<![CDATA[YASMINE HAMDI

What makes Panama so incredible is its abundant wildlife and rich indigenous culture. What a lot of people don't know however, is that you can experience all of this right outside of Panama City, which most people pop into at the start or end of their trip and just use as base to other parts of the country. I reccomend spending a couple of days in Panama City to experience the special things the national parks have to offer. Chagres National Park is about an hour from the city center, and Soberania National Park a mere 40 minutes away. Within the national parks live hundreds of species of wildlife and 2 indigenous communities- the Wounaan and Embera- who still live traditionally and open their home to foreigners everyday. While in Panama City, you can book a tour to visit the Panama Canal, Monkey Island AND a Wounaan village in one day. My absolute favorite tour that offers this wonderful experience is the Monkey Island Tour with New Leaf Panama Tours, which you can book here.

The Wounaan crew- the next generation of indigenous leaders.

The tour starts by picking each traveler up at their hotel in the city and getting to know everyone in the car. The owner, Tereza talks about her unique upbringing and identity, as she is part of the last generation of "Zonians", a term used to describe the expat children who grew up in Panama's Canal Zone when it was still American territory. She shares a lot of interesting Panamanian history and fun facts, from the building of the Canal to the establishment of Monkey Island.

Then upon arrival at the dock, everyone piles into a boat, which heads through the Panama Canal to Monkey Island, which is actually a series of several small islands along the Gatun river. The intiative was first started to rehabilitate rescued or abandoned monkeys in Panama, especially after many Panamanians started disposing of their pet capuchins after they turned turbulent upon the onset of puberty. Monkey Island has created a unique phenomenon of wild animal with human touch, as the monkeys are fully independent except for the fact that they depend on humans for food. Tereza gives a brief safety talk to ensure everyone has a good experience with the monkeys and then distributes some grapes, a bit of banana or peanuts to everyone.

On this tour you can spot 3 species of monkey: Howlers (which stay high up in the rainforest canopy), Geoffroy's Tamarins (which are quite shy but usually come down to the boat for banana) and White-faced Capuchins (which are the most bold and always come down to the boat to take food straight from peoples' hands!). Tereza is very familiar with the individual monkeys on the islands and is always patient in spotting them and calling them down to the boat, so they often come on board her boat first.

Tereza calling down some tamarins

Geoffroy's Tamarins

A white faced capuchin eating peanuts on the boat

Monkey encounters on the boat!

Due to Gamboa's high level of biodiversity, it is also possible to spot hundreds of species of native birds and various types of reptiles, including the "Jesus Christ" lizard that runs on water.

After visiting the monkeys, the boat will dock at the Wounaan village, where visitors are taken on a short hike through the rainforest and are taught how to identify several native plants and their uses. Thanks to this tour, I can now identify which trees hold water, which frogs are poisonous and which aren't, and more. Indigenous knowledge is so profound and it's a real privilege to get to learn it.

Walking through the rainforest

After the hike, visitors are taken to a benched area where Tereza will delve into the background of this particular Wounaan community, who left Darien in the early 1900s due to paramilitary fighting and settled in Gamboa where they lived traditionally before the Torrijos-Carter treaty was signed. The treaty turned over ownership of the Canal to Panama, leading to a series of new governmental changes that including the ban of hunting and cutting down trees in the national parks, which affected indigenous life. While a few families left to go back to Darien, the rest stayed and trained American military and astronauts in jungle survival in preparation for the Vietnam War and possible emergency landings in jungles. After those projects ended, they decided to open their home to eco tourism, which allows them to preserve their culture, connect with their ancestral lands and educate foreigners about the importance of sustainability.

The Wounaan are also world-class weavers who make all sorts of baskets with intricate designs. Tereza explains the process for creating the baskets and the materials used and passes some around. Afterwards, visitors can ask any questions they have and get temporary tattoos made from jagua (a plant that grows in the rainforest) and/or shop for beautiful handcrafted souvenirs made by several of the families in the village. Buying their work is one of the best ways to support the families, and you can ensure that everything is ethically sourced and all the proceeds go directly to the artists.

Lastly, the community performs two traditional dances for visitors. After the dances and farewells, the boat heads through the Canal again back to the dock. There, Tereza will drive everyone back to Panama City, first stopping for lunch (food is not included in tour cost) and then hotels, if centrally located.

The community dancing in the village

Beautiful art made by the women of the village

Visiting Monkey Island and the Wounaan Village is the quintessential way to explore the authentic Panama, outside of the colonial buildings and foreign owned enterprises. Trusting a tour company to take you on such a special adventure can often be difficult, but I always make my choice based off of ethics and leadership.

New Leaf Panama truly upholds the utmost principles of ethical travel and female empowerment, as a female run-and-operated tour company that gives a generous percentage to its indigenous partners. Tereza also retains such a strong relationship with the Wounaan community that is visited on the tour, as they are relatives of the families her anthropologist parents lived with in the Darien Gap for 7 years. I've been on this particular tour with Tereza several times, and never get tired of it. Each time, it becomes more and more apparent how much deeper her connection is with the Wounaan community in the village than any of the other guides. She always says she considers them her family and as such, they allow her to talk about their history and culture without translation.

If you're in Panama, this Monkey Island and Wounaan Village tour is a must! It is an experience that will lead you to fall deeply in love with Panama- and its incredible people and animals. I promise :)

Disclaimer: I was invited by New Leaf Panama on this tour several times. However, I have not received any compensation for writing this post and as always, all opinions are 100% my own.

]]>