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This tour requires minimum 2 Guests to operate. Solo travelers please inquire before booking.
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Overnight with the Embera Tribe + Waterfall + Cultural Immersion
Join us on this unforgettable experience spending one or more nights with the Embera tribe in a traditional Embera Indian village, only 1 hour away from Panama City. This will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, far from civilization and surrounded by beautiful landscapes. Animal lovers will be delighted to witness close encounters with monkeys, while being immersed in the lush rainforest wildlife. Over 900 species of plant species have been identified. There are 114 mammal species, including Baird’s tapirs, whitetail deer, Geoffroy’s spider monkeys, and all five species of big cats. Of the 396 species of birds, there are stripe-cheeked woodpeckers, red-legged honeycreepers, violet-capped hummingbirds, and even harpy eagles. Additionally, there are 96 reptile species, 79 amphibian species, and 59 species of freshwater fish.
On this tour you will meet the Embera tribe Indians, spending one or more nights with them, experiencing their way of life, learning about their culture, witnessing their mesmerizing music, handcrafts and happy yet simple village life.
TOUR OVERVIEW - Overnight with the Embera Tribe
At 8am your friendly driver will pick you up from your Panama City hotel. Sit back and relax in our comfortable, air-conditioned car while gazing at the various sites we will pass on our 40 minute drive to our tour starting point in the Chagres National Park. While only less than one hour away from Panama City, you will find yourself in the middle of the jungle on the banks of the Chagres river in one of the furthest Embera villages up the river. Here you will meet the Drua Embera Indian tribe that has managed to reject our modern, technological ways of life and maintained its simple traditions.
At the port of the Chagres River, an Embera Indian will take you and your guide in a traditional boat called piragua on a 25 minute ride upstream to the Mono waterfall, where you can take a refreshing plunge. After the delightful refreshment, we continue to the Embera community, situated in the middle of the rainforest. The locals will warmly greet you with warm smiles. After checking into your traditional cabin, an Embera family will prepare a delicious, fresh lunch for you, followed by fresh, local fruits. Enjoy the innocent, curious glances of the Embera kids playing nearby, while our guide shares his knowledge with you, explaining about the community, history and art. The tribe will show off their traditional music and dances, giving you the chance to take photos and videos of their unique customs. We can also take a short hike along the trails through the magnificent rainforest where you can discover and learn about the endemic flora and its medicinal uses. At night the Embera will prepare a bonfire, as is customary in their culture.
TOUR SUMMARY - Overnight with the Embera Tribe
- Min 2 Guests
- 1 night - $179 per person
- Additional nights - $149 per person
- Duration - multi-day
- Start time - 8:00am - daily
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- Pick-up and drop off at your Panama City lodging
- Well-maintained, air-conditioned car
- Overnight stay in a traditional Embera village
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (typically fresh river fish with Patacones and fresh fruit)
- Welcome music to the Embera village
- Tour of the village
- Traditional dances and music
- Bonfire and cultural experience
WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED
- Protected park and community fee ($40 per adult and $30 per child under 10, to be paid to the guide in USD, cash only)
- Henna tribal paintings (optional)
- There is a surcharge for pickup from hotels outside of Panama City such as Costa del Este and Santa Maria, Tocumen Airport & Playa Bonita
- Rain ponchos (please bring your own if desired)
WHAT TO BRING
- Wear comfortable clothes
- Swim attire
- Sunscreen
- Hat
- Sunglasses
- Water
- Insect Repellent
- Don't forget to bring your smiles :)
Please note:
- In the purchase of this tour you are contributing directly to the preservation of the Embera Community and its traditions. Tour subject to availability.
- The Embera speak very little English. Please be aware that mostly Spanish will be spoken during this tour.
CANCELATION POLICY
Please read our Tour Cancelation Policy before booking.
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TOUR CANCELATION POLICY
Tao Travel 365 strives to deliver the best possible customer experience. If at any point you have a question or concern about our service, please call us by phone at +1 (805) 826-3657 or email us at sales@taotravel365.tours.
The following cancellation policy applies only for Day Tours (DOES NOT apply for Multi-Day Tours).
TOUR POLICIES
Due to the nature of our business, the logistics involved with organizing tours and the high reservation demand following refund policies apply:
- 100% refund less credit card processing fees will only be granted if booked via our website www.taotravel365.tours AND if canceled more than 7 days before the start of the tour.
- 50% refund less credit card processing fees will be granted for cancellations received less than 7 days AND more than 48 hours before the tour start date.
- No refund will be granted for cancelations received less than 48 hours before the tour start date.
All sales are final.
For all bookings made via outside portals such as, but not limited to Viator, Expedia, Airbnb, please refer and adhere to the respective cancellation policy of the portal that you booked with.
If you are unable to realize the reservation, contact us as soon as possible and we will try to arrange and reschedule the same or different tour for you.
If you are not at the designated meeting point by the time of your scheduled reservation or pick up, Tao Travel 365 reserves the right not to provide a refund. However, we will always try our best to locate you at the meeting point and call your WhatsApp number, if one was provided. After all, we want you to participate in our tour and have fun. That is our goal!
CANCELED OR POSTPONED TOURS
Occasionally, tours are canceled or postponed due to weather or ocean conditions, mechanical failure, or other unforeseen events. Should this occur, we will attempt to contact you about the cancellations and to inform you of refund or exchange procedures for that tour. For exact instructions on any canceled or postponed tour, please contact us. In the case of a cancellation of your tour by Tao Travel 365, we will refund your tour or schedule you for another tour, as detailed below.
REFUNDS
All sales are final. No refunds are available unless a tour is canceled or postponed, or we are given 24 hours advance noticed whereby a 100 percent refund will be awarded. We will offer refunds of the full face value of the tour(s) that are canceled or postponed (or, if a discounted tour, then instead the discounted tour price paid). No refunds are offered on any service, payment processing or convenience fees. To receive a refund for a canceled or postponed tour, contact us at sales@taotravel365.tours within 2 days of the tour cancellation and write "refund" in the subject line. Instructions will be provided in order to obtain your refund.
TOUR EXCHANGES
No tour exchanges are offered by Tao Travel 365. While in some extreme cases we may offer this service (such as a cancellation by Tao Travel 365), it is not guaranteed and often impossible. Contact us directly by phone at +1 (805) 826-3657 or by email at sales@taotravel365.tours to inquire about tour exchanges. Fees may apply.
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Reviews
EXCELLENT
667 reviews
Posted on Google
alicia luevanoJuly 5, 2024
Our tour guide Mario gave us an amazing experience. He did everything to make us feel comfortable. He’s courteous and looks out for his clients wellbeing. Definitely will be booking for him again!Posted on GoogleMalik DavisJune 29, 2024This was the most authentic, Genuine and fun tour experience we ever had! Ali was an amazing guide that made us feel like we were at home and kept us laughing the entire trip! I would recommend him a million times over!Posted on GoogleDerek NormanJune 27, 2024We had an absolutely incredible experience with this tour group! We first did the monkey island tour with Aura (our tour guide). The tour was very well planned and so enjoyable. Aura was very knowledgeable and friendly and professional. We enjoyed our tour so much that we booked another tour to visit the Embera tribe and venture on the Chagres River. Aura was once again our guide and made the experience one to remember! She shared personal stories and spoke about life in Panamá. She even brought us to a local fruit stand and even helped us find medication we needed and brought us to 3 different pharmacies until we found what we needed. Above and beyond!! We would highly recommend a tour with this group, particularly Aura. Thank you!Posted on GoogleDebra NineslingJune 22, 2024Great fun for all. Mario was a great driver!Posted on GoogleSekita GrantJune 17, 2024An amazing time! We are so grateful to Ali for his attention and expertise. We highly recommend!Posted on GoogleSimone MeikleJune 9, 2024We had a great time on our trip to the Embera Village and waterfalls. It rained on our way to the falls but we continued on. Our awesome guide Aura was with us getting wet too.Posted on GoogleMackenzie LeinumMay 19, 2024We took two tours with this company. Both of our guides, Ali and Mario were amazing!Posted on GoogleSabine JeremiasMay 8, 2024Sehr interessant und informative Tour mit unserem Guide Mario. Absolut empfehlenswert 😃Posted on GoogleOdyle de RoosMay 4, 2024We hadden een mooie tour naar een Embera village met stop bij een waterval. Ali was een fijne gids die goed reed, veel vertelde en humor had. De boottocht was mooi, de wandeling naar de waterval is goed te doen en het is heerlijk om daar even te zwemmen. We vonden het zeer interessant om het Embera dorp te zien, te leren over een leefwijze en genoten van de lunch met vis.Posted on GoogleE WilliamsJrApril 29, 2024Visiting the Changra river waterfalls and the Embera people was a phenomenal experience. Our tour guide Ana Lorena was absolutely knowledgeable and a wonderful person overall. Our indigenous guide Aldo assured we were safe as we hiked and climbed the terrain. The food was delicious and the people welcoming. It was a trip we will never forget. This tour is highly recommended.Posted on GoogleKarin BaddukeApril 9, 2024Had a wonderful tour with our guide Ali! Thank you for the great morning adventure! 😀Posted on GoogleRui Z GomesMarch 21, 2024Passeio bem organizado, guia simpático, profissional e pontual. Passeio dos macacos excelente. Ambiente agradável.Posted on GoogleMark NovitskyJanuary 31, 2024Would highly recommend the Embera Village overnight tour and not just the day tour. Our pick up driver Ali picked us up at the stated time and spoke good English and told us what to expect when he drops us off at the boat launch. Ali came back at the boat launch the next day to pick us up also. He was very knowledgeable with any question we asked him. We stopped to the waterfalls and was able to swim there before going to the village. Our assigned village was at Embera Drua and when we arrived we were greeted by the village tribe with we welcome music and met with Mateo (also called Mathew) who spoke pretty good English. All the food we had there was very tasty and plenty. We are able to play with the kids, watch the women make crafts, swim in the river and roam around the village. The sleeping accommodations were basic, but clean.Load more
