The Panama VIP Can Live in Luxury and Harmony with Nature on Panama Pearl Island
A true VIP lifestyle integrates luxury with adventure, opulence with activity. With this definition in mind we suggest that the Panama VIP take a look at Pearl Island. This development on the third largest island in the Pearl Archipelago should be the illustration in the dictionary entry for “tropical paradise.” The island lies in waters where humpbacks and other whale species come to breed and give birth every year. With over 700 species of fish and over a dozen types of coral the waters around Pearl Island are ideal for scuba diving. The island itself has a hundred and fifty bird species and miscellaneous mammals, amphibians and lizards living in harmony with the natural environment. The development plan for Pearl Island will leave 75% of the island untouched. This integration of luxurious living and a dedication to preserving pristine nature provides the Panama VIP with an authentic private tropical island experience.
A limited number of hotel suites and residences are being developed on the island’s Northern Zancadilla Peninsula as part of the first phase of Pearl Island. These hotel suites and residences are minutes away from Panama City by air and a short boat ride to the island, giving the Panama VIP the best of luxurious seclusion and easy access to the city.
For more information regarding Pearl Island and luxury living in a sustainable natural environment contact VIP Panama today.
There are ordinary places to live in Panama and there are extraordinary locations. Depending upon your preference for sea coasts or mountains, ability to get away from the daily routine, or desire to live the high life in an exciting Latin American capital city Panama offers a number of choices. The following article is about a development in the Chiriqui Highlands. Read on and then contact the Panama Club for the services that will fast track your business, real estate investments, and/or retirement in this tropical paradise.
In looking for the ultimate in luxurious living, upscale amenities, and a setting a of natural beauty, we have looked at seacoast developments and mountain properties. We recommend Valle Escondido in Boquete as an excellent choice for an upscale development with wonderful services in a great setting. There is the luxury of having people wait on you and the luxury of getting to do whatever you want when you want to do it. Valle Escondido fits a bit of both.
Valle Escondido offers spa treatments as well as a golf course for exercise. The surrounding area is replete with nature trails. In fact, people come from all over the world to see what you will have at your doorstep.
Valle Escondido offers meals every day at the resort’s restaurant. Alternatively, you have your own beautiful home for the privacy of an intimate get together.
Valle Escondido’s fitness center has the latest cardiovascular fitness equipment, as well as free weights. There is a racquetball court in case you want to pick up the speed of your workout.
Valle Escondido may be a “hidden valley”, but it is not cut off from the world. Available day activities that you can do from Valle Escondido include white water rafting on class 4 rapids, a very long canopy tree tour, tours of coffee plantations, horseback riding, rental of four wheelers, hiking tours including Volcan Baru and Quetzalas National Parks, a visit to the hot springs at Caldera, a trip to see pre-Columbian petroglyphs, and deep sea fishing 45 minutes away by helicopter on the Caribbean Sea.
This place is a combination of laid-back relaxation and up and at ‘em activity. There are those of us who think that mix is the ideal.
If you are interested in doing business in Panama or doing business with Panama you will want to make the right contacts, hire a competent, English speaking lawyer, and have someone on your side who knows local customs and politics. VIP Panama takes pride in connecting its clients to the right luxury living accommodations, the right business arrangements, and the most discrete entertainment, when required.
Email us at The Panama Club
+507-836-6542 / 43 (Panama) | 1-(305)-503-9957 (USA)
EcoVentures LLC PO Box 3881 Charlottesville, VA 22903-0881
Tel: (434) 831.2575 Toll Free Tel: 800.743.8352
http://www.ecoventures-travel.com e-mail: http://thepanamanetwork.com
EcoVentures has been offering birding tours to Panama for over ten years. Previous tours have generated lists of 350 to over 400 species on the itinerary to Central Panama, the Darien and the Chiriqui western highlands.
The intense nature show exhilarates everyone. A canopy flock arrives and diverts attention to a Slate throated Gnatcatcher and Yellow Green Grosbeaks. Within minutes of this initial encounter all the binocs are adjusted…and yes!! It’s the Rufous Vented Ground Cuckoo, one of the rarest birds in the world. After adding several new birds to their life lists, all you see are smiling faces starting down the trail, ready for a hearty meal and talking about tomorrow’s bird quest.
Rates differ on a wide variety of EcoVenture trips, depending on the time you’re planning to spend in Panama, and the birds you’d like to focus on seeing. Whether you are a serious lister or take a more casual approach to birding, this trip is an excellent chance to increase your life list and experience the wonders of Panama, with guides.
Email us at The Panama Club
+507-836-6542 / 43 (Panama) | 1-(305)-503-9957 (USA)
February’s arrival heralds Shrove Tuesday, or “Mardi Gras” as it is known in some quarters. Toss a pancake if you must, as is the British tradition, but there are far better ways to celebrate the beginning of Lent.
You could try New Orleans “Mardi Gras”. The Parades start the week before and are louder and larger than life. I swear I still have whiplash from wearing all those beads when I was there!
Or try Rio at Carnival time. Easily accessible from a cruise offered by Celebrity Cruises or Royal Caribbean, and the trip of a lifetime for sure.
This year I found myself in Panama. Local advice was to stock up with provisions and hibernate from Friday to Wednesday to avoid crowded roads and huge lines in the supermarket and at the beaches. But I am curious and asked where the wildest festivities would be held, and the reply came back: Go to the town of “Penonome”.
This small town in the Cocle province is approx 150 km. (or three hours) west of Panama City on the Pan American highway. Penonome is so insignificant a town that we actually drove right past before realizing we had blinked and had to do the obligatory U-turn. As we drove along the narrow streets, we kept passing families hauling huge coolers, and more ominously – lots of water pistols.
After parking in the last vacant space anywhere, we leapt out and joined the crowds just as the Carnival Princess came into view, on a float pulled by a huge yellow tractor. The Princess had a beautiful Rio-style costume, complete with tiara and ostrich feathers, but we are still puzzled why she had thick knitted stockings on, attractively bunched at the ankles. Obviously a local tradition, we decided.
Following the Princess’s float was a huge water tanker, with youngsters playing the fire hoses over the elated crowds. The cool water was surprisingly welcome in the dust and heat. Then the party really began. Trumpets played, drums beat, and boom boxes were on every corner. Food stalls opened and enterprising locals offered the use of their bathrooms for 50 cents! Sharp-eyed police kept everything in order, checking bags and coolers to ensure everyone remained safe, while they had a great time.
The children were well armed with water pistols, and aimed at every unwary adult. They even had tanks of water that connected to their pistols by tubing…on their backs to save reloading. This is serious business! Wettest of all were those who walked past the trailers of youngsters, who, armed with barrels of water, were literally pouring buckets of water over passers-by. It was wild and crazy and such good fun for all ages.
Carnival. Where will you be next year?
Email us at The Panama Club
+507-836-6542 / 43 (Panama) | 1-(305)-503-9957 (USA)
When visiting or exploring Panama be sure to visit the Marine Exhibition Center (CEM) located on Punta Culebra of Naos Island on the Amador Causeway. The CEM is operated by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institution (STRI), the only bureau of the Smithsonian Institution based outside of the United States. The STRI is dedicated to understanding biological diversity. The Marine Exhibition Center (Centro de Exhibiciones Marinas, or CEM) is a non-profit initiative of STRI that relies on the support of the Smithsonian Foundation of Panama and international entities. It offers visitors an open-air museum focusing mainly on marine science and education, conservation and interpretation of marine coastal environments. More than 450,000 students and visitors have visited CEM since it opened in 1996, and hundreds of schools have taken part in its educational program. (details and photos below)
This afternoon I wandered out to the STRI’s CEM on Punta Culebra of the Amador Causeway. Dr. John Christy, the Director of the CEM received me in his office and told me a little about the CEM, what they’ve been doing to improve the facility and experience for visitors, and some of their plans for the future. This article is a combination of information taken from the STRI’s website about the CEM and my own observations and additions.
The last time I got out to the Marine Exhibition Center was about two or three years ago, and there have been significant improvements and upgrades made since then. The facility is very well kept, clean and painted, and there are several new elements that were not there the last time I went. It was great to see the new signs, turtle pool, aquarium house, observation deck, and all of the other improvements.
Giant Anemone
The Center is a place where individuals can increase their awareness and appreciation of coastal and marine environments in Panama and nearby regions of South and Central America. Its goal is to increase public understanding of Panama ’s past and present coastal environments, promoting their conservation. It is also meant to show how scientific discoveries improve our understanding and deepen our appreciation of the natural world.
CEM occupies a territory of approximately 1 1/2 hectares and is only 15 minutes away from the heart of Panama City. The area has great natural wealth and the appropriate infrastructure so that locals and foreigners of all ages can take part in an enriching experience, as they enjoy the scenic views.
This overview shows Fort Amador, the causeway, and the relative locations of Naos, Perico, and Flamenco Islands and Culebra Point.
Location: With breathtaking views of the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal, the Marine Exhibition Center of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute is located at Punta Culebra, approximately 3.5 km from the entrance to the Amador Causeway and 15 minutes from the heart of Panama City. You can arrive by taxi, and public transportation to the center is available by SACA bus. If you are driving there is parking available at the facility. If you prefer to get some exercise you can park at the entrance to the Amador Causeway and rent a bicycle.
Closer view showing the entrance, parking areas, and some of the feature areas of the CEM.
The CEM currently hosts the following exhibitions:
* Panama: Abundance of Fish
* Room for screenings and art exhibits
* Open-air historic and interpretative displays
* Turtle Pond: Mysterious Swimmers
* Aquaria
* Touching Pond
* Lookout point with views of the entrance to the Panama Canal and its surroundings
* Two trails across a Tropical Dry Forest
Future plans include a major scale Touching Pond, a Discovery Room, and a project for large aquaria.
“Crab Beach:” Scientists study the animals on this beach in detail (please keep out).
The Visit:The Marine Exhibition Center allows visitors to take a short journey through Panama’s geological, military and natural history, and to learn about marine and terrestrial life through a unique experience.
The Turtle Pond is a new addition since my last visit.
Children at the turtle pond.
You can get a close-up view of the turtles, or maybe they’re looking at you…
Historical Significance: Most of the constructions here are old military bunkers built during the First World War; columns date back to construction of the Panama Canal. There is also a small room, called “la casita”, built more recently by old Panamanian Defense Forces. All of these spaces have been conditioned to hold temporal and permanent exhibitions and to serve as projection areas.
This former military bunker now holds offices and the projection center for educational programs.
The cement columns on the left were part of an isolation unit for patients suffering from yellow fever during the construction of the Panama Canal.
Natural Attractions: There are two trails through a tropical dry forest, a typical ecosystem of the Pacific side of Central America which is almost extinct today. This forest is a refuge and habitat for sloths, iguanas, birds of all kinds and armadillos, among others animals that visitors can admire as they walk around. The rocky shore, the sandy beach and a patch of white mangrove forest have plenty of marine life which is best seen during low tide. The sea life exhibitions show the magnificent biodiversity of Panamanian coastal ecosystems, particularly that of coral reefs from the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. A pond that is home to sea turtles shows a group organisms that is seriously threatened by human activities. As they walk through the natural trails and the exhibitions, visitors will receive information from specially trained naturalists about Smithsonian research. A beautiful view of the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal completes this educational experience.
Oreaster sp, sea star from the Caribbean Sea
The views from Culebra Point are worth the trip all by themselves. The arch of the Bridge of the Americas over the Panama Canal is visible in the distance.
Current Bilingual Exhibitions:
* Panama: abundance of fish
* Sea turtles: mysterious navigators
* Sea life exhibition (aquarium)
* Marine invertebrates touching pool
* Marine Physical Process
* Rise of the Isthmus
* Panama ’s People and Oceans
* Ocean pollution
* From the reef
From the trails that wrap the island you can see sloths, iguanas, and other inhabitants.
Prices: The cost of admission is $ 0.50 for children under twelve years of age, $2.00 for adults, and $1.00 for retirees.
The touching pool is very popular with visitors.
Hours and Schedule: The Center for Marine Exhibits is open to the public from March to December, Tuesday – Friday, from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm and on Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. During the dry season and when the school children are on vacation between December to March, and during the mid-year vacation in July we are open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.
Contact Information:
* Phone: +507 212-8793
* Fax: +507 212-8820
* E-mail: http://thepanamanetwork.com
* Website: Center for Marine Exhibits
Thanks to Geichel Zamorano, naturalist tour guide at the Center for Marine Exhibits for the great tour.
SOURCE: Don Winner @ Panama-guide.com
Email us at The Panama Club
+507-836-6542 / 43 (Panama) | 1-(305)-503-9957 (USA)
By claire Morris: Tourists in Panama eager to experience “real” indigenous culture may be disappointed to learn that these Embará Indians buy their sarongs from an Asian importer. Time stands still in this village. Or does it? Parara Puru might be sheltered by the Panamanian rain forest, accessible only by dugout canoe from the Río Chagres, but the women who greet us as we climb the slope from the jetty wear cloth imported from Taiwan wrapped around their waists. As they lead us into the great hall—a massive open-air thatched structure—I notice tables crowded with intricate baskets and masks, carved wooden birds, and bracelets fashioned from local stones. These handmade wares are displayed solely for our group’s browsing pleasure, in the hopes that we’ll buy. And Antonito Sarco, this Emberá Indian community’s frontman, might be clad in a colourful loincloth and wear beadwork around his neck, but he’s relaying orders into a cellphone and speaking Spanish instead of his native Emberá dialect.
So much for feeling like an explorer from a faraway land who happens upon indigenous peoples for the first time.
I sink onto a bench inside the hall, joining 15 others who have travelled from England, Japan, Australia, and Greece to make this journey down the Río Chagres to this cluster of dwellings that is home to about 80 people. We listen to our guide’s translation as Antonito delivers a welcome speech in Spanish. The seven men who serenaded us on arrival with drums, flutes, and percussion instruments stand solemnly behind him. It’s clear they’ve done this many times before. I wonder just how many tourists the people of Parara Puru entertain each month.
Enough to prevent them from having to move to the city and give up their way of life, I learn from our guide, Pedro García, who is the director of the Panama-based tour company Adventures in Panama. He tells us that the Emberá used to be self-sufficient, growing their own food and using the forest for fuel. “In 1984, the government declared this area a national park,” García explains. “So, if the Emberá want to continue residing here, they have to comply with certain rules: no more crop-growing, no more deforestation. The only option for sustaining their lifestyle is tourism.”
The 129,000 hectares of Chagres National Park protect what is said to be the cleanest river in the Americas. Like many Canadians, I agree that the creation of national parks is a good thing. But now I’m confronted with real people who are in danger of losing a way of life because of it. The history of the Emberá Indians in this area stretches back well before any European explorer came prospecting for Panamanian gold in the 16th century—gold that the Emberá reportedly traded for glass beads.
Is tourism really the answer? Won’t canoe loads of tourists flashing cameras and greenbacks alter this culture until it becomes no more than a remnant of what those explorers encountered?
After a tasty meal of golden plantains and fish caught in the Chagres that morning, we receive a tour of the resident botanical doctor’s garden, a tamer extension of the rain forest rimming the village. Plants that are said to cure asthma, indigestion, infertility—you name it, Miguel has it. In fact, he’s recently been courted by pharmaceutical companies looking to mass-produce natural medicine. He squats beside a plant he calls “God’s Hand” and breaks off three leaves, but only after murmuring a few reverent words.
“We have to ask permission from the spirit of the plant,” he explains, “so it knows who is going to be treated and in what way.”
He goes on to demonstrate how to apply a remedy to cure back pain: mash one leaf and place the pulp over the painful area, then position the other two leaves in a cross formation over the heart. After that, he disappears into the rain forest, and emerges with another plant. He explains that he once used this to draw snake venom from our guide’s leg. García obligingly shows off a scar on the back of his calf.
As the tropical sun becomes blisteringly hot, we return to cover to purchase souvenirs from the village craft tables, and to have our arms and backs patterned with the juice of the jagua fruit, a traditional ritual believed to promote good health. The woman who approaches me, reed in one hand, cup of black juice in the other, squints at me from behind the hibiscus wreath that rests on her brow. “Friendly traveller,” she pronounces, and proceeds to paint the Emberá symbol for this on my upper left arm.
With this badge of goodwill, I turn toward the musicians, who’ve struck up a jaunty tune. Assuming I’ll join in, Antonito silently takes my hand and leads me through the steps of an Emberá dance. Soon the entire village and my fellow visitors are jiving in a circle.
As the dance blurs the differences between Parara Puru residents and our group of travellers, I decide that outside influence will have a negative impact on this community only if its people allow it to. Yes, the women’s sarongs are imported from Asia, but García says they buy them in Panama City because they’re affordable and more enduring than the reeds they used to wear. The villagers still choose to don the minimal clothing that the climate encourages, rather than the modern attire favoured by urban Panamanians. Miguel continues to nurture his healing plants, and will do so regardless of whether or not pharmaceutical companies show interest in his cures. And families still weave their baskets, allowing travellers like me to take home a reminder of a unique culture, one that is still strong.
ACCESS: The tour company Adventures in Panama offers day trips to several Emberá communities, including Parara Puru. Trips cost US$65 to $95 depending on the number of people in the group. From Panama City, it takes about an hour by road to reach the put-in point on the Río Chagres in Chagres National Park, and the trip to Parara Puru by motorized dugout canoe takes another hour. For more information, visit www.adventuresinpanama.com/ or call 877-726-6222.
SOURCE: Don Winner @ Panama-guide.com
Email us at The Panama Club
+507-836-6542 / 43 (Panama) | 1-(305)-503-9957 (USA)
News Blaze.com – Canopy tours can be an amazing addition to your family vacation to South and Central American destination such as Panama. If you are looking for an adventure travel experience you will never forget, nothing equals these Panama attractions. During these tours you will glide through the treetops, above the crystal clear rivers and ancient waterfalls that comprise the landscape of Panama. One great location to attempt canopy tours is Lago Gatun, the manmade lake that forms a large part of the Panama Canal. Lago Gatun is a large lake covering 164 square miles. With the creation of the lake many hilltops around the Panama Canal became islands. The biggest and best known of them is Barro Colorado Island, home of the world famous Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Melia Panama Canal, a luxury resort on the bank of Lago Gatun offers canopy tours of this amazing area. From their website www.MeliaPanamaCanal.com: Glide among the treetops on a zip-line crossing Gatun Lake. Two qualified guides accompany guests on all canopy tours and take adventurers through four zip-lines on Isla Bananas, crossing Gatun Lake and finishing right at the Meli Panama Canal pool. (more)
How it Works
A harness and an ultra-resistant steel cable are used to help you defy gravity as you take in the sites and soar through the trees of the Panama area.
Because of the fact that it is just you, a harness, and a cable it is important to make sure every safety precaution is taken. That is why qualified canopy tour operators like Melia Panama Canal are preferred. The equipment and the steel cables that canopy tours use can easily resist the size of any human. The harness supports 2,000 pounds and the cable, 10,000 pounds.
How to Prepare
It is suggested that you where long pants, a sweater, boots or any other type of closed shoe. You want to cover as much exposed skin as possible. Most tours will let you bring a child over six, but it is fair warning that a young child may change their mind once on the platform.
Overall canopy tours can be an amazing thing to share with your family on your tropical Panama vacation or anywhere else in Central and South America. Make sure you prepare and understand exactly what you are getting into before you take on the task, so that you can be assured a great experience.
(End Article)
Need A Guide?: Give me a call at (507) 399-4750, cell (507) 6614-0451 or email me at http://thepanamanetwork.com
SOURCE: Don Winner @ Panama-guide.com
Email us at The Panama Club
+507-836-6542 / 43 (Panama) | 1-(305)-503-9957 (USA)
Hector Sanchez has the style and good looks of a man who has spent a lifetime outdoors. Held together by a wiry, near six-foot physique he appears every bit the “best river guide in Panama ” as touted by Lonely Planet and other travel guides. Before starting Chiriqui River Rafting in 1994 Sanchez spent two decades as civilian Director of Outdoor Recreation for the U.S. Army South in Panama. As a young man he received the Carnegie Medal for courage and outstanding bravery when he saved a drowning swimmer in Rockaway Beach , California. Today, he is standing in front of four new clients beginning his talk on safety with a company video featuring rafts and kayaks careening down Chiriqui River waterfalls. Three minutes into the video he switches it off and informs us that “you won’t need most of this instruction.” The four novices, here for a day’s outing with Sanchez’ company, breathe a sigh of relief and take this as a sign they didn’t make the wrong decision after all.
Sanchez moves through a demonstration of paddling technique and a review of the commands his guide will use during the trip. “All forward” he says firmly. “All back” he calls out. “Left forward, right back, right forward,” he commands. He tells us about “high side” which is the order for all rafters to move to one side of the raft if it is forced up by the rapids and in danger of going over. Because we are rafting the Esti River with mostly Class II rapids, we don’t expect to hear that instruction. We learn, however, why whitewater rafting in Chiriqui is the biggest in Central America . The majestic Baru Volcano peaks out at 11,490 feet on a ridge of mountains that run from Costa Rica through the center of Chiriqui province. Panama is a very narrow country and from atop the volcano is a breathtaking view of both the Pacific and Atlantic on either side of the isthmus. When the rains come and the waters rush down the mountainside, they have a very short distance to travel before reaching the sea. The steep descent becomes the fast moving Chiriqui, Chiriqui Viejo, Esti, and Gariche rivers.
Finally, Sanchez goes through the procedure one uses if a rafter goes overboard. He explains how not to get tangled up in the lifeline and be sucked under and how to scramble back to safety if you’re tossed into the rushing current. Hector Sanchez is known for his safe approach to rafting and his students are paying very close attention. It’s as if their lives depended on it, which, in fact, they do. He has never “lost anybody on his trips” he says by way of reassurance, and the neophytes begin to wonder who might be the first. We have signed our liability releases and indicated beneficiaries for our life insurance policies and we are, well, sort of ready to go.
Sanchez leads us to a van where our young guide Leignadier “Len” Santos awaits. At twenty-one Len has four years experience with Chiriqui River Rafting and is one of those seen in the company video skillfully maneuvering the big rapids. We pile in with our gear, wave goodbye to Sanchez, and head south for the hour’s drive to the Esti. Near our put in point we pick up another young man who will drive the leap-frog route down river meeting us for lunch and, we trust, an end-of-day ride back to the town of Boquete .
This part of Panama still feels quite wild, and as we approach the river, we see it is wide and moving very fast. We don our life vests and helmets take charge of our plastic paddles, and with some trepidation slide into the surge. Len works to get us oriented by calling out a number of commands and soon we are doing 360s down the middle of the flow. Over the next two hours we handle the rapids well, gain confidence in our abilities and feel relaxed for most of the morning’s ride. Along the way we see egrets, kingfishers, cormorants, blackbirds, hawks, and impressive vultures hovering overhead. We joke about how they are working this part of the waters in anticipation of our demise. On the river banks we see lizards and large iguana. Thriving in the massive shade trees overhanging the river are numerous epiphytes with varieties of purple and red flowers. We watch a river otter catch fish and then swim alongside close enough for us to look into his eyes. Twice we see Ngobe-Bugle (Guaymi) Indian women washing clothes along the river’s edge. The air smells soft and fragrant with the flowers that surround us. Of the climate in this part of the country it is said to be like eternal Spring. We climb inside our thoughts for brief stretches of time and soak up Panama’s luscious nature. In silence we seem to acknowledge that we are somewhat awed by where we find ourselves on this particular mid-week day.
After shooting two hours worth of Class II rapids, Len guides us to a landing under a highway overpass and we meet our number-two man who has lunch already set out. We make sandwiches with cold cuts and fresh bread, slurp sodas like we’ve been in the desert, and polish off sweet treats as though they might be our last. After thirty minutes of rest we are back in the raft and heading for the homestretch.
Underway only a few minutes we get sideways in what appears to be the only Class III section
To read this entire feature FREE with photos cut and paste this link:http://www.jetsettersmagazine.com/archive/jetezine/sports02/raft/panama/chirqui/chirqui.html
Jim Hollister, Jetsetters Magazine Editor – Read Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com To book travel visit Jetstreams.com at www.jetstreams.com and for Beach Resorts visit Beach Booker at www.beachbooker.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jim Hollister, Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent. Join the Travel Writers Network in the logo at www.jetsettersmagazine.com
If you are interested in doing business in Panama or doing business with Panama you will want to make the right contacts, hire a competent, English speaking lawyer, and have someone on your side who knows local customs and politics. VIP Panama takes pride in connecting its clients to the right luxury living accommodations, the right business arrangements, and the most discrete entertainment, when required.
Email us at The Panama Club
+507-836-6542 / 43 (Panama) | 1-(305)-503-9957 (USA)
Experience Adventure Tourism By Jonathon Hardcastle
Another term for you to get excited about! Adventure tourism is a type of niche tourism involving exploration or travel to remote areas, where one is about to experience the unexpected. Rapidly growing, adventure tourism experiences great competition from other outdoor industry types of tourism, but the most important feature, or what is referred to as its unique selling point, is the fact it offers to those seeking unusual vacating times, a radically different perspective from the typical beach resort vacation.
With thousands of active vacation specialists, adventure tourism is the fastest-growing sector of tourism and a worldwide trend for adventure travel outfitters. Recommending a variety of trips to countless adventure destinations, from Alaska to Patagonia and beyond, adventure tourism can help you add that extra “spice” to your annual vacation holidays and enjoy the pleasures associated with ranch-based horseback riding, cycling through a wine country, or floating through the deepest canyons of Earth.
Through a variety of different organizations and with experts’ assistance, interested individuals can enjoy how it feels for example to be a member of an adventure camp community, the satisfaction one enjoys while following the Inca trail to Machu Picchu, the eco-spiritual adventure in the Himalayan Mountains, or learning a foreign language while volunteering for the rebuilt of a village in Central America. The choices and destinations are endless and the only thing you will most certainly need is to follow the advice of professional adventure guides and to be open to experiences that will increase your understanding of the world we live in and will make you less subversive to your child’s future choices in life.
These special vacation services are usually offered to small groups of people, who have a lust for life and a curiosity for culture and wish to explore adventure tourism’s immense capabilities and immerse in the addictive world of adventure travel. Although some tend to confuse adventure tourism with that of extreme tourism -also known as shock tourism- which involves traveling to dangerous destinations or the participation to dangerous events, the adrenaline rush one experiences as an adventurous tourist, is of a lower risk level.
Its greater difference is the degree of engagement and professionalism. Thus, before you decide to accept an interesting invitation from that old friend of yours who has disappeared once backpacking in South America, you should better examine the specifics of the amazingly low cost deal he or she offers. Wilderness is not something one should take lightly, especially when it might cost your own life. Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles on many topics including Outdoors, Recreation, and Food Article Source:
Email us at The Panama Club
+507-836-6542 / 43 (Panama) | 1-(305)-503-9957 (USA)
Canal Expansion (Source) By Jaquetta White: The Port of New Orleans could be a leading beneficiary of the recently approved plan to expand the Panama Canal, the agency’s chief executive said. “Anything that happens that allows bigger, better and faster ships to come through the canal works for us,” said Gary LaGrange, the port’s president and chief executive. Panamanian voters on Sunday approved a referendum to modernize the 92-year-old canal. The project will double the canal’s capacity and allow more vessels, including super-sized container ships, to pass through. The Port of New Orleans has long been in support of the plan because it will open the door for more trade opportunities with Asia. Asian cargo generally is not shipped directly to the Port of New Orleans or other Gulf ports because today’s trans-Pacific cargo ships are too big to fit through the Panama Canal. Asian cargo is commonly shipped to the twin ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, which combine to create the busiest container port in the country and third-largest in the world. But as trade with Asia has increased, those ports have become congested, leading shippers to search for new routes. Expanding the Panama Canal could provide an alternative entry into the United States, industry experts say. (more)
One place the cargo could go is the Gulf Coast, said Jim Kruse, director of the Center for Ports & Waterways in the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M University.
“It would certainly help Houston and New Orleans,” Kruse said. “The canal is running pretty much at capacity. It should increase trade just because it will increase the number of vessels that can come through.”
Under the plan, a set of new locks will be built along the canal to add a new lane of traffic. The canal will also be dredged to accommodate ships with a 50-foot draft. The canal is now dredged only to 39½ feet. The changes will oblige not only large container ships, but tankers and break-bulk vessels, said Alberto Alemàn Zubieta, who heads the Panama Canal Authority.
“We will take away the restrictions that are posed on the maritime industry today by allowing bigger and deeper vessels to go through the waterway,” Alemn said.
The project is expected to cost $5.2 billion and take eight years to complete. Construction will begin in 2008.
The expansion in Panama places new emphasis on the port’s need to expand its Napoleon Avenue container terminal, LaGrange said. The port has proposed building a terminal on a 60-acre tract adjacent to the Napoleon terminal.
“I think there’s going to be some significant decisions made the next three or four months,” LaGrange said. “It has always been a general discussion before, now we’re getting down to the nitty-gritty.”
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