# Gamboa Rain Forest



## ValHam (Jun 17, 2008)

What is the layout of the 1 bedroom at the Gamboa Rain Forest in Panama?  Do they have any kitchen facilities?  What to do in the area?  Thanks


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## ValHam (Jun 17, 2008)

*Gamboa Rain Forest 5776 ?*

What is a better choice - one bedroom villa at this resort or a hotel room for 4?
I have both units on hold Christmas week- Have the 1 bedroom villas been renovated?  Thanks kindly


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## DebBrown (Jun 17, 2008)

I never saw the one bedroom units.  Are they in the main hotel building or the lodges down the road?  We stayed in the hotel units.  Our rooms each had a small size fridge stocked with pricey minibar items.  I removed all the minibar items to store our own food.

If the one bedroom units are the lodges then these are on the road coming into the resort but a bit removed from the main resort.  They are the old residential quarters used by the Panama Canal workers.  They are more like quaint cottages.  If you go to the resort website, you'll see pictures of them.

The resort is fairly remote in general.  If you don't have a car, be sure to have your transport stop at a grocery on the way in.  Everything at the resort is expensive and there is nowhere to buy supplies once you get there.

Deb


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## ValHam (Jun 17, 2008)

It sounds like it may be best to take the hotel room on an exchange with rci - the other room I have on hold is a villa 1 bedroom and if they have not been redone I might decide to take the hotel room - Did you rent a car?  How far out is Gamboa?  How is driving there?  I have been to Costa rica twice and had to arrange transportation because of the roads and directions - would it be hard to drive to the sights?  How pricy was the meals at the resort?  Thanks kindly


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## MULTIZ321 (Jun 17, 2008)

ValHam,

Have you seen the Gamboa Rainforest Resort Reviews on the Debbie's Caribbean Resort Reviews website?

Richard


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## Carol C (Jun 18, 2008)

We stayed in a one br in the main hotel, and it had a loft with a bed in it. The balcony faces the river and has a hammock, great for siestas. As for the canal workers' barracks, I'd only take a 2 br if I were going with a big group. Those units (I asked for a key to take a look, didn't actually stay in one) smelled musty or mildewy.

We also took canned and dried foods with us and an electric skillet to prepare a few meals. The mini-fridge is really small and we cleared it of their bar stuff & they came & got it quickly. I think their restaurant prices were fair considering guests there are a "captive audience". I consider Gamboa one of our best timeshare vacations ever, a real gem if you are a true nature lover.


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## DebBrown (Jun 18, 2008)

ValHam said:


> Did you rent a car?  How far out is Gamboa?  How is driving there?  I have been to Costa rica twice and had to arrange transportation because of the roads and directions - would it be hard to drive to the sights?  How pricy was the meals at the resort?  Thanks kindly



We did not rent a car but it would be easy to drive outside the city.  Because of the American presence, their is a good infrastructure with modern roads.  It is nothing like Costa Rica.  

I thought the resort prices were high and the food was mediocre.  It wasn't bad but it is a bit repetitive.  If you don't eat a big breakfast, there is really nothing else available.  There is no place to buy a box of cereal or a cup of yogurt.  You can get a can of soda for $2, etc.

We had our driver stop at a grocery store and stocked up and snacks and breakfast foods.

The other thing that is pricey is laundry.  Even though our confirmation stated laundry was available, there are no washers and dryers available to guests.  There is a laundry service where you pay per piece.  I ended up washing out items in the sink and drying them on our hammock over night.  I was NOT going to pay $3 to get a pair of underwear washed.

Deb


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## "Roger" (Jun 18, 2008)

I'll give this a shot, but this is just one person's opinion.  Take it as such.

My wife and I did not rent a car.  The biggest negative was being captive to the resort's restaurants.  Even if you find the meals okay (they were decent), for a full week, it gets tiresome.  There is no where else in Gamboa to eat.  (Not quite true.  We did purchase one meal from a food stand in Gamboa.)  

As far as driving, for the most part, it would be equivalent to what you saw in Costa Rica.  (Maybe better in that the roads are marked better.)  The one very notable exception is that there is no way that I would be willing to drive in Panama City.  (While I did not have a car in San Jose, CR, I think I could have managed that city if I really needed to. From some of what I saw in Panama City -- eeek!)  

We had the resort arrange for a guide to show us around Panama City.  They found a very nice college student who did an excellent job of showing us around (and, as far as I am concerned, saving my life by doing the driving).

If you do make it to Panama City, ask about the craft market at what used to be the YMCA.  (This was the description I used and it worked.)  That was the best place to find crafts (classy crafts) to take home as souveniers.

If you are an avid nature buff, bird lover, whatever, I really recommend making arrangements to take a tour of Barro Colorado.  The entire island is a research center for the Smithsonian Rainforest Research Institute.  A tour has to be arranged with them in advance of your trip.  Your point of departure will be dockside in Gamboa and you can walk there from the resort.

There is a trail on the far side of Gamboa which is often mentioned as one of the best places in all of Panama for sighting unusual tropical birds.  (The name escapes me at the moment.)  It is bit too far to walk to the trailhead from the hotel even for avid walkers.  You can go there as a paid activity arranged with the resort.  The guide we had was an excellent bird spotter-identifier.  Fortunately, we were good enough (no matter how good you are, it helps to have an extra set of eyes), he was willing to take us along for free on future trips.

Finally, it you want to read one thing in advance of the trip, something that will help you understand life in the rainforest, I would recommend "Tropical Nature" by Adrian Forsyth and Ken Miyata.  It is not at all technical, very informative, and, at times, just fun to read.


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## ValHam (Jun 18, 2008)

Thanks for the information.


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## riverside (Jul 7, 2008)

We stayed here for a week in March.  It was one of our best vacations ever.  We had a one bedroom unit but we were in the main hotel, top floor.  It was fabulous.  No kitchen but we didn't want one anyways.  Our confirmation said it was unit H-130, but they have reconfigured their numbers and there is no longer a unit by that number.  The 100 units used to be on the top floor but now they are on the bottom floor.  We asked for a unit on the top floor and they were very accommodating.

As far as things to do in the area:  We took a tour that we arranged in advance and went to the forts in Portobello, then to the Gatun Locks and back on the train.  At the very least, be sure you take the trans-isthmus train.  It was an incredible trip.  There are bikes to use for free at the resort and also free kayak trips.  You can visit the butterfly gardens and other exhibits for free.  Just walk on the road to where they are.  You do not have to buy a tour.  There is a trail through the resort and we saw sloths there.  Lots of agouti around and caimen in the water.  Tons of birds.  The hammocks on the balconys are pure heaven.  We saw the inside of one of the historical villas and were not impressed.

We liked to walk out to the road and watch the ships go through the canal.  There is an old lighthouse there and you can climb the spiral staircase to the top for a spectacular view of the canal.  

Our favorite thing was walking to Pipeline Road.  There are lots of tours that go here but we didn't find it a difficult walk at all.  We are in our mid 50's and in good shape but it was not a hard walk.  Go the back way out of the resort...it's much closer than going down the main road. They will tell you how and give you a map at the concierge desk.  Most people go in the morning for the birds but we left the resort about 4:00 p.m. and walked all the way to the observation tower.  We saw parrots, toucans, howler monkeys and sloths.  It was fun spotting things in the trees.  We were the only ones there.  We were back at the resort in 3 hours and we took our time on the trail.

We also took a bus for 75 cents into town to the mall.  That was an experience.  I strongly suggest learning some basic Spanish before you go as many people do not speak English,  including the bus drivers!

As for meals, we thought they were reasonable and the food excellent.  RCI exchangers get 20% off but you have to ask for it.  I would skip their expensive restaurant.  It was a lot more and the food and service were not any better.  Do go to Los Lagartos for Sunday brunch.  It's a little pricey but WELL worth it.  

I have lots of pictures of our trip and the resort if you wish to see them.  I highly recommend this resort and we will definitely go back.


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