Travel Diary: Julie Naquin

FEATURE

Destination: Bocas del Toro, Panama

Travel Diary Of: Julie Naquin

Photos by Julie Naquin

Travelers: My husband, two kids aged 8 & 10 at the time, and me.

We Went Because: My husband planned an ecotourism trip out of curiosity, and because I’m a tree-hugger.

Hotel Recommendations: We used VRBO.

Where to Eat: Anywhere! The more hidden, the better for legit authentic food.

Off the Beaten Path: The entire trip is off the beaten path!

What inspired you to visit this destination?

I am an environmental and animal advocate. I volunteer as much as I can, but balancing kids and the rest of life makes time very tight. We are always looking to reduce our carbon footprint and try to do our best to be kind to our Mother, but within our means. Seeing a simpler way of living and being immersed in it was the draw for me. I think my husband thought it would be a challenge. He really doesn’t like to leave his comfort zone but will do it for me. This was NOT our usual trip at all!

Did you visit any historical or cultural landmarks?

Which one left the biggest impression on you? We were kind of immersed in the lifestyle to be honest. The locals lived mostly in small cabins across the inlet from us, and the whole island is connected through water travel and public paths across “properties” and throughout the island. The dock of our VRBO had a motorboat and a kayak that the renters could use, along with a very nice swing and lots of other seating and surface area to fish. The locals used it too, as spaces like that didn’t just “belong” to the rental unit owner. The paths would cross areas that felt like someone’s yard, but it was all open access. Everyone was really friendly and greeted each other –known or not.

How did the weather and climate affect your travel experience?

It was rainy, so we sometimes had to deal with that, but it was warm enough that it was not unpleasant to just walk in the rain and it was just rain – no thunder or lightning. You do need LOTS of bug spray though. Deep Woods Off was suggested when we did our research, and it did the trick. We did have to also wear long, light layers an an added deterrent. The climate is humid, but that’s no different than here, except that it wasn’t nearly as oppressive as our days get.

Did you have any moments of personal growth or self-discovery during your travels?

It was only a week, but I do appreciate my hot showers back home a lot more now! The simplicity of it all was so very intoxicating. There was no time clock to punch, no meetings or appointments to rush off to. If it rained, we just hung out on the hammocks on the 360-degree wrap-around porch. While I am a city girl, we try to live as clean as possible – which is actually pretty hard to do in America and especially in the south. We have so much really decadent food here. We live to eat; most other countries eat to live – and it’s all so fresh and unprocessed!

Did you have any encounters with wildlife or nature that left a lasting impression?

We saw so much wildlife! Central and South America are notorious for poison dart frogs, colorful reptiles and snakes, sloths, giant bugs, and butterflies. We saw so much! We did encounter the strawberry dart frog and a green dart frog just within feet of our little sanctuary in the canopy but saw so much more on the excursions. We snorkeled and saw so many vibrant fish and coral! We were able to snorkel right off our dock as well as other specific excursion destinations.

What advice would you give to future travelers interested in exploring the same destination based on your experience?

You can fly into Panama City or you can cross the border from Costa Rica through the Panama Canal. I would suggest the flight if time is an issue, but the border crossing if money is a consideration. The drive from San José to the border will be a full day’s journey, but any travel club will have pit stops along the way, plus you get to see more of the country on the ride. This was the second leg of our 2-week vacation with La Fortuna, Costa Rica being our 1st legbut that’s another story! We would advise hitting an ATM or bank in whatever city you start from because they are not as available once out on the road.

We Would Suggest this Trip to Others Because:

It was one of the most memorable and relaxing trips we’ve ever taken. It gave the girls a little bit of freedom because they could explore the forest that surrounded the house. They even made friends with an island dog that literally followed them everywhere they went and even slept on the chairs outside. We had no set schedule, and we were able to be about 90% completely unplugged. We didn’t want to leave. We actually have seriously discussed retiring there.