Gamboa Rainforest Resort

One of the best places to visit. The aerial tram, the boat ride to see wildlife, the sloth garden and the view from the monkey bar was amazing

This was one of the most memorable and unique lodging experiences. The hotel is nestled in the heart of the rain forest, but is under one hour's drive from the city. It's worth getting a river view room with a hammock on the balcony. There is a wide array of nature activities, but I was content to lie in the hammock reading and listening to birdsong most of the time. Don't miss the sloth sanctuary, though. I was going to do the teleférico ($50) on the assumption I'd see more animals that way, but cancelled because I ended up seeing monkeys and toucans everywhere I turned, including at the feeding station outside the main lobby (probably not the best conservancy practice, but I'm not going to report them to the environment ministry). In fact, there is a short trail just down from the main parking lot called the Laguna trail that is teeming with wildlife. If you walk down it slowly and quietly, you are sure to encounter beautiful birds, agoutis and very possibly capuchin and howler monkeys. The hotel grounds going down toward the river are lush and sprawling, and great for a stroll. The room was very comfortable. Good food at breakfast and the bar. There's a beautiful hardwood library tucked away up the stairs above the gift shop which seems to operate on a 'take a book, leave a book' basis. Awesome pool. My one criticism is the night safaris. The idea is great, and we saw some cool animals (caiman, anteater, birds, the usual agoutis). However, the vehicle is a great noisy belching diesel tractor trailer. It would be so much better for them to use electric vehicles or just golf carts of some kind.

Everything was top-notch! Firm, comfortable beds, fabulous, clean bathroom, fantastic view from the balcony overlooking the river. Outstanding choice of foods for meals. The only drawback is the thin walls between the rooms. There are many tours available, but we did not take any of them.

Really disappointed in this place. I had high hopes when booking. Booked online and don’t read the fine print. Please be careful if you decide to stay here. Do your research. Their cancelation fee is equal to the total booking price even if you get the higher rate for cancelation. A complete and total ripoff. I will be making a point to steer fellow people in the birding community away from this establishment. My wife was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and wanted to reschedule the four night stay for when she had time to recover from surgery. The $700.00 fee was a slap in the face. Unbelievable. Went through the formal appeal process and was denied without explanation. Worth the price in the end because any reasonable person would not want to stay here with these type of owners. What a scam.

Wonderful location. the hotel is surrounded by nature. you can see wild animals in the garden of the hotel. the hotel needs some renovation. the rooms are not always as clean as they should be. the hotel offers some excursions, but these are very expensive and not value the money they are asking. a simpel activity as aerial tram costs more than 45 USD, which is not worth for what you get to see.