Our 2009 itinerary includes our MOLA TOUR and two optional extensions -- I think it might be one of our best trips ever!  Dates and generalized activities are listed below, but for additional information, including complete day by day schedule, please contact us.

Our flagship MOLA TOUR wil begin on Feb. 13 and features and extended stay in Kuna Yala.  From our base on the beautiful Kuna island of Uagitupu, we'll explore the surrounding islands and sample the diversity of scenery, culture, and molas in different Kuna communities.  We'll also have time to visit the mainland where the Kunas do much of their farming and other subsistance activities.  Besides our time with the Kunas, the MOLA TOUR will also spend several days in Panama City where we'll tour the ruins of the original city, the revitalized colonial city, and the best of the modern city, with visits to museums, shops, restaurants, and -- of course -- the famous Canal!

For those who are interested in Panama's place in world history, our optional two day extension will highlight the Panama Canal.  This extension begins on Feb. 11 and includes a partial transit of the canal on the Pacific Queen.  As we travel through the famous Gaillard Cut, we will have a perfect vantage point to view the new construction project which is said to be almost as massive and undertaking as the original canal construction.  We'll also visit the Caribbean terminus of the canal with its spectacular Gatun Locks, which we'll be able to watch in operation from a bird's-eye view.  After touring historic Fort San Lorenzo (built by the Spanish at the terminus of their old Gold Route) and Fort Sherman (built by the USA), we'll also have a chance to sample some of the culture of the cities on both ends of the Canal -- Panama City and Colon -- as we "ride the rails" of the Panama Canal Railroad.

 Our final extension, from Feb. 21 to 23, will take us to the lovely mountain village of El Valle.  Nestled in the crater of an extinct volcano, El Valle is a tranquil example of Panama's rural "interior."  In El Valle, we'll visit the rainforest including pre-Columbian picture rocks, a hot spring, and the largest open market for crafts, produce, and flowers in all of Panama.  Along the way, we'll be able to participate in a small-town celebration of Panama's national holiday, the festive Carnival.

Please feel free to contact us for more complete information on the activities and events of this trip.  The MOLA TOUR and all its extensions will be limited to 10 participants.  The 2008 tour filled very rapidly and reached its limit before Labor Day.