This was an amazing experience!
We were visiting Panama with our three teenage daughters, and were looking for a tour that allowed us a genuine experience of the jungle as well as adventure and adrenaline, and this certainly ticked all the boxes! The trip starts with a 5am pick-up by mini-bus at your accommodation. We then had the most spectacular 1-hour drive through torrential rain, lightning and thunder (very unusual at this time of day!) high up into the scenic mountains. The weather miraculously cleared as the sun rose and we stopped for the most delicious breakfast (eggs, a local fried bread, coffee and drinks of our choice - all included!) at a truly 'local' roadside restaurant. We were lucky to see toucans high up and hear howler monkeys before taking a short drive to where the SUV's picked us up. When I say we went 'off road' I mean it - we bumped and skidded along the steepest, bumpiest road ever down the mountain. The driver was highly experienced, though, and the views were spectacular, as we passed remote houses with the clouds sitting on the valley below. Once we get to the start of the hike two mules, one horse, and 3 guides were waiting to receive the rafting equipment, water, food and supplies that would be accompanying us on the hike.
The 4-hour hike that followed was definitely not a ‘walk in the park’ but also not an absolute killer. There is a lot of up and down, and a lot of care required when going downhill, especially as it had been raining. Our guide, Javier, has been doing this for 30 years. He is passionate about the area, hiking, and rafting. We had regular short stops where he would allow us a breather and point out certain trees, plants and landmarks, and share information about the area and its history. Many of the narrow paths we hiked along, as well as the ‘road’ we drove down were established by him years ago. He always walked ahead of us, making sure we did not stumble upon any sleeping snakes, as well as to make sure that we minimised damage to the area by sticking to the established path. We passed some very remote landholds, which had been established before the area was declared a national park, which added to the interest. Oh, did I mention the river crossings? These are regular, with some currents stronger than other, so watch your step and as Javier will suggest do not step on the big, slippery rocks or you will swim!
We were excited to get to the rafts, ready and inflated, waiting for us at the pick-up point. After one last river wade we made it to our start point, where after a very comprehensive safety briefing (safety is definitely Javier’s number one priority!) we got in the raft to learn the commands and practice this in calm waters. With 6 of us in the boat, and Javier steering at the back, we made a good team! The first few rapids were a bit scary, with a lot of tossing and turning of the boat due to the rapids and rocks in the river, but by about the third rapid we were taking them like pros, with Javier expertly determining our best route, shouting commands and steering the boat from the back. Another guide was always ahead of us, in a single raft, providing back-up safety.
After about 2 hours we had the most delicious cold cuts lunch on a pebbly river bank before setting off again. We knew we had reached the trickier part of the river when Javier stopped for an extra safety briefing and we headed for the rapid that included a 3-foot drop. Much to the girls’ amusement, mom as well as our fellow passenger flew out of the raft and had to be quickly hauled back into boat before we reached the next rapid. They are still howling with laughter!
We then continued for about another 3 hours of rafting through rapids, beautiful stretches of jungle, and a gorgeous canyon. We even got to jump out of the raft for a nice, refreshing swim alongside the boat.
After about 5 hours we reached the Embera Drun village, where we engaged with some friendly Embera indians that were on the river with their kids and dogs as we waited for the motorized Embera canoe to pick us up. I have to say we felt like participants on ‘Naked and Afraid’ getting extracted after their adventure - tired but so proud of our 9-hour accomplishment! After 45 minutes of again the most beautiful, scenic river and jungle scenery we docked at a small village, and were met by our mini van. After a cold beer/soft drink and a welcome change into our dry clothes we were on our way back home. What an amazing memory!!
TIPS: Javier said to ‘only take what you will need on the hike and raft’. Being a mom I totally overpacked, taking water, rash guards, sunscreen, snacks and windbreakers. I should have listened to him - all you really need is your phone, if you want to risk it, in a waterproof pouch, and a rain jacket that you can wrap around your waist for the hike. Apply bug spray and sunscreen before you leave the mini van, and make sure you have towels, dry clothes, snacks etc for the drive home as you can keep these safely in the van during the expedition. I also wish we had brought cash tips for the driver and assistant guide, as they were amazing.
