Rain forest ariel tram

[RVNFUN2]

We are getting ready for the Nov. 3 cruise thru the Panama Canal on the Zuiderdam. My question is, has anyone tried the Rain Forest Ariel Tram and if so how strenous is it. I have a concussion so if there is a lot of bouncing on bus or tram this might not be my excursion. It does sound great.

 

Kathy

[Christapie]

I would also like an answer to this question, but I thinkl you need to look under the boards section under Panama canal.

[RevNeal]

Are you asking about the Ariel Tram in Costa Rica? If so, it's an excellent excursion with lovely lives of both flora and fauna. For photos of the excursion, check here:

 

http://homepage.mac.com/revneal/panamacanal/PhotoAlbum30.html

 

While part of the trip involves a bus ride to the site, it's not too bad.

[Brown Eyed Gurl]

Since we wanted to see the entire trip through the locks in Panama, we chose to do the aerial tram in Costa Rica and we enjoyed it very much. Here is an old review I wrote of it...

 

I just wanted to comment on this excursion and say how much we enjoyed it!

We took an air conditioned bus (with a restroom) for about a 2hr drive into the lush countryside. We did drive through/up some small mountains & hills. The roads were bumpy and full of pot holes, but we had a good driver who avoided them. We passed pineapple fields, banana fields, corn plant fields, the university, etc. The tour guide passed around books on the plants & animals of the area. It was not a boring drive. Our driver stopped on the side of the road so we could see/photograph a sloth in one of the trees.

When we arrived at the park, we got out and had the opportunity to use the restroom and switched to either an air conditioned van or an open air tractor to drive the remaining 5 minutes to the actual site. There we watched a 10 minute movie about the park and tram. They said bug repellant is not necessary, but having read on the CDC website that this is an area with a Malaria risk, and we did not have any shots or pills, we used it to be safe. They claim there are enough bats and mammals that eat the mosquitos. Even with the bug repellant I was bitten twice on my legs by something unseen. :eek:

We then boarded, 6 + 1 guide per gondola. The actual ride is about 1 1/4hr long. It is very smooth, it does not rock, but sometimes it feels like you are on a bungee cord and it bounces very gently/slowly when you stop (yes it stops everytime passengers get on/off). Words cannot describe how beautiful the rainforest is. We saw plenty of butterflies, birds, moths, dragonflies, orchids, ferns, palm trees, broccoli trees, air plants, bromeliads, vines. It was amazing. It was just beautiful on the top part when you clear the canopy and see the volcano in the distance. Unbelievably, it did not rain at all the entire time we were there! It was sunny and very hot. It did look like it was going to pour when we were leaving though, so we lucked out.

When we finished the tram ride, we were let off to either eat at the included lunch buffet, shop, or hike the trails, they gave us an hour. We shopped (they had magnets, books, videos/DVDs, coffee, liqueur, candy, t-shirts, mini orchids, keychains, etc available), then ate the most amazing black beans and rice (and steamed veggies) at the buffet. They also had chicken in some sauce, we are Vegetarians and didn't eat it, so I'm not sure what other meat they had available, but I know they had some type of chicken. We were told they cook their rice & beans in coconut oil so it has a different flavor. They had strawberry & banana juice and guava juice to drink.

While at the buffet area we saw a lizard, a family of quati (which we were told is rare to see around people), 2 very large (harmless) spiders, hallucinogenic mushrooms, and a chirping hummingbird.

There was also a little cafe there, in which we bought some cassava (yuca) chips-which were really good!

Very little walking was involved unless you opted to hike one of the trails.

Then we repeated the same transfer as when we arrived, but our tour guide took us to a pineapple farm on the way back (that was never mentioned in our excursion book) and we were able to try fresh pineapple for free, along with some of their other items (pineapple salsa, pineapple jelly, etc), and shop. They had 2 very large (live) horned beetles (about the size of my fist) and a poison dart frog they were showing, that you could photograph.

On the way back, our tour guide made us a grasshopper out of one woven coconut palm frond and gave us a free map of Costa Rica & some banana stickers from Dole. :)

We arrived back to the ship with enough time to shop locally (about an hour or so) but we chose to watch the musicians & dancers on the dock.

[RVNFUN2]

Thanks for the great information. It really sounds great and very safe for us. Again thanks for the info

[Sissy Ruth]

We also go in Oct - our shore excursions include this tour and don't exactly say, nor do you - is this "zipling"? My DH is in great shape,

but was 84 in June. Is this a tour for someone his age??

Cindy

[cigarman]

RVN,

Wife and I did this tram ride two years ago in November. For me, the long bus ride through the countryside was OK since the guide we had was great. But the ride back was LONG. We stopped for bananas at his fathers fields, and were told a lot of history of Costa Rico.

However, the fall and winter months are not the time to visit the tropical rain forests. It seems that the Flora and Fauna take the winter months off and are not present in any large numbers. I was able to get a few pictures with color in them from plant life but that is all.

Do not let me distract from your interest in visiting the forest but for me I would not do it again except in the spring or early summer. :)

[RVNFUN2]

Since we are also doing the cruise in Nov. I would take this into great consideration. Did not realize the changes. We do not have much change in Florida