MattWhen you picture a cruise ship, you likely imagine a large white boat filled with all you can eat buffets and an itinerary that focuses mostly on shore-based shopping excursions. Your expectation would also include the opportunity to do some activity-based tours that cost more. If this is your image of a cruise ship, you would NOT be thinking of an Uncruise Adventure.
There was not one shopping stop on our Uncruise Adventure through Costa Rica and Panama.
We got our feet wet while kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding. Our hiking boots got muddy while we hiked through the jungles looking for monkeys and birds. We practiced breathing through a snorkel while gawking at turtles and fish in the clear waters of the Pacific Ocean. We even got to transit through the Panama Canal and to learn about the people and the cultures of the region we were exploring!
Every day was an adventure with new friends and it was all included in the price.
Hiking
All sorts of terrain to hike through - mud AND water!
There is nothing better than getting off a boat to stretch your legs, and during our cruise we had many opportunities to do just that. There was always the option to choose a short hike or long hike and to find a pace that worked for each person.
In Corcovado National Park on Coiba Peninsula in Costa Rica I elected to join the ‘all-day hike’. We started off on a cleared path that keeps to the high tide mark. The terrain was varied as we hiked up and over the headlands, around the swampy areas, and along the high tide beaches.
Some of the sections were more challenging (and muddy) than others but added to a memorable experience.
An absolute highlight of this all-day trek was swimming across one of the larger freshwater rivers. It was the only time of the day that it felt ‘cool’ as the almost 100% humidity made everything warm and well…… sticky.
All of us on the all-day trek returned to the boat feeling proud of ourselves and the stories we told to the other passengers may or may not have been embellished!
Hiking allowed us to get further into the jungle where we saw monkeys, birds, butterflies and incredible viewpoints. Each hike was a little different than the last - but they all provided a good workout and were tailored to the people on the hike.
Bird Watching
Is it a Macaw, or an LBB?
The jungles of Costa Rica and Panama are home to a diverse number of colourful flying species. Toucans, hummingbirds, macaws and little brown birds (LBB’s) all call these forests home. It was our goal to spot as many of these creatures as we could.
The expedition staff on board an Uncruise Adventure are experts in the natural world they operate in. We were lucky to have 4 amazing guides and one who was particularly passionate about the avian species - Eric. On two occasions we set off for an early morning bird walk with our guides to hunt with our binoculars these colourful winged creatures.
Curu Wildlife Reserve, Golfo Dulce and Islas Perlas are excellent birdwatching locations. Eric used his spotting scope to help us see the details of the birds and he was an expert at taking photos through the scope with our phones.
There is NO WAY we would have seen half of the birds we saw if we were out wandering on our own.
On our last bird watching experience, we were lucky enough to spot Blue-Footed Boobies. Yes, their entire legs were a genuine sky blue colour! The islands in Panama are the most northern spot that these birds are found. Our guides were just as excited as us to spot these beauties.
Paddle Sports
Kayaks awaiting their paddlers for an up close and personal view of the mangrove swamps
The ocean bays in Costa Rica and Panama provided great opportunities for paddle sports. The captain and expedition team chose calm bays near mangrove swamps to anchor in that made kayaking and stand up paddle boarding a fun activity.
Stand up paddle boarding is a cross between surfing and canoeing. You stand on top of a large board and use a really long canoe paddle to propel yourself forward.
When the paddle boards were on offer, the water was always calm enough to practice my ‘tree pose’ from yoga.
Heather mastered the art of paddling for great distances followed by a spectacular plunge into the water for no apparent reason.
I was entertained watching her get back onto the board - she called this move the beached whale yoga pose.
We also had the chance to use the kayaks as part of a guided tour. I paddled with another guest - Pete and I was delighted to discover that my colleague could paddle! We had to slow ourselves down to be sure we didn’t pass the guide.
We were able to get an up-close and personal tour of the mangroves and we were relieved we didn’t spot any “deadly venomous vipers” - although I feel like we could have paddled away quick enough to be out of harm’s way.
Skiff Tours
Heading out on a skiff tour
When the water was not conducive to paddle sports, we were able to head out on skiff tours in search of wildlife.
The skiff drivers were the most competent small boat operators I have ever had the privilege of riding with. Not only did they safely navigate choppy water close to rocks, but they had an uncanny ability to spot the most camouflaged creatures ever.
On one trip up an estuary, our driver Tony spotted a Brown Boa nestled into the trees.
I have NO idea how he could have seen this snake as it took us being almost directly beside it to pick it out from the foliage. We also spooked a 2-metre crocodile that scampered into the water as we approached it.
Beaching
Matt is not sure what to do next... go for a paddle, a snorkel or another beer?!
The climate and location of both Costa Rica and Panama are perfect for spending time at the beach. We had many chances to spend time on these idyllic white sand beaches with the perfect water temperature for beach-based activities.
Prior to our arrival on any beach, the expedition staff would set up a beach side oasis with a cooler of drinks and ice, snacks, towels, tents for shade and beach toys - often including the paddle boards and kayaks.
My favourite-ist of favourite places on the entire cruise was one of these beach experiences: Granito del Oro. This tiny rocky outcrop island had a magnificent beach that was postcard perfect.
We shared the island with only a few others, and it really felt like we had paradise to ourselves.
We spent the day at Granito and a highlight was being able to snorkel around the island. Oceanic delights were awaiting in every direction: turtles and exotic fish of every colour swam before our eyes.
From this point forward all future beach experiences will be judged against Granito del Oro, and I fear none will live up to it.
Snorkelling
Moorish Idol Flickr photo by Ted shared under a Creative Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) License
We had the chance to do two kinds of snorkelling adventures on our trip: adventure snorkel and beach entry snorkelling. Both provided a great opportunity to spot turtles and colourful fish in their coral habitat. The guides offered a snorkelling 101 for anyone who wanted it.
We left for our adventure snorkel in one of the skiffs and we zoomed past a rusting beached submarine (a drug smuggling vehicle!). When the skiff reached the snorkelling spot, we abandoned the zodiac backwards.
The snorkelling was superb, highlighted by the turtles and moorish idol fish that were competing with colourful parrot fish to capture our attention!
Every time a snorkelling opportunity was on offer I snapped it up, and I was NEVER disappointed in this choice.
Cultural Activities
The Macaw Dance being performed by the girls in the Embera Village
Our adventures on board the Uncruise also allowed us to learn a little about the people that live where we were cruising. Our guides and skiff drivers were local and shared their insight into life in Costa Rica and Panama.
We also got the chance to visit an Embera village, in Panama’s Darien jungle.
Elders welcomed us to their village and the younger kids entertained us with cultural songs and dance, while their parents filmed them with their phones.
We also got to go for a walk through the village and we were all a little surprised to find a working telephone booth!
It was a really great opportunity to see how a traditional, somewhat isolated community is evolving with the times while also keeping a strong sense of pride in the traditional customs and language.
The cruise also took us to a UNESCO heritage site in Panama- Fort San Lorenzo. This fort was built (and rebuilt) many times over the centuries. The fort is small but the strategic importance of the location is obvious as you wander around the ruins.
A highlight of exploring the fort was using the acoustics of a small stone room to make some beautiful music together. Our musical shipmate, Austin led our Gregorian chants to the delights of other tours.
Transiting the Panama Canal
Busy Panama Canal Flickr photo by Victor shared under a Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) License
We were excited that we got to transit the Panama Canal on this cruise. Our transit allowed us the opportunity to get up close and personal with the 100-year-old engineering marvel.
Prior to entering the canal, we were provided with the opportunity to learn the history of how they built the canal. This history lesson allowed us to appreciate this experience even more.
Our transit used locks completed in 1914 to get from the Pacific Side of Panama to the Atlantic side. We shared the space with the biggest cargo ship I have ever seen - or at least that’s how it felt looking up at it.
It was fantastic to experience this historical marvel.
The old locks are actually too small for today’s cargo ships. Panama completed construction in 2016 on new locks that accommodate ships even bigger than the one we transited with. It is mind-blowing to think of all the goods being carried inside those containers!
Uncruise Adventures
As you can see, our experience on our Uncruise Adventure in Panama and Costa Rica did not comply with what you may have pictured at the beginning of this post and we think that is a good thing!
It is true what they say: Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. We feel lucky to have experienced these daring adventures on our Uncruise.
We were guests of Uncruise Adventures. As always, our opinions are own.
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