Tropical Sea Kayaking subsidiary to MrTico S.R.L. San Blas Panama 9-DAY ITINERARY 1
PANAMA SEA KAYAKING ADVENTURE 9 Days San Blas Kayaking and Cultural Experience Join us for a 9-Day escape kayaking the unknown San Blas archipelago existing of 365 tiny tropical islands set in the Caribbean sea right off the coast of Panama. Experience the true meaning of paradise while paddling from one deserted island to the other. Protected by the outer reef, we will paddle the warm, crystal clear waters crossing canals, and along stretches of mangrove forests, and into fresh water rivers flowing down from the jungle mountains that dominate the coastline. In a single or double enclosed, sturdy kayak we ll navigate through shallow parts, looking for passages in between the reefs and corals. We ll meet the Kunas; an indigenous people who live in this politically autonomous reserve. You will get introduced to one of their communities including the house of congress, school, churches, and their homes. Besides the cultural aspect of the trip, we will get to enjoy paradise as we ve all imagined it! Deserted islands with palm trees surrounded by white sand beaches and crystal clear waters; swimming whenever you like, and snorkeling the incredible coral reefs located only steps from your tent. Relax and read your favorite book from your hammock with the best views in the world. On this trip you ll simply forget anything outside this wonderland! Tropical Sea Kayaking (TSK) is a grassroots sea kayaking company operating initially in Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica. Due to our love for San Blas and its people, we also offer trips to this unique corner of the world not many people have yet heard off. As a small company, we are capable of listening to our travelers and taking their dreams of what they would like to see and experience on their trips and making them a reality. We provide a true sense of personalized service; which in return provides us with a sense of professional accomplishment. We operate our trips with small groups, top notch equipment, highly experienced & knowledgeable guides, a constant focus on safety & health, comfort, delicious nutritious meals; all while leaving the smallest environmental footprint possible. Guiding Life s Greatest Adventures in Costa Rica At Tropical Sea Kayaking we strive for the greatest nature and adventure expeditions combined with unique lodging, tasteful & natural food, and highly experienced guides. Friendly and professional trip leaders, active adventures and some of the most incredible landscapes on earth are the framework for our success. With a genuine belief that sea kayaking adventures are exceedingly worthwhile life experiences, we have committed ourselves over the years to providing the best trips available, always with an eye on safety and improvement. Our team is professional and experienced in the field of adventure travel, no rookies here. All our trips have professionally trained fully bilingual guides, who always carry comprehensive medical kits and communication tools. With excellent on-water skills and experience, they will provide you with great confidence, and a handy range of tips, advice and encouragement to ensure you thoroughly 2
enjoy your time paddling. Their wealth is of biological knowledge and understanding of our local culture & environment, beautiful and sensitive flora and fauna and ecology, including our spectacular marine wildlife. Please use this document as a resource for general information on your Costa Rica adventure. The information enclosed covers most everything you ll need to know before your trip. Of course, if you have questions that are not answered in this packet, we are happy to help! Simply contact us at info@tropicalseakayaking.com with your questions or to schedule a phone call. ITINERARY: 9 Days San Blas Kayaking and Kuna Culture Experience 9-Day Itinerary Overview (Panama City & 5 islands in San Blas) b=breakfast L=Lunch D= Day 1 Arrival & transfer in. dinner & trip briefing. Stay at country inn & suites (L/D) Day 2 traveling to san blas. Paddle & Kuna Intro. Stay at Digirdup Island (BLD) Day 3 Paddle to Diadup with stops along the way. R&R. Stay at Diadup Island (BLD) Day 4 Crossing the channel to sichirdup. Snorkeling. Stay at sichirdup island (BLD) Day 5 paddle to mainland into river. Hike & bath. Snorkeling. Stay at Sichirdup (BLD) Day 6 paddle to Bidirdup. Snorkeling, R&R.. stay at bidirdup island (BLd) Day 7 paddle to dove island. R&R. celebration night. Stay at nube sibudup (BLD) Day 8 travel to mainland and back to city. Optional dinner in old city ((B) Day 9 transfer out to airport Pty. End of trip (B) PROPOSED ITINERARY The following itinerary should be seen as an approximate guide only. We are on an expedition and the weather conditions, currents and tides can cause alterations and delays to our itinerary. Full Itinerary starts on next page 3
DESCRIPTION/ACTIVITY Welcome to Tropical Panama!!! Day 1 Upon your arrival to Panama City Airport, you will be met by a Tropical Sea Kayaking representative who will provide private transportation to a comfortable hotel in Panama City (30 minute drive), right on the banks of the entrance of the Panama Canal. Either in the afternoon or early evening you will be meeting your guide who will take you to a nice restaurant for a local dish and the trip briefing. Day 2 Early this morning right after breakfast, we ll leave the city and cross the Continental Divide to San Blas (2,5 hour drive). You are now in the semi-autonomous territory of the Kuna People; the remoteness of the location and authentic culture will give you the feel of a National Geographic expedition. From there we will hop into our support boat for a drive to our first island. The remainder of the day, you will become familiarized with your kayak by paddling along the rainforest mainland, and perhaps we ll enter a cute little river if time and water level allows. This way we get the opportunity to test and adjust our boats and make sure we feel comfortable before we commit to any long stretches of paddling on the days to come. LODGING & MEALS Country Inn & Suites (or similar) Meals included today: Lunch or Digirdup Island In the later afternoon we ll walk into the Kuna village for an introduction to their culture, and get to meet the women who will be showing their traditional outfits called Molas. During our walk we ll be greeted by the many cute, ever smiling Kuna kids. In the evening we ll have our first Kuna dish where after they ll perform a local dance in the moonlight. Surely we ll all be ready for our first night sleep in the cozy tents with comfortable mattresses. Day 3 This morning after packing our camp, we begin a 4-5 hour paddle to the uninhabited island of Diadup. The paddling includes two open channel crossings. Our motorized support boat will carry our dry bags (luggage) and camping equipment, so our kayaks will be light and maneuverable. Additionally our support boat can assist paddlers in need or if tired. We ll stop on a pleasant island somewhere along the way for lunch where after we ll continue to today s destination: a marvelous little island with just a local family living on it. Diadup Island 4
The afternoon will be at leisure to relax in your hammock or play in the ocean. We provide a hammock for each of the participants. Day 4 Today we break camp and paddle along sand cays and across open channels to the magical uninhabited white sand island of Sichirdup. This small island will be our home for the next 2 nights. The coral reef surrounding the island offers amazing snorkeling opportunities. Be sure to bring your snorkel and mask! (We have masks and snorkel available, however we encourage you to bring your own). Day 5 Layovers are great!! This morning sleep-in, you do not need to pack your tent and your belongings, instead relax! At midmorning, we are taking a day trip to the nearby mainland, where we will paddle our kayaks upstream through the gentle Rio Paloma looking for wildlife and the best swimming holes. This is a wonderful opportunity to bathe in the fresh clean river water. Once we can t paddle any further upstream, we will continue our exploration on foot on the trails parallel to the river. On our way back we will stop for a picnic lunch at the shore of the river! After lunch we ll paddle back to Sichirdup for an afternoon snorkeling session along the wall ; a drop outside the reef offering spectacular marine life sightings! Day 6 Today we set off on another amazing stretch of tropical sea kayaking to reach the amazing Island of Bidirdup. The 3-4 hour paddle necessary to get there will have us initially island hopping and eventually making one open crossing. Bidirdup is a small island, perhaps with the acreage of a football field, and with only one native family being the only inhabitants and caretakers of the island, so the fine white sands, turquoise water and picture perfect setting will likely be yours, and yours alone during your visit. Great snorkeling here too! Day 7 This morning we will jump in our kayaks and head west with the predominant wind and current, for approximately 3 hours, island hopping our way to Nube Sibu Dup (or Dove Island), another tropical atoll paradise. This beautiful island evidences our transition from the remote areas of the Guna Yala Archipelago, to the areas slightly tainted by the recent growth of tourism spurred by the paving of the road leading to the area. Formerly a footpath, and for many years a 4x4 challenge, this paved road provides the only vehicle access to Guna Yala. Day 8 Sichirdup Island Same as Above Bidirdup Nube Sibudup 5
Early morning, we will leave our kayaks and hop on a motorboat and motor to the road access to meet our comfortable 4x4 vehicle, which will drive us back to Civilization (a.k.a. Panama City), where we should arrive by midafternoon. Once we get to your hotel, you will check in and say goodbye to your guide! You have the option to enjoy one last dinner with your guide in the old city of Casco Viejo, which we highly recommend you visit. Day 9 All good things must come to an end, and this day we have arranged for your transportation to the international airport in Panama City to catch your flight home. You will leave Panama with a new understanding of the tropics and with a unique insight into the simple lifestyle and worldview of the Kuna People. To you we say nu-edi, or thank you in the Kuna language. END OF YOUR ITINERARY Country Inn & Suites (or similar) Breakfast N/A Breakfast PRICING & RESERVATIONS The above itinerary for 8 nights/9 days is US$ 2499 per person (based on double occupancy). Private trip supplement 15% surcharge Reservations A down payment is required at the time of reservation. We charge a down payment of 50% of the trip price and the balance 60 days prior to your arrival date. We accept international bank wire transfers as well as credit card payment and Paypal payments (default payment method). Included in Your Trip Cost Bilingual Sea Kayaking Guide Local Kuna guides (sea kayaking, boat captain, cook, etc) 2 nights hotel in Panama City with breakfast included 6 nights camping in Guna Yala Most meals as outlined in the itinerary All activities and equipment as outlined in the itinerary All transportation from arrival on day 1 through departure from Panama City on day 9 Not Included in Your Trip Cost International flights to and from Panama Single supplement $230 Insurance of any kind, including travel or mandatory medical evacuation insurance Alcohol and personal items (an equipment list will be provided) Guide gratuities 6
TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS Meeting Place & Time For travelers arriving on day 1, a Tropical Sea Kayaking (T.S.K. from here on) representative will meet you at the Tucumen Airport in Panama City (PTY) and provide a transfer to our hotel. After Your Trip On the final day of your trip, you will be transferred to the international airport of PTY 3 hours before your outbound flight departure time. Travelers who wish to continue their journey in Panama can have their transfer to their next destination arranged by T.S.K. for an additional cost. Pre- and Post-Trip Accommodations This trip includes hotel accommodation and camping for each of the 8 nights. If you plan to arrive early or stay late, please contact our office if you would like assistance in booking pre- or post-trip accommodation at one of our hotels or lodges. We recommend you make reservations well in advance in order to guarantee lodging. TERMS & CONDITIONS Reservations and Deposits A $500/person deposit is required at the time of reservation. The balance is due 60 days prior to trip start date. Cancellations and Refunds If you find it necessary to cancel your trip, please notify us as soon as possible. The cancellation fee after you ve made your deposit can range up to the entire trip cost, based upon the number of days prior to your trip that we receive your cancellation notice. We regret we cannot make exceptions for personal emergencies. For this reason, we strongly urge you to investigate trip insurance (for more info see Insurance below). Date of Cancellation Cancellation Fee 60 days or more prior to your trip 25% of the trip price per guest 59-30 days prior to your trip 50% of the trip price per guest 29 days or less 100% of the trip price per guest Medical Under most circumstances, if you are of an adventurous spirit and in reasonably good health, you should have no problem enjoying a T.S.K. trip. People with medical conditions, including pregnancy, should have a physician s approval before taking an adventure travel trip. Insurance We advise you purchase emergency medical evacuation insurance when participating in this expedition. We also strongly recommend that you protect yourself, your belongings, and your vacation through the purchase of a travel insurance plan. A travel insurance plan covers your nonrefundable payments in most cases, should you have to cancel your trip due to illness or injury 7
yours or that of an extended family member even at the last minute. Check that the plan you choose includes the required emergency medical evacuation coverage mentioned above. Evacuations can be prolonged, difficult, and expensive. Personal belongings and cameras are carried entirely at the owner s risk, and T.S.K. accepts no responsibility for lost, damaged, delayed or stolen property. Liability Release Everyone is required to sign a standard liability release form before the trip, acknowledging awareness that there are inherent risks associated with the trip. Due to the nature of the activities, a condition of your participation is that you will sign this form on day 1 of your trip (your guide will hand you the form). OTHER VALUABLE TRIP INFORMATION For International travelers, we recommend flying into and out of Tocumen International Airport of Panama (IATA Airport code: PTY ) All trips are fully guided by professional, bilingual adventure & sea kayaking guides All kayaking trips include 3 nutritious meals daily & fruits, coffee/tea, water Trips run during the months of December through May Additional paddling days available for $150 per person per day All private trips can be customized to match your wishes and needs (subject to availability) Minimum age for all trips is 8 years old (contact us to discuss if younger) Please don t hesitate to contact us for inquiries & reservations at info@tropicalseakayaking.com We d love to have you join us on this great adventure! The Tropical Sea Kayaking Team [END OF DOCUMENT] 8