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

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