Natural and Man-made Wonders of the Isthmus of Panama:
Mayan Ruins, Caves and Jungle TrailsLynn Matt
SUMMARY OF TRIP INFORMATION
Natural and Man-made Wonders of the Isthmus of Panama
Leader Lynn Matt
Co-leader Ken
Panama
February 16- 24, 2011
Total # of days 9
Hiking
Downhill skiing
Kayaking
Title of trip
Leadership
Location(s)
Dates
Type of trip
check all that apply
Backpacking
Cultural
Road biking
Nordic ski
Mountain biking
Snorkeling
Other – please describe
Number of participants
(excluding leaders)
Advertised cost
Airfare range if not included
Do you wish to have your trip
listed online before it is
published in The Outdoors?
Smaller trips and leader
subsidization
Max 14
Min 12
$2475
Does it include airfare? Yes
No
$ (I am actually estimating $700 + $160 for the two flights)
Yes
No If yes, please list the approximate month (max is one year in
advance of trip)
As soon as possible after approval
Is this proposal for a small group trip – i.e., less than 14 participants and 2
leaders or 7 participants and 1 leader? Yes
No
If yes, why is a small group proposed?
If a participant fee increase of more than 15% is proposed, please explain
why?
LEADER AND CO-LEADER INFORMATION
Leader name
Leader address
Leader email
Leader phone
Wilderness first aid training
CPR training
Prior leading experience
Trip one
Trip two
Trip three
Other related trip experience
Co-leader name
Lynn Matt
3652 118th Avenue, Allegan MI 49010
lmatt2002@hotmail.com
Home 269-673-3672
Work
WFA
AWFA
WFR
Expiration: 3/2013
CPR
BLS
Expiration: 3/2013
Please list the last three longer (5+ day) trips you have led for the AMC including
destination, type of trip, dates and number of participants. Feel free to list additional
trips you have led, particularly if they demonstrate experience related to the trip you
are proposing.
Utah 2010 - 14 trippers
Belize 2011 - 9 trippers
Glacier 2010 - 12 trippers
Ken Jones

To lead a major excursion you must have current CPR and WFA at the time of your trip (or AWFA for all backcountry
trips). If you do not have the required level of certification at the time you submit your proposal or it will expire before
the date of your trip, you will need to make arrangements to recertify in a timely manner.
Revised 7/15/2016
Major Excursions Trip Proposal Form, page 1 of 5
Natural and Man-made Wonders of the Isthmus of Panama:
Co-leader address
Co-leader email
Co-leader phone
Wilderness first aid training*
CPR training*
Prior leading experience
Mayan Ruins, Caves and Jungle TrailsLynn Matt
207 Walnut Street, Bridgewater, MA 02324
lotsoluck@comcast.net
Home 508-697-0142
Work 617-224-6850
WFA
AWFA
WFR
Expiration: 6/2012
CPR
BLS
Expiration: 6/2012
Currently a four season hiking and backpacking trip leader with AMC SEM Chapter.
Annually lead the white Mountain Hut to Hut Traverse and Katahdin Backpack along
with numerous day trips.
Scouting
Have either of you led this trip
before or traveled to this
area?
Languages
Does either the co-leader or
leader speak the local
language?
Couples
Do the leader and co-leader
have a significant personal
relationship?
Private trips
Do either of you lead trips that
are private - not sponsored by
the AMC?
Yes
No
If yes, please describe below:
Executive summary
Please provide a brief
description of the trip and the
activities planned.
We will be staying at three locations in Panama on this 9-day adventurous, educational
and mild activity trip. The trip will include visiting the Panama Canal's Miraflores Locks
which is an amazing experience to see all the work that went into the canal and watch the
large vessels go through the locks. We will stay a night with the Embera Indians where
we are fondly greeted into their life where they still keep and maintain their traditions,
cultures, dances and religion. We spend a rustic night on uninhabited Kuanidup Island,
one of Panama's San Blas Islands to enjoy Caribbean beaches, coral reefs, snorkeling,
and visiting Kuna communities where they only serve seafood. The last two days will be
visiting the best biological reserve in the world, the Barro Colorado National Park, which
is managed by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.
Co-leader: Yes
No
Leader: Yes
No
Not applicable:
The local guides are mult-lingual Spanish/English and the B&B owner speaks both.
Yes
No
If yes, please list who has agreed to be your back-up in case one or
both of you need to drop out. This is required for approval!
Yes
No
If yes, please note that you cannot advertise AMC and private trips
together unless there is a clear distinction between the two in any marketing
materials you send out.
LOGISTICAL DETAILS OF TRIP
Accommodations
Please describe your plan for
accommodation(s)
Meals
Please describe your plan for
providing meals
Permits or permissions
Does the trip require special
permits or permissions?
(required on many U.S.
Revised 7/15/2016
The activities on this trip are highly recommended in trip advisor and that is the major
reason I selected them.
B&B La Esctancia is the base accomodations we will be staying at. In total, we will
spend six nights there. Among those six nights, we will then stay one night in the village
with the Embera Indians and one night on the San Blas Island at the remote Kuanidup
Island for snorkeling. All places are 2 people per unit.
All meals are provided by the B&B at the locations we are staying at except the first
night where we eat in Panama City after touring the Panama Canal. Most lunches will be
sack lunches except when we are on Kuanidup Island where the indians prepare out
lunches and dinners and at the Embera Village where the Indians prepare our lunches and
dinners.
Yes
No
If yes, please describe below what you will need to do to obtain them:
Major Excursions Trip Proposal Form, page 2 of 5
Natural and Man-made Wonders of the Isthmus of Panama:
Mayan Ruins, Caves and Jungle TrailsLynn Matt
federal lands and national
parks)
If no, please describe the process you went through to find out that they were not
required:
Special equipment
Does the trip require special
equipment?
Special experience
Does the trip require special
skills on the part of the
participant?
Pre-trip activities
Do you plan to get your group
together before the trip for an
activity or social event?
Conservation, education and
recreation
How will this major excursion
meet the mission of the AMC?
www.outdoors.org/about/
mission.cfm
Yes
No If yes, please describe below what type of equipment and how you will
ensure that people know how to use it:
Yes
No
If yes, please describe below what type of experience? Also describe
how you will ensure that the participant has this experience?
Yes
No
If yes, please describe below what you will do:
While providing a wide variety of mild physical activities, it will be a very rich
educational and cultural experience in terms of exposure to Panama. Having local
guides that speak English/Spanish makes all the difference touring the different areas of
Panama and visiting the locals.
TOUR OPERATOR AND GUIDE SERVICE INFORMATION
Will this trip require a tour
operator or guide service
during part, or the entire
trip?
Name of tour operator/guide
service
Tour operator website
Safety record
Please provide information
about their safety record.
Insurance
Do they have liability
insurance?
Emergency response
Please describe the outfitters’
response plan in the case of an
emergency.
Yes
No
Please describe their services. If you are using a tour operator for the entire trip,
please describe why you will be using them rather than doing this trip on your own:
Panoramic Panama is a guide service that has been around since 2001 to assist travelers
visiting Panama. I am providing their website below. The "tours" they list are all
available to the general public.
Panoramic Panama is a B&B that started out as a guide service. In 2003, they expanded
their services to offering overnight accommodations. They are a guide service who, like
some guide services, use individual registered Panamanian guides that also have first aid
certifications from the Red Cross.
www.bedandbreakfastpanama.com/about.htm
No life threatening injuries have ever occurred at their facility or on any of their
activities. The B&B was opened in 2003 by the owners of the guide service that is
family run and the owners live on the property.
Maximum amt: $ 5,000/person
Liability? Yes
No
Are they willing to list AMC as an
Yes
No
additional insured?
All guides have basic first aid training and carry first aid kits in vehicles.
RISK ASSESSMENT
Please assess the risks and hazards of your trip. Carefully consider each area of risk and how it may affect your trip.
Devise a plan to prevent each hazard and to respond to it if it becomes necessary. Please be very specific for each section
if applicable.
Trail conditions, river crossings, weather, wildlife (bears, snakes, etc.)
Climate/terrain
Potential hazards
Although this is the dry season, there is still the potential for high water in rivers and
rain. There is no problem with malaria in any of the areas we are going to.
Response
We will be in a dug out boat to get to the village of the Embera Indians. People should
feel comfortable being in a small boat.
Revised 7/15/2016
Major Excursions Trip Proposal Form, page 3 of 5
Natural and Man-made Wonders of the Isthmus of Panama:
Foreign Country
Potential hazards
Response
Transportation
Potential hazards
Response
Participants
Potential hazards
Response
Other
Potential hazards
Response
Mayan Ruins, Caves and Jungle TrailsLynn Matt
Political concerns, crime, language translation, terrorism
Country is politically stable; however petty crime is still common, and it is always wise
to be cautious in rural remote areas. For all daytrips, we will have Panamanian guides.
Warn group about safeguarding passports, money and credit cards; monitor for unusual
crime activity against tourists in advance.
Road conditions, drivers, insurance
The roads in Panama City are paved. The road to Embera Village is paved for the first
part, rocky the second part and and rough for a 1/2 mile at the end, but any normal
vehicle can get there. We will be traveling in a Toyota Hiace. It is very common in
Central America. It holds 15 persons. The drivers have worked for the police and have
taken courses on how to protect very important persons. The dug out boats are narrow
and long.
Just need to let everyone know that the roads may not be perfect when traveling to
Embera Village. The drivers have worked for the police and have taken courses on how
to protect very important persons.
The river is calm and shallow. Matter-of-fact, sometimes the passengers have to step out
of the boat so the boat man can push the boat. The drivers of the boat are local indians
and they are better than any other person to conduct the boat. They have no license and
they don't need a license because they have been conducting boats since they were kids.
The boat is not a scary ride, but a lot of fun. There has been no accidents with the dug
out boats to the Embera Village. For one, they travel slow and for another there is no
traffic in the river heading to the village.
Level of fitness, screening concerns, experience with equipment or activity
This is a mild trip. Although we will have activities every day, it does not require
screening people for extensive fitness. The accomodations at San Blas are very remote
with sand floors and bathrooms outside of the cabanas. For both san Blas and the
Embera Indian village, we will be sleeping in cabanas that are a step above a tent.
Let every know that we will not be staying in hotels while in San Blas or in the Embera
village with the indians and the accomodations include sleeping on a platform with a
mat. Tripadvisor has high recommendation for staying at these facilities, especially with
the Embera Indians.
Conditions unique to this type of trip
Warm weather this time of the year.
On the Caribbean side and nearer Panama City on the Pacific side it is warm all year
round. Temps on the Caribbean side are between 86 and 96 degrees Fahrenheit all year
round. Jan, Feb, Mar are the dry season.
EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN
Please describe your plans for dealing with emergencies. Use as much detail as possible, and list any special
communications equipment you may need to ensure the safety of your participants. DO NOT LEAVE THIS SECTION
BLANK
Leader will have participant emergency contact and medical information with her at all
Emergency communication
Phone contacts, language,
times.
documentation, distance from
emergency services
Leader and guides carry first aid equipment. Cell phone service is excellent in Panama
Emergency equipment
What sort of emergency first
and both leader and guides will carry one.
aid or communication
equipment (satellite phone,
two-way radios) do you plan
to use, if any?
We will never be more than an hour from a primary road. When visiting the cloud forest
Evacuation
Please describe your plan for
where there is no cell-phone service, a boat is always available to take injured person out
evacuation from the
and then drive to a hospital. The guides are very knowledgeable where the hospital and
Revised 7/15/2016
Major Excursions Trip Proposal Form, page 4 of 5
Natural and Man-made Wonders of the Isthmus of Panama:
Mayan Ruins, Caves and Jungle TrailsLynn Matt
backcountry location if
applicable?
Medical care
Please describe the medical
care available in the area(s)
where you will be traveling
and list names and telephone
numbers for these facilities.
clinics are located.
Foreign currencies
For int’l trips list each foreign
currency, the current $US
dollar exchange rate and what
contingencies you have if that
rate changes. If a tour
operator or agent is being
used, what currency is the
agent to be paid in?
Deposits
What deposits will be required
by airlines, hotels, tour
operators, etc., and when?
N/A; US dollars are accepted.
Hospital Nacional - Ave. Cuba & 39th Street, Panama City Panama, Panama - 507-2078100/207-8102
Hospital Punta Pacifica is located at Punta Pacifica Boulevard and Darien Way
Ciudad de Panamá Panama City, Panama - (507) 204.8000.
COST AND BUDGET DETAILS
Refunds
What is the latest date you can
cancel and still receive a full
refund?
Participant deposit
What are the initial deposit
and your schedule of
payments?
Cancellation policy
What will your cancellation
policy be for the participants?
Minimum numbers
Will you still run the trip if you
do not get the minimum
number?
Reference web links:
MEC Home Page:
Forms:
Deadlines:
E-Mail Addresses:
Club House:
MEC Chair:
Revised 7/15/2016
Flights will not be booked until minimum number is reached, however Panoramic
Panama wants to book the flights before 11/15/2011 along with first payment of 10%.
Panoramic Panama requires first payment of 10% - 90 days prior to arrival day. Second
payment is 10% - 30 days prior to arrival day. The rest payable upon arrival.
Cancellation 30 days prior to arrival will receive first refund. Cancellation 15 days prior
to arrival will loose both payments. No show will loose both payments.
The date I have to make the first payment is November 14 th, 2011. I need down
payments from people by that time. I am requesting that people sign up for the trip and
pay the full amount of $2,475 by January 1 st. If they sign up for the trip after January 1st,
the cost of the trip increases $200 to $2,675. This is to encourage people to sign up in a
reasonable amount of time. They will be refunded this money if no costs increase.
$850 initial deposit by November 1st, then the balance on January 1st.
$100 non-refundable cancellation fee; thereafter $100 plus any monies spent on airline
tickets or non-refundable deposits, plus whatever is required to keep other participant
costs from increasing.
Yes
No
If yes, please describe conditions:
This trip cannot be run as a single leader trip because we have not used the outfitter
before. Because I have found that Central America trips don't seem to fill with, I have
made an extra effort to get the trip priced low by not staying in hotels in hopes that the
cheaper price will bring a full trip in.
http://snebulos.mit.edu/orgs/amc/
http://snebulos.mit.edu/orgs/amc/application/
http://snebulos.mit.edu/orgs/amc/listings
cyout@outdoors.org
mecchair@amcboston.org
Major Excursions Trip Proposal Form, page 5 of 5