Panama's Canopy Tower: Exciting Winter Travel Deal!
Posted by Victor Emanuel
Victor Emanuel
Victor Emanuel started birding in Texas 60 years ago at the age of eight. His travels have taken him to all the continents, with his areas of concentration being Texas, Ari...Dear Fellow Travelers,
January 2009 commemorates 10 years since VENT sent its first group to Panama's Canopy Tower. In observance of this important anniversary, VENT, in cooperation with the Tower's owner, Raul Arias, is offering a $300 per person discount for anybody who registers prior to December 1, 2008 for:
Panama's Canopy Tower, January 31-February 7, 2009, with Kevin Zimmer and a local leader
Many of my fondest memories of being in nature are from my earliest birding trips to Panama. To those of us who were pioneering tropical birding, Panama had it all: lush rainforests, colorful birds, and fascinating tropical mammals. In the years since those early trips, I have returned to Panama many times for personal travel and for leading tours. I still consider it among the world's greatest birding destinations. In this compact country on the doorstep of South America, Panama holds more species for its size than any other country in the world!
When our good friend, Raul Arias, opened the Canopy Tower in 1998, I was very proud that VENT was the first nature tour company to bring a group there. Since that first trip, we have annually brought many tour groups to the Tower. This lodge, lying only an hour from Panama City, is truly a remarkable creation. Perched on the edge of Soberania National Park, visitors can enjoy the pleasures of a unique lodge while experiencing amazing birding in a beautiful tropical forest. Whether standing on the Tower's roof or peering into the canopy from the comforts of your room, at any time you could find yourself only yards away from such exciting tropical birds as Chestnut-mandibled Toucans, Slaty-tailed Trogons, Rufous Motmots, Green Shrike-Vireos, and so many others. Our tours often record 300 species of birds, in addition to encounters with monkeys, capybaras, sloths, and other animals. Fifteen minutes from the lodge, famous Pipeline Road offers a deeper jungle experience and chances for many other species of birds not found around the Tower. Finally, the Panama Canal, visible from the Tower, offers a fascinating historical perspective that many find as interesting as the birding.
A trip to Panama's Canopy Tower is unlike any other tropical birding experience. I hope you will join us on one of our tours this winter.
Best wishes,
Victor Emanuel