The
Concept
Gamboa Rainforest
Resort is a luxury destination resort located on the Panama Canal, in
the heart of the lush Panamanian rainforest.
The resort has been carefully designed to provide a variety of educational
and adventure experiences.
To help you better understand
the complexity of this remarkable ecosystem, the resort has created
several exhibits
to showcase the vast diversity of the rainforest's flora and fauna.
Strolling along the pathways and trails located throughout theresort,
you'll discover a variety of educational exhibits, each one designed
to explain a different element of the rainforest. You can visit
a freshwater fish aquarium, orchid and botanical gardens, butterfly
nursery, turtle and iguana nesting areas, a reptile exhibit, historical
and cultural displays, or sign up for various nature and observation
tours. For a bird's eye view of the Soberania National Park and
Panama
Canal, climb aboard the specially designed aerial tram and glide
quietly through the rainforest canopy where you'll encounter plants
and animals rarely seen by visitors on the ground. Your appreciation
of this tropical environment doesn't have to stop at the forest
floor. The first class marina provides tours of the Chagres River
and Lake
Gatun, sport fishing trips for peacock bass and other exotic freshwater
species (catch and release only), kayaking trips, and tours to
the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute on Barro Colorado Island.
The Accommodations
The accommodations at
the resort consist of 38 one and two bedroom air-conditioned, renovated
villas and a new, 107 room luxury hotel.
The Hotel's Main Building
was built in the year 2000 with spacious modern rooms according
to the highest hotel standards of a five star
property. All of the rooms and suites come with minibar, electronic
safe deposit box, satellite TV, crystal showers, hair dryers, makeup
mirror, iron/ iron board, coffee/ coffee makers, monogrammed robes,
fire protection system and balconies overlooking the Chagres River
and the Rainforest.
Adjacent to the main resort
building, 48 tropical wooden construction apartments built in the
1930´s for the
Panama Canal Administration officers, have been carefully renovated
and decorated with charming tropical furniture. There is a total
of four apartments in each one of the Villas. All Historic Villa
Apartments come with separate Living Room areas, kitchenette with
wet bar, sink and fridge, coffee/ coffee makers ,bathtubs in each
of the bathrooms, satellite TV, Voice Mail data ports and Ceiling
Fans as well as Air Conditioning units, which are individually
controlled. All Apartments have lovely wooden floors and spectacular
views of
the Rainforest.
There are ample choices
for dining and imbibing among 3 restaurants, a cafe , lobby bar,
swim up pool bar and discoteque.
Conventions, weddings
and group meeting functions are easily accommodated indoors within
a variety
of meeting rooms and ball
rooms, as well
as within outdoor spaces.
The Activities
Aerial Tram
Discover the secrets of the upper rainforest
canopy with a ride on the Resort aerial tram. The tram takes you
from the shodowy rainforest floor through the under story, and into
the sundrenched canopy. There you can enjoy a bird eye view of a
thousand hues of green interspersed with the fluorescent exclamation
points of flowering trees.
Educational Exhibits
The resort has built
5 educational exhibits that showcase local flora and fauna as well
as a replica of an Embera Indian village.cs Each exhibit is manned
by a knowledgeable staff member.
Bird Watching
Many species are very
common throughout the grounds of the Resort, and a few hours
of birding just in the gardens can produce a long list of birds.
Tropical
Kingbirds,
Social Flycatchers, Clay-colored Thrushes and Blue-gray,
Palm and Crimson-backed Tanagers are hard to miss, as is the
ubiquitous
Great-tailed Grackle. On a morning walk you may find Lance-tailed
Manakin, Slaty-tailed
Trogon or a Pheasant Cuckoo. The Rosy Thrush-Tanager is very
common
here, and you'll certainly hear, if not see, one or two.
Interpretive
Park
Within the boundaries of the Gamboa Rainforest Resort lies
the Interpretative
Park, 250 acres
of lowland tropical forest.
A network of trails runs through a broad range of habitats
- marsh, riverbank, hillside, ridge top, streambed, and fallen
trees - all
hosting tropical flora and fauna.
A
Socially and Environmentally Responsible Lodge
The
Gamboa Rainforest Resort is owned by Tropical Resorts International,
Inc. a public company with over 400 shareholders, most of whom
are Panamanian. The resort has been developed by and is
affiliated to
Bern Hotels & Resorts Panama, a Panamanian company that is
fully committed to the U.N. Social Pact through Educational Programs.
The
Gamboa Rainforest Resort at the Panama Canal was honored by the
American Society of Travel Agent’s 73rd World Travel Congress on October
22nd, 2003, by being presented with ASTA’s Environmental Award,
an award that recognizes the individual company, company or country
that has made a significant impact in preserving and protecting the
environment. “The Gamboa Rainforest Resort is an excellent
example of sustainable tourism,” said Richard M. Copland, CTC,
ASTA president and CEO. “The resort’s mission is to develop
Panama as a tourist destination but not at the expense of its people
or the environment. Because of founder Herman Bern’s, commitment
to education and giving back to the community, the resort boasts
premier learning facilities and directly supports the Embera Indians
through job opportunities and the chance to sell their handicrafts
to tourists.” The Gamboa Rainforest Resort, which sits on the
banks of the Chagres River in the midst of the Soberania National
Park, works to ensure that the rainforest’s fragile biodiversity
is protected. To that end, this luxury property has its own water
treatment plant and works closely with the Smithsonian Tropical Research
Institute (STRI) on a variety of projects.
|
