Gray Line / Viajes Primera Clase

Sightseeing (one day tours)

*City Tours

*Shopping Tours

*Ecotourism

ETHNIC TOURS

Panama, besides being extremely rich in its flora and fauna, the country features five Indian groups. All of them have well defined territories, different languages and very specific characteristics. The following tours are designed for you to see how each group behaves: Kunas: fishermen and entrepreneurs, Chocoes: artisans and jungle hunters and Guamies: migrants and farmers.

Visit to the Chocoe-Embera Community
Lenght: 8 hours
FARES

The Chocoe Indigenous group is divided in two smaller groups: Chocoe-Wounaan and Chocoe-Embera. These two groups have exactly the same roots. They originally came from the ancient Great Colombia over 300 years ago, and settled down mainly in the Darien Jungle.
Their behavior is the same: both have the ancestral use of the blowgun with poison darts for hunting purposes, men wear loincloth, their house system is based on (Tambos) elevated-bin houses with palm-leave roofs. They decorate their bodies using a mixture of ashes and plant pigments and they both are master wood carvers and basket weavers.
The only difference between these groups is their language. Although, their communication system is very similar, they do not understand each other.
One of the remarkable contrasts of the modern city of Panama is still having an Embera community living as their ancestors, keeping their customs very jealously, in the watershed of the Panama Canal, only 1:30 hrs away, right in Chagres National Park.
This day you leave the Hotel early in the morning in a microbus with a naturalist tour guide to the community of Nuevo Vigia to board a dug-out canoe. Continue in the Alajuela Lake, which is the second largest man-made lake of Panama. Upon arrival, explore the community while our tour guide provides information on this ethnic group.
Admire the famous Taguas, which are small sculptures made from a seed that due to its solid texture has been given the name of vegetal ivory. The Embera are also unique wood carvers and they specially carve the precious Cocobolo tree wood. They are also fantastic basket weavers, sometimes, they spend several days in just one piece. In short, their handcrafts are real art pieces and they are available for you to be purchased.
During our visit, the Embera will perform a welcome flute dance. After lunch and rest, return to the river and, if desired, you can swim and enjoy the cool waters of the river. Arrive back around 4:00 p.m.
This is an outdoor activity in the tropics, light clothes, towel, swimsuit, another T-shirt, insect repellent, hat, sunscreen and very comfortable shoes or sandals are suggested

The Kunas at San Blas islands
Lenght: 24 hours Overnight
FARES

Kunas are considered the best-organized indigenous group of Latin America. They have a well-structured political assemblage formed by a system of leaders called "Sahilas", who are in charge of the tax system, internal laws and civilian order.
Although, Kunas are Panamanians, their land is sovereign and the Panamanian Government has restrictions in this territory.
The Kunas are hard working people and jobs are defined according to sex. Men fish and take care of the plantations and women cook, take care of children and sew the colorful Molas which are pieces of thread finely cut and sewn together that resembles images of their culture, nature, animals, etc. Women wear these Molas and sometimes, lots of jewelry, including a gold-ring in their nose.
Money is very important to this culture, then, they sell their Molas as souvenirs and commercialize their marine products. Fishing is rustic and they do not use any mechanical methods to catch their fishes. When tourists visit their Islands, it is mandatory to pay US$1.00 per picture if you want to photograph a person and a fee for your movie camera. Scenic or field still pictures are free.
Kunas live in an archipelago formed by more than 365 islands and they have simple house architecture based on cane. However they are strong, able to stand strong winds and rain. The Islands, where they live, are small pieces of paradise, possessing white sand beaches and very clear water. The beauty of the place is simply magnificent.
GRAY LINE PANAMA guarantees a very rich cultural experience.
Note: there is none access to San Blas by land means. There is only one daily round trip flight in small aircrafts that leaves the local airport at 6:30 am. therefore overnight is mandatory. All the tours include 2 breakfasts, 1 lunch and 1 dinner per person, round trip flights (Panama - San Blas and San Blas - Panama), water transportation, a guided visit to a Kuna community in the morning, an afternoon tour including swimming in a island beach and the first night of lodging. The additional nights also include the three meals
Bear in mind that also hotel construction is done only with native materials such as palm, bamboo, wood and straw. The electrical supply, by generators, is limited in the night time to certain hours only.

SAN BLAS LODGING CHOICES

HOTELS	Adult Fare in Single and Double Room	FACILITIES
Kuna Niskua Double	US$194.00 US$ 194.00	Inside toilets 8 cabins
Dolphin Lodge Double	US$250.00 US$231.00	Inside toilets 7 cabins
Sapibenega Double	US$269.00 US$256.00	Inside toilets 7 cabins

As this is an outdoor activity in the tropics, light clothes, insect repellent, hat, sunscreen and very comfortable shoes, sandals, swimming suit are suggested.
Do not forget your camera and lots of film.
Please, do not carry more than 25 pounds of luggage.
Do not hesitate to contact us for further information about other alternatives for San Blas tours.

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