West to East trip - January 2026
Routing: Starting in Costa Rica (vs. Panama) was ideal—we fully immersed in rainforests, mangroves, and mountains up front, then transitioned to the modern Canal Zone and Panama City before flying home.
Excursion Choices:
• La Paz Nature Preserve (included for all) - Great warmup for future excursions. Butterfly and Toucan exhibits are wonderful. The coffee plantation visit earlier that day was very well presented.
• Punta Leon - We chose Forest Canopy (zip line) and Cacao Farm. Zip line harness/braking is less "structured" than U.S. operations, but this 70+ lady loved the adventure. Friends said Hanging Bridges and Carara Tours were OK.
• Quepos - Both our choices were spectacular: Rainmaker Forest excursion has amazing waterfalls, suspended bridges, and flora, but be ready for frequent, uneven steps (railings always nearby). No animals there, BUT the afternoon Mangrove Cruise at Isla Damas delivered—white-faced monkeys came within arm's reach of our boat. Raft trip taken by others also had high satisfaction.
• Gamboa Aerial Tram - Not as impressive compared to other excursions, but relaxing. A little bit of rain, but most of our trip was quite dry.
Wildlife Reality: Animals rarely appeared where expected. Best sightings were spontaneous near human activity—monkey groups by canal locks and bus parking lots, scarlet macaws kissing in a traffic circle, capybaras grazing by a huge canal lock, a sloth on a telephone pole, ospreys battling near the Canal Dam, and a humpback whale breaching during lunch on Deck 3. Don't be disappointed if formal wildlife excursions come up empty.
Panama Canal: If the history, workings, and experience of the Canal are important to you—this was a "bucket list" item for us—we felt really fully satisfied. Between the actual transit, expert commentary from our tour directors, visits to the locks, and time spent observing the engineering marvel up close, we came away with a complete understanding and appreciation of this wonder. Not just a quick pass-through.
Ship Tips (Ponant Le Champlain):
• Most food is very good. Don't hesitate to order from the "every day" menu when the specialty menu doesn't appeal.
• The Grille on Deck 3 for dinner was not very crowded (despite "sign up" policy)—we used it 2 nights when we didn't want the longer dining room experience.
• Stateroom was small as expected, but the separate toilet area and balcony were nice. Our Deck 6 room was perfect—Observation Panoramic lounge steps away, and a quiet alternative to our small room seating.
• Unfortunately, made friends with the ship's helpful medical center after developing a stomach virus on Day 6, possibly from an excursion off the ship. However, no other travelers seemed to get it. I had hoped to avoid the 30-hour disruption; however, group trips or any trip have this kind of risk.
Tauck Professionalism: Caribbean seas were too rough for the San Blas Island stop, so that visit was cancelled entirely. We stayed safely docked in Colon overnight (an active container ship port—not scenic but still impressive in its operation). Tauck arranged a last-minute land trip to Fort San Lorenzo instead. Our tour directors (led by Panama native, Ivan) became local experts—the substitute excursion worked beautifully despite losing our hoped-for beach afternoon due to a massive Caribbean storm.
Logistics:
• Embarkation day to Le Champlain ship is super long (depart hotel 8:30 am, board ship after 5 pm, mandatory meeting one hour later). Pace yourself.
• Expect early departures on every excursion day or hotel departure day.
Panama City Dining: On the open dining night, we took a $6 Uber from the JW Marriott to “Cantina del Tigre” for an authentic Panamanian dinner. Best catch-of-the-day Sea Bass (shared platter, 2.5-3 lbs) and ceviche! Arrive early—noise level by 9 pm in their courtyard makes conversation impossible.
San Jose Dining: Walked 7 minutes from Marriott Hacienda Balen to Il Cavallino (Italian)—very nice alternative to another hotel meal. FYI: We were "assigned" to Marriott Hacienda Balen as late bookers and loved the old coffee-plantation resort feel vs. the city Intercontinental option.
Fellow Travelers: About ages 61-79, competent mobility for the vast majority (necessary also), optimistic attitudes, welcoming people with many Tauck veterans.
Bottom Line: Tauck is quality, not cheap, but this trip delivered—2 parts land, a 7-day small-ship cruise with many stops, only 1 sea day. Felt we covered both countries with real depth.
Comments
There is a lot more to see in Costa Rica. I recommend a land tour there to see more of the inland areas.