04 Panama: Embera Indigenous Village Experience...

"I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list..." – Susan Sontag

(A welcoming dance by the pretty Embera girls)

Day 04: 22/06/25 (Sunday)
Activity: The Waterfall and Embera Indian Village Tour
Hotel: Hotel Casa Miller, Panama City

Mr Ruben the tour guide picked us up at the hotel and sent us to a coffee shop where we had our breakfast. He left to fetch other tourists from their hotels.

(Having a light breakfast)

(Ready for the day excursion to Chagres National Park)

(A brief stop at a fruit stall)

The van drove out of town and headed towards the Chagres National Park through a scenic route. We later boarded a traditional dugout canoe and rode along the river with vibrant jungle vegetation. The canoe was manned by the Emberá boatman. It was both thrilling and serene with close-up views of wildlife and the untouched landscapes of the park.

(A line up of traditional dugout canoes)

(The beginning of the canoe ride)

(Our foods and drinks being loaded into the canoes)

(Wearing life vest is a must)

(The canoes are powered by outboard motors)

(Lush jungle of the National Park)

At one point of the river ride, we detoured for a hike to the waterfalls. It is not for the faint hearted as the path was quite slippery during the rainy season. The waterfall was not that big, but was worth a visit. Some of us went for a nice swim which was much needed after the sweating and humid hike.

(Hiking quite a distance to the waterfalls)

(The group of tourists trekking to the falls)

( A tribal boy showing off his diving skills)

After the refreshing swim and rest, we continued our canoe ride to visit one of the four Embera Indian Villages. When we arrived, there was a welcoming dance by a group of colorful dressed girls. We had a brief tour around the village and the community members proudly shared their ancestral stories, customs, and way of life. In one of the huts, there were beautiful assortment of souvenirs and handicrafts on display and some were for sale.

(Canoes arriving at the tribal village)

(A communal kitchen)

(An elevated family hut)

(A clean well maintained surroundings)

(A brief tour around the village)

(A demonstration of punishment)

After the village tour, we were served lunch of fried fish or chicken, salad and variety of fresh tropical fruits.

(Our lunch wrapped in banana leaves)

(A platter of sliced tropical fruits)

We were later entertained with cultural songs and traditional dances. Some tourists had a small tribal tattoos done for a small tip.

(A cultural show and tribal dance)

(Tribal masks on display)

(Souvenirs and handicrafts for sale)

We left the Embera Indian Village in a drizzling rain and reached our hotel around 4.30 pm.

👈03 Panama: Sailing from Ocean to Ocean...
    05 Panama/Costa Rica: Going back to the past...👉