Darlene Smyth (Tucson AZ):  ( May 2007)

Dear Yenia, I want to let you know how much I enjoyed my recent experience with the Panama La Verde Birding Circuit.  The perfection of the tour started with your excellent work as the ReConTur, S.A. tour organizer.  Not only were you obviously very detail oriented and over-saw each aspect of the tour from transportation to guides, and food preferences to timing, but you are a BIRDER who understands the importance of flexibility in scheduling and trail selection; a non-birder simply could not have organized such a perfect tour.  The fact that you speak fluent English insured there were no misunderstandings, therefore every detail of the trip went as smooth as silk.  

The bird guide you chose, Luis Paz, also a person with an excellent command of English, charmed us with his good humor and his intimate knowledge of, and love for, the birds of his country, as well as his willingness to share his extensive knowledge about Panama in general.  By the end of the tour, I felt as if I had two new friends, and I shall miss you both, and the birds of Panama, until I return.

I recently spent two nights at your Albrook inn as I toured with the Panama La Verde Birding Circuit.  I want to let you know how welcoming your staff was, how much I enjoyed the culinary delights prepared by your chef [that pineapple pie is scrumptious!], and what joy I got from viewing the many species of birds as they foraged for food on your grounds.  The location of you hotel is just perfect...very nice quiet neighborhood, and so close to the wonderful birding areas of Panama City.   

Dear Carlos and Ana Maria, (Los Quetzales Lodge) :I recently enjoyed two nights at your spectacularly wonderful mountain retreat as part of my tour with the Panama La Verde Birding Circuit.  Your warmth as hosts was delightful, the staff looked after my every need, your onsite chef, with his wonderful creations, is a treasure [I really appreciated his attention to my dietary restrictions], the river outside my room lulled me to sleep each night, the grounds are spectacular, but for me, as a birder, the BIRDS right on your grounds were awesomely outstanding.  What a huge variety of highland specialties, and in such a short period of time!  Everyday, we started out very early for destinations within a short distance of your lodge, but in the short time between waking and leaving for the day, I observed 34 stunning species.  How many more could I have found during the day?!! Another aspect of your lodge that really touched me is the fact you had all cabins, the lovely woodwork, and beautiful furniture made right at your location, using local craftsmen.  What a wonderful way for birding dollars to be used.  Your charming local guide, Ito Santa Maria, was very knowledgeable about the Chiriqui birds and quickly found many other species for me to admire.  It was a pleasure to meet him and chat with him.

The only complaint I have is two nights just is not enough to do justice to your wonderful location. Thank you for my introduction to the Chiriqui Highlands.  

Dear Ana Maria, (Hostal Casa de Campo)I need to tell you how much I enjoyed your warm hospitality while I stayed at your lodge during my Panama La Verde Birding Circuit tour.  You have an inviting, comfortable, country inn and I felt quite spoiled by all of the nice attention.  The meals were outstanding [I have become a huge fan of your special oatmeal!], but perhaps my favorite was the food you cooked in the open air fireplace...simply scrumptious.  Of course, the birds were the big excitement at your lodge.  I could hardly get enough of standing on one of your decks, looking out over the valley, enjoying the birds in the surrounding trees, and observing the birds almost at my feet in the plantings around the buildings. You have the perfect location for attracting many species, and a stroll around your beautiful neighborhood produced even more birds.  Another very nice aspect was the relatively short trip to the airport so I was able to get in several hours of birding before having to leave for my flight home. 

  Thank you for helping me experience your corner of Panama.  

  Dear Monica, (Park Eden Bed & Breakfast) I want to thank you for your warm hospitality while I stayed with you as part of my Panama La Verde Birding Circuit tour.  I can say, without a doubt, that your B&B is the most elegantly charming establishment that I have ever enjoyed.  No wonder it is a desired destination for honeymooners and others celebrating very special events!  Dining in your lovely home was quite pleasant, and the food, which you gave such special attention to preparing, was delicious.  Although my rooms were so beautifully decorated that I hated to leave them, as a birder, the grounds were where I loved to linger.  Relaxing on a bench under one of the huge trees, watching birds coming and going from their nest or foraging under the plantings; well...life just doesn't get any better than that!  I saw many of the wonderful birds of Panama right from your yard, and even more when we visited the destinations close to your lodge.

Thank you for that special time and your friendship,

Dr. Rick Wright (May 2007)

birding@birdaz.com Writer, Editor, Professional Guide Aimophila Adventures, http://www.birdaz.com/

For more on the wonders of the Panama La Verde Birding Circuit, including a selection of photos, visit: http://birdaz.com/blog/category/recent-sightings/panama-la-verde/

Albrook Inn A warm welcome, a warm meal, cool birds: Just a few short minutes from the airport, the Albrook Inn offers the weary traveler all three in abundance. The young staff are charming and helpful, and the kitchen brims with talent. And the birds! The traveling birder will be nearly overwhelmed as soon as she steps out the door, and it is tempting to think of spending an entire day just on the grounds of the Inn, where the subtle beauty of flycatchers and tanagers competes with the gaudy toucans and parrots for the birder’s attention. Highly recommended as a layover destination—or at the start or finish of a Panama La Verde tour.

Los Quetzales The perfect place to get away from it all—or, for the birder, to be in the middle of it all! The delightful hospitality of Ana Maria and Carlos and their staff is rivaled only by the quality of the birding right at the lodge, where a profusion of hummingbirds can be studied at leisure and everything from silky-flycatchers to challenging furnariids move through the beautiful gardens. But the birding gets only better as you climb, and a morning up at the cabins is bound to be among the highlights of any birder’s visit, with Large-footed and Slaty Finches particularly easy to observe. Resplendant Quetzals are incredibly cooperative here, and the strange little Zeledonia sings from the forest. I can’t wait to come back, so fire up the ovens and get the Anna Cake ready!  

Park EdeAptly named indeed, the Park Eden is set among a paradise of a garden, where birds feed, bathe, and nest without fear. Stunningly close views of Common Tody-Flycatchers, Barred Antshrikes, Black-striped Sparrows, and Rufous-capped Warblers may tempt you to skip breakfast, but don’t do it: Monica’s cooking is justly famous in the El Valle region, and any birder lucky enough to dine looking out the window will experience a happy overload of culinary and ornithological pleasure. The rooms, each featuring a different décor, are large, bright, and comfortable, and there truly is nothing like drifting off to sleep while owls and nightjars sing out the windows. Rarely have I felt so well taken care of while traveling.  

Hostal Casa de CampoThe very Platonic ideal of a tropical lodge, with terraces set at exactly the right heights to watch the treetop species that are so abundant in the lavishly landscaped grounds. Comfortable rooms with excellent pillows might seduce you into sleeping late, but don’t miss the show in the garden, where Streaked Saltators and Crimson-backed Tanagers share the spotlight with other wonders ranging from Snowy-bellied Hummingbirds to Swallow-tailed Kites. On my visit early in the rainy season, Black-striped Sparrows, one of my favorite birds, were feeding juveniles on the terraces, and the fascinating lutea Hepatic (“Tooth-billed”) Tanager, most likely a separate species from our familiar Arizona birds, was common and easily studied in the surrounding pines. The real revelation came, though, on a dramatically eerie neighborhood stroll, when the clouds—las nubes—rolled in and the birds, everything from antbirds to cowbirds, began to sing their dawn songs again. Startlingly convenient to the airport, and as welcoming as any destination I have ever visited, the Casa de Campo is a perfect spot for a layover or a base for wider explorations on the Panama La Verde Circuit.   

ReConTur: I am one of those travelers who loves being there—and hates getting there. On this, my first trip to Panama, ReConTur, ably represented by its owner, Yenia Mendoza, did an outstanding job with all the arrangements, from the flights to the ground transportation to the delightful hotels, leaving the tour participants free to concentrate on what brought us all there in the first place: the birds! Rarely have I felt so well taken care while traveling abroad, and my affectionate thanks go to Yenia and her marvelous staff and collaborators.  

Gill and John Stacey, Leicester, England  (February 2007)

  At the Birdfair at Rutland Water, John and I were fortunate to be the successful bidders in an auction for a thirteen day trip to Panama, provided by Panama La Verde Birding Circuit, which has been put together by a group of small family run hotels and bed and breakfast owners. All the arrangements were made through Yenia Mendoza at Recontur, the ground operator.    

We decided to take the trip during February as this is in the dry season and the migratory birds from the north would still be there.  We arrived in Panama City in the early hours to be warmly welcomed by Yenia, Roberto our guide and Raynell our driver, and we were taken to our hotel in Panama City. Even before breakfast we saw the first  birds of the trip from our bedroom window, Orange Chinned Parakeet, Clay Coloured Thrush and Magnificent Frigate Birds – what an introduction to birding in Panama and how easy it could be!

The briefing from Roberto whetted our appetite as he introduced us to the birds we would see in each area, it was amazing that for such a small country that each area of Panama had ‘specialities’ – birds that we would only see there. 

Our visit included highlights every day not only of birds but of the beauty of Panama itself. We visited old Panama, colonial Panama and the new city to learn about the history of the country. We visited the Panama Canal at Miraflores locks and saw ships passing through.  We took the train journey from Albrook to Colon alongside the Panama Canal, this was certainly worthwhile as it gave great views of the canal and surrounding countryside and also an insight into the problems that the engineers had to overcome to build the canal. We had a spectacular birding moment when we saw some twenty Snail Kites in ten minutes over a Lake, as this bird was one of the top on our bird list and to see so many was just incredible. Prolific birding experiences included the ammunition dump by the canal which is a marsh area, Summit Ponds and Old Gamboa Road, Achiote Road, the gardens of the B & B at Park Eden at Ell Valle, Cerro Gaital. 

The Chiriqui Highlands and the Los Quetzales Eco Lodge were a highlight - we did not know where to look as there were so many birds and such a variety – 95% of the species here were new.  One of the best moments was John standing with humming birds right in front of his face.  The star of the birding show however was the Resplendent Quetzal, we saw a male and female together in a tree and despite their size they were hard to pick out in the foliage, this bird was the top of our list.  On our last night we returned to the hotel and dinner and talked into the night about the trip with Roberto.  We had experienced birding well beyond our expectations and were overwhelmed by the number and variety of species we had seen.  Roberto was extremely knowledgable and he had worked hard to ensure we had seen as many species as possible and had good views of them along the way.  We saw 304 species and the vast majority were new to us. All the accommodation was good and the owners had all been very welcoming and made our stay comfortable, and we had been extremely well fed!  What more could we have asked for?  Nothing!  We found a beautiful country with friendly people, surprisingly varied habitat and on the whole easy birding.  There is more to see and we have no doubt we will be returning.    

If anybody would like more information please feel free to contact us.  Phone 01530 458806, or by email gill0311@aol.com.   

February 2007

Dominic ---Dominic Mitchell   ( May 2007)

"The birding was superb and the lodges excellent - Panama is a world-class destination".

Best wishes  
Publisher and Editor, Bird-watch