What to do in Panama with 6 and 4 year old?

[smithy0809]

We are going to Panama in early April on the Miracle and wondering what to do with two small children. We do not want an excursion with a long bus ride but do not want to stay on the ship.

 

Any suggestions? Thanks!!

[arf2005]

We are going to Panama in early April on the Miracle and wondering what to do with two small children. We do not want an excursion with a long bus ride but do not want to stay on the ship.

 

Any suggestions? Thanks!!

We're taking two small children to the Indian Village this month. I can let you know how it goes.

[ncmomof2]

I hope this isn't too late, I took my 4.5yo DS to the Embera Indian Village on March 5, 2009. Here's what I wrote about it:

 

DS slept for most of the bus ride to the Rio San Juan de Pequini. From there, we rode in dugout canoes to the village – and got absolutely soaked!!! We were told we’d get splashed if we sat in the front, but this was like having a hose blasting you in the face almost the entire time! We took shelter behind our ponchos (we’d brought our own, but the guide also had some). Once we reached the village – not quite drowned! – we enjoyed a delicious lunch of tilapia fish, plantains, fresh watermelon, and fresh pineapple. There was then a talk by the chief about their culture and a chance to view and purchase beautiful baskets and carvings (I bought a couple of small carvings on pendants and some bead earrings – I just wish I could have afforded more…!). DS was surprisingly unphased by the topless women and men in loincloths (amazing what a little advance preparation can do!), although he has mentioned it occasionally after the fact. But he was very struck by a passing comment that our guide (American wife of an Embera) made on the return bus ride that the women keep their skirts on when they bathe in the river! I didn’t even realize he was listening to what she was saying!! DS played a little with some boys in the village, but the language barrier was really a problem. The boys clearly wanted to play, but since DS couldn’t understand them, he was leery of joining in. I thought about getting DS painted with a temporary tattoo, but the line was kinda long and we ran out of time. So it was then back in a canoe (not in the front this time!) and then a bus back to meet the ship in Cristobal. There, we bought a Kuna-made mola for DS to give to his teacher from a stall on the pier.