Gamboa Rainforest Resort

I thought this place was a solid deal. I stayed for a weekend and enjoyed the activities I did. I did the Pipeline Road hike with Iker, who was great (not too chatty but very informative). He apologized that we didn’t see many animals but it was a great hike and we did see a monkey (my Nikon P1000 was able to get this shot of it way up in the tree), heard some howler monkeys, and saw a few other things. Animals are animals; come with no expectations and you’ll be happy. I also did the wildlife sanctuary twice; got some great pics of butterflies, frogs, and sloths. Oh I did the night tour most nights too, which was also fun (as long as, again, you have no expectations for specific animals to appear). The guides were quite funny. The pool was also very enjoyable; I was pleasantly surprised by how nice it was. The food and drink at the Monkey Bar and Pool Bar were good. I didn’t eat at the restaurant — I walked into town and picked up more bottled water and some snacks at the store and also went to Treehouse Pizza in town (WhatsApp them for reservations) I also saw the cargo boats, train, and iguanas by the river next to town. Room was clean and quiet, bed was comfortable, and the AC worked well, which is all I needed. View of the river was also nice as was the hammock. Be prepared to wait at the various desks; you’re not in New York City so don’t be in a hurry and just put yourself on Tropical Time and you’ll be much happier.

It takes a lot to impress us as we travel so much, but this location is amazing!! A beautiful hotel in the middle of the rainforest, remote enough to satisfy our desire to see the wildlife, but with comforts of a good hotel. The staff made the trip. Can I thank the tour guides, who were especially fantastic, they made it such a memorable experience. If you're in Panama stay here and enjoy how beautiful it is and the overall experience. Thank you from @lexgo_travelling

We had a blast at Gamboa. We opted for the all-inclusive option which was super convenient because we didn't have to worry about breakfast, lunch, or dinner. We loved having drinks in the evening and at the pool without worrying about settling up at the end. The buffet was surprisingly good - great breakfast fruits, locally inspired dishes, and plenty of options for kids and picky eaters. For the excursions, we LOVED the Gutan boat tour, the aerial tram, the pipeline train hike, and the sloth sanctuary. Tons of wildlife on all of these especially the hike - monkeys, birds (tucans!), and more. The pool is great and just walking around the property is really a time travel adventure putting you back in the early 1900s. A big thank you to Karlie and Astrid at the front desk and Erik and Nayomi at the bar for showing us fantastic hospitality. Hector with the tours was great too! Everyone there was super nice. Our room was a suite with a fantastic river view. I highly recommend getting a river-view room to watch the sunrise. Bed was super comfortable and the AC was on point! This place definitely has a throwback vibe and it's super charming. If you're high maintenance and expecting uber luxury, this isn't for you. This is more suited for laid-back people looking for adventures, excursions, and basking in a piece of history.

The location is great. The hotel is older but clean and pretty. Staff wasn't helpful at all though. Didn't explain where thing were located, didn't tell us about the excursions, and acted like we were an inconvenience. The pool bar closes at 5pm no matter how many people are there. You have to go up 3 floors to the lobby for drinks. They also double charged our credit card for the stay. Getting a refund for the overcharge was a complete hassle. I will stay somewhere else next time.

The reserve is beautiful, with great historical relevance, a lot of animals and worthy activities. Staff are very friendly, which compensates for a few imperfections here and there. And the hotel itself is 'tired' but as such somewhat pleasant, even romantic. The issue is pricing - USD 350 for a night in a very tired suite (bed and breakfast) and USD 36 for a mandatory dinner buffet (mandatory because there is only one restaurant, no a la card option, and the resort is quite far from Panama City to pop out for a meal - which we nonetheless did out of despair:)) is just not reasonable. As a point of reference, a suite at a 5 stars hotel in Panama City goes for about the same price and for USD 36 one can get a nice a la carte meal in town. Anyway, the one thing they should really do is introduce a la carte - it is not even about cost, but quality and experience.