Chiriqui River Rafting
Chiriqui River Rafting
4.8
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4.8
72 reviews
Excellent
56
Very good
14
Average
2
Poor
0
Terrible
0
John F
Lewiston, ID6 contributions
Dec 2014 • Friends
As a professional river guide in water up to class V, I anticipated a great Class 3 + trip. Had my GoPro on my helmet and sat up front with another young kid with a GoPro. Unfortunately the front of the raft had no foot holds like the thwarts in the mid section and back so I flipped out twice and knocked my seat mate out once in big water. Water warm and not too dangerous but if you go with an outfitter make sure he has a kayaker rescue boat like the outfitter ahead of us and toe/foot holds in the front of the raft. Great video of falling in river and guide was good with a throw rope to haul me in. 71 yr. olf Geezer
Written 25 December 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lloyd-NYC
New York City, NY37 contributions
The rafting itself was great. We were a family of four (two teenaged sons) with a range of rafting experience from none to a fair bit. The trip was well organized, the introduction was comprehensive with a clear emphasis on safety. The guides were knowledgable and their English, while not condicive to a lot of extraneous chatter was more than adequate for the trip. We were on the Fonseca(?) River. The rapids were challenging enough for an exciting trip if not necessarily extreme. (In fairness, the company had been led to believe that our boys were much younger. Under the circumstances the guides made an extra effort to maximize the opportunities for excitement.)
We stopped a little more than halfway for a simple but welcome picnic lunch.
Hector Sanchez, who runs the company, is a warm and charming man with a low key gregariousness and a wealth of stories from his remarkable range of experiences.
The only thing I would caution people about is that getting to the river from Boquete, where we stayed, is a long drive (2-1/2 hours). But that's the simple geography. Hector does a good job of making the time pass with stories and encyclopedic knowledge of all things Panama. An unexpected bonus of the trip and partial compensation for the length of the drive is that the last portion is through indigenous lands with a fascinating and eye-opening view of how these people live. (Not to mention the mere adventure of navigating the final stretch of dirt roads, which Hector does with grace and expertise.). Hector has made a commitment to doing what he can to help and our guides was from one of the villages, trained by Hector himself.
All in all I highly recommend this trip.
We stopped a little more than halfway for a simple but welcome picnic lunch.
Hector Sanchez, who runs the company, is a warm and charming man with a low key gregariousness and a wealth of stories from his remarkable range of experiences.
The only thing I would caution people about is that getting to the river from Boquete, where we stayed, is a long drive (2-1/2 hours). But that's the simple geography. Hector does a good job of making the time pass with stories and encyclopedic knowledge of all things Panama. An unexpected bonus of the trip and partial compensation for the length of the drive is that the last portion is through indigenous lands with a fascinating and eye-opening view of how these people live. (Not to mention the mere adventure of navigating the final stretch of dirt roads, which Hector does with grace and expertise.). Hector has made a commitment to doing what he can to help and our guides was from one of the villages, trained by Hector himself.
All in all I highly recommend this trip.
Written 25 December 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BestRegards FromFar
Cape Town Central, South Africa733 contributions
Feb 2016
Rafting with Chiriqui river rafting was an awesome experience. The owner of the company, was the first man to raft down a river in Panama. Thanks to him anyone can now enjoy white water rafting throughout all the country in every season. As it was the dry season we went the Chiriqui river where our excellent guide had us experience class 3 to 4 rapids which become class 5 during the rainy season. During the rafting trip we saw other companies from Boquete arriving, packed rafts. Chiriqui river rafting does not have an office in Boquete town so you shoot them and e-mail and you will not be disappointed! Have fun!
Written 15 March 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lynnPhiladelphia_PA
Philadelphia, PA12 contributions
Apr 2011
My family, two young adults, my husband and I decided to go on our first white water rafting adventure. We chose Chiriqui River Rafting Company and wanted to offer our experience, hope you find it helpful!
We had to choose between zip lining and rafting because of time restraints and chose rafting because we liked the idea of a full day adventure. Well, yes, it was a full day, however, the actual rafting activity was maybe 2 1/2 hours.
Our driver picked us up at 7 (he did not speak English) and we drove an hour into David to pick up our guide, who also did not speak English. From there we drove another almost 2 hours to our drop off point. Our driver was a madman and had us at many times hanging on for dear life! While part of the drive was scenic, it was much further than we had anticipated. As first timers we were a little nervous as the communication at this point was extremely minimal. I think all of us were wondering how we were going to maneuver with such a communication gap. When we finally got to our destination and got our raft filled and carried to the water-a rocky stumbling feat, Samuel our guide broke into his English memorized speech.. we at least learned his name and had a vague idea of what was expected of us...we felt a little better! Samuel handled the raft very well, and overall it was a fun adventure with only on man overboard, and that was handled very well. We stopped along the shore for a lunch of fresh fruit and sandwiches, oops, forgot cups for drinks. We all really did enjoy the ride with just enough excitement for novices.
The adventure didn't stop after the rafting though. Our same young, kamikaze driver picked us up and we were, I thought heading back. Hopefully a shorter drive. Well, we drove back into David, we thought to drop of Samuel, but no, we veered in and out of small neighborhood streets to finally pick up some young man. No explanation. We continued on our way back to Boquete, and made a few more turns and stopped at some market. We were guessing to drop off our new passenger. Again, with no explanation we stayed there for about 20 minutes while our driver talked on his cell phone, not sure what that was about, but we did notice that Samuel seemed perplexed. Finally we got back on the road, minus the young man. We drove a bit further and next thing you know, the van started to sputter. We pulled over, they got it started again and once more we were off the main road going who knows where. They pulled into a private driveway and we sat again for 15 minutes. Apparently we had run out of gas so they stopped to siphon some from the truck that was there.
Ahhh, so that's where the "All Day Adventure" description comes in!
So, would we recommend this adventure? The rafting itself was fun and we were happy to have done it. Samuel knew what he was doing and even though there was a lack of communication, we all did just fine. The driver and his antics we could have done without-he clearly was the negative among the positive. We didn't feel there was much point in complaining to the company, we showed our disapproval in out tip and thought the best we could do it write a review. Hope you found this helpful!
We had to choose between zip lining and rafting because of time restraints and chose rafting because we liked the idea of a full day adventure. Well, yes, it was a full day, however, the actual rafting activity was maybe 2 1/2 hours.
Our driver picked us up at 7 (he did not speak English) and we drove an hour into David to pick up our guide, who also did not speak English. From there we drove another almost 2 hours to our drop off point. Our driver was a madman and had us at many times hanging on for dear life! While part of the drive was scenic, it was much further than we had anticipated. As first timers we were a little nervous as the communication at this point was extremely minimal. I think all of us were wondering how we were going to maneuver with such a communication gap. When we finally got to our destination and got our raft filled and carried to the water-a rocky stumbling feat, Samuel our guide broke into his English memorized speech.. we at least learned his name and had a vague idea of what was expected of us...we felt a little better! Samuel handled the raft very well, and overall it was a fun adventure with only on man overboard, and that was handled very well. We stopped along the shore for a lunch of fresh fruit and sandwiches, oops, forgot cups for drinks. We all really did enjoy the ride with just enough excitement for novices.
The adventure didn't stop after the rafting though. Our same young, kamikaze driver picked us up and we were, I thought heading back. Hopefully a shorter drive. Well, we drove back into David, we thought to drop of Samuel, but no, we veered in and out of small neighborhood streets to finally pick up some young man. No explanation. We continued on our way back to Boquete, and made a few more turns and stopped at some market. We were guessing to drop off our new passenger. Again, with no explanation we stayed there for about 20 minutes while our driver talked on his cell phone, not sure what that was about, but we did notice that Samuel seemed perplexed. Finally we got back on the road, minus the young man. We drove a bit further and next thing you know, the van started to sputter. We pulled over, they got it started again and once more we were off the main road going who knows where. They pulled into a private driveway and we sat again for 15 minutes. Apparently we had run out of gas so they stopped to siphon some from the truck that was there.
Ahhh, so that's where the "All Day Adventure" description comes in!
So, would we recommend this adventure? The rafting itself was fun and we were happy to have done it. Samuel knew what he was doing and even though there was a lack of communication, we all did just fine. The driver and his antics we could have done without-he clearly was the negative among the positive. We didn't feel there was much point in complaining to the company, we showed our disapproval in out tip and thought the best we could do it write a review. Hope you found this helpful!
Written 17 April 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Arnulfo R
4 contributions
Nov 2014 • Solo
Chiriqui River Rafting was an amazing experience! It was my first time water rafting and had a great time! The staff picked me up in front of Hotel Palo Alto and also dropped me back at hotel. The guides were really cool, and spoke both english and spanish. The guides also gave us clear instructions before heading out to the river. For the most part the level was about a 3, and 2 1/2 and everyone had a great time. Lunch is also included.
Written 20 November 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Caroline C
9 contributions
Sept 2016 • Friends
This was a unique rafting experience, totally the opposite of a crowded tourist attraction. So fun! We didn't see a single other person for hours. Our guide was great, and served us a picnic lunch mid-way through the river. Bring a waterproof camera or case, because the views are incredible.
Written 24 September 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Elyse S
Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States25 contributions
Feb 2015 • Family
My family of 4.... Including our 20 something kids went rafting last week and had a fabulous time. Our guides, Juan Carlos and Umberto were not just great guides but were also tons of fun! The owner Hector was incredible...treated us like family and we just met him that day!! On our way home from the rafting trip, he called his wife and asked her to put up a pot of their home grown coffee and take out some homemade banana bread that she had made...he was bringing friends to the house! They welcomed us into their home and gave us a tour of his coffee farm and shared their oranges and bananas just picked from the trees!! Wonderfully warm people....you might pay a little more for his company that the other...but well worth it! He has been doing this for over 20 years and was the first to raft this river!!
Written 10 February 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Deborah K
Los Angeles, CA7 contributions
Jan 2015 • Solo
they said rapids were class 3-4 in fact they were mostly 1-2. it was beautiful and fun but more like tubing than rafting.
Written 10 January 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BoatsBootsBalloons
Washington DC, DC44 contributions
Dec 2014 • Couples
This was an awesome experience. We had between 3 and 3 1/2 hours on the water and it was tons of fun. There were lots of rapids, and the guide gave instructions (in English) to keep us safe. We did not capsize (although according to the guide it happens fairly often).
I never felt in danger but it was still really exciting bouncing over the waves. We took a quick break for lunch - it was sandwiches and salad - basically got the job done for the experience. We had more time on the water than the organizer said (which was great) and there were more rapids than I thought - there weren't long periods of rowing through flat water.
The only reason that I'm not giving five stars is that I wish the organizer had mentioned he did not accept credit cards. We corresponded over email and when we were given the price of $85 per person (certainly reasonable) and told that we could pay later, we assumed credit would be accepted. We had enough cash so it worked out fine, but we still were caught a little off guard. But it was a great experience and the value was fair. I would recommend the activity.
Tips:
You can lose stuff overboard (a couple in our boat lost a camera) so don't bring anything two valuable or secure it. Small things can be squeezed under the parts in middle of the boat.
You'll need some kind of shoes to walk over a few rocky areas when getting in the boat, but cheap flip flops are fine.
As mentioned, this is CASH ONLY.
I never felt in danger but it was still really exciting bouncing over the waves. We took a quick break for lunch - it was sandwiches and salad - basically got the job done for the experience. We had more time on the water than the organizer said (which was great) and there were more rapids than I thought - there weren't long periods of rowing through flat water.
The only reason that I'm not giving five stars is that I wish the organizer had mentioned he did not accept credit cards. We corresponded over email and when we were given the price of $85 per person (certainly reasonable) and told that we could pay later, we assumed credit would be accepted. We had enough cash so it worked out fine, but we still were caught a little off guard. But it was a great experience and the value was fair. I would recommend the activity.
Tips:
You can lose stuff overboard (a couple in our boat lost a camera) so don't bring anything two valuable or secure it. Small things can be squeezed under the parts in middle of the boat.
You'll need some kind of shoes to walk over a few rocky areas when getting in the boat, but cheap flip flops are fine.
As mentioned, this is CASH ONLY.
Written 1 January 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Olivier L
Vancouver, Canada79 contributions
Dec 2014 • Couples
My wife an I joined a rafting trip. It was action packed and we made tons of friends. The bus took a little over two hours to get to the location, which is near the border with Costa Rica. We got into the raft and launched on our 5 hours rafting journey (including an hour for lunch. Our guide, Tini, was really funny. We took amazing pictures and videos and everyone made it safe, besides half of our boat falling in the water at one point or another. Would do it again!
Written 28 December 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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