight to the airport and back to New York City.  We left Panama with our bodies relaxed and our minds revived.  Panama was an incredible destination, and I hope to return one day soon.
If you’d like to see more pictures of the trip, I’ve posted them on the Facebook page here.
Have you ever been to Panama? Â What did you see/do while you were there?
