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WINGS Birding Tours – Information

Panama: Fall at the Canopy Tower

Tour Information

Note: The information presented here is an abbreviated version of our formal General Information for this tour. Its purpose is solely to give readers a sense of what might be involved if they took this tour. Although we do our best to make sure what follows here is completely accurate, it should not be used as a replacement for the formal document which will be sent to all tour registrants, and whose contents supersedes any information contained here.

ENTERING PANAMA: Panama requires of U.S. citizens a passport valid for at least three months after entry and containing at least one blank page for an entry stamp. Citizens of other countries may need a visa and should check with their nearest Panamanian embassy. As of 2014 Canadians and citizens of the UK do not need a visa.

Anyone coming directly from a country where Yellow Fever is endemic must show proof of a current vaccination.

COUNTRY INFORMATION: You can review the U.S. Department of State Country Specific Travel Information at http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/country/panama.html.

PACE OF THE TOUR: We will try to be in the field at dawn. Most days will involve departures close to 6 a.m. with the exception of days spent at Achiote Road and Cerro Azul (5:30 a.m.).  Mornings at the tower, other than on days with very early departures, will start with an hour’s vigil atop the building looking out at the surrounding canopy. Most of the birding sites that we visit on the tour are within 30 minutes of our lodge. On about half the days we will return to the tower for lunch and then a mid-day siesta.  The other half of the days we are away all day, to locations further afield.  Other than some narrow, slightly uneven trails which are occasionally muddy in patches and some steep but paved roads at Cerro Azul, the walking presents no particular problem.

Important note: Moving between floors at the Canopy Tower requires climbing several sets of steps repeatedly on a daily basis. Guest rooms are located on the second and third floor of the tower. The dining room and lounge area are located on the fourth floor and the observation deck is five stories above ground level. There is no elevator. Those with knee problems or mobility issues should take these conditions under consideration.

HEALTH: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all travelers be up to date on routine vaccinations. These include measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine, varicella (chickenpox) vaccine, polio vaccine, and your yearly flu shot. 

They further recommend that most travelers have protection against Hepatitis A and Typhoid. 

Please contact your doctor well in advance of your tour’s departure as some medications must be initiated weeks before the period of possible exposure. 

The most current information about travelers’ health recommendations for Panama can be found on the CDC’s  Travel Health website at  http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/panama

Malaria: It is the opinion of the Centers for Disease Control that travelers to western Panama including the Canal Zone are not at risk for malaria. 

Elevation:  Maximum elevation reached on the tour is about 2700 feet (one day only). Otherwise we’ll be below 1000 feet. 

Smoking: Smoking is prohibited in the vehicles or when the group is gathered for meals, checklists, etc. If you are sharing a room with a nonsmoker, please do not smoke in the room. If you smoke in the field, do so well away and downwind from the group. If any location where the group is gathered has a stricter policy than the WINGS policy, that stricter policy will prevail. 

Miscellaneous:  Sun in Panama can be very intense. Please bring adequate protection, including a sun hat and a strong sunscreen of at least 15 rating. 

Biting insects and arachnids are seldom a major nuisance although chiggers and biting gnats can be locally numerous around the Panama Canal and in the dry forests below the Canopy Tower. Careful application of repellent provides good protection and the leader will advise you when it will be necessary. In general, a repellent should contain 30% of the active ingredient, diethyltolumide (DEET). However, care must be taken to avoid getting the DEET repellent on optical equipment as DEET dissolves some rubber and plastic and can damage coated lenses.

CLIMATE: For our fall tour to Panama temperatures will likely be between the mid 70s and low 90s, with some afternoon showers. Rarely do these showers reach the intensity or duration that would curtail our birding, but November birding in Panama will involve some wet weather on some days. High-quality rain gear and a small umbrella will go a long way toward making rainy periods more enjoyable. At the higher elevations it can be cool (in the 60s) and, if rainy, feel downright chilly. Bring at least one heavier shirt or light jacket as well. 

In Spring we generally experience slightly higher average temperatures (between the low 80’s and mid 90’s), with a much reduced chance of rain, and often more wind.  The sun typically feels more intense in March, making adequate sun protection of even more import.  Some rain showers can occur in March, and at the higher elevations that we visit. A light jacket and raingear are still recommended. 

ACCOMMODATION: Two hotels are used during the tour. The Canopy Tower near Panama City is a retrofitted U.S. radar tower. Although the rooms are not large and the noise-proofing leaves something to be desired, the novelty of your surroundings makes up for any of the hotel’s somewhat spartan conditions. Single rooms are small but now have en suite bathrooms and showers. If space permits, single travelers may request to stay in a larger double-occupancy room . In these cases, a significant single-occupancy supplement will be applied to the tour price.

The last night of the tour will be spent at the Radisson Panama Canal, a fully apportioned hotel just west of Panama City along the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal with free fast wifi.

FOOD: Breakfasts will involve fresh fruit, cereal, yoghurt, eggs, bread and a meat dish. Some lunches will be picnic and some will be held at the lodges. On our full day excursions a light mid-morning snack will be provided, often with coffee and tea.  All dinners will be at either the Canopy Tower, save for the final dinner at the hotel in Panama City. The food is of very good quality and features local produce and seasonings.

Food Allergies / Requirements: We cannot guarantee that all food allergies can be accommodated at every destination. Participants with significant food allergies or special dietary requirements should bring appropriate foods with them for those times when their needs cannot be met. Announced meal times are always approximate depending on how the day unfolds. Participants who need to eat according to a fixed schedule should bring supplemental food. Please contact the WINGS office if you have any questions. 

TRANSPORTATION: Transportation is by specially modified rainforest trucks, or by vans and comfortable buses. Transfers from the airport and between hotels will be by 15-passenger vans.  Participants should be able to ride in any seat in our tour vehicles.

Updated: 01 December 2023