It has been almost 2 years since I returned from my amazing journey
through SE Asia, and while I have remained rooted in Half Moon Bay I
have continued to travel whenever possible. Just can't ever shake that
wanderlust! Last February (2018) I decided to visit my sweet friend
Mallory and her husband Richie (and Rose their sweet little pup) who
manage the Tropic Star Lodge in the Darien rain forest of Panama. I
never got around to blogging about it, but want to add it here now so I
can have a record of my time there. Better late then never!
Tropic Star is a very famous sport fishing lodge that is only accessible via tiny plane and boat ride from the city, so just getting there is an adventure in itself. The little planes only go there a few days a week, and you board the plane and may as well be right in the cockpit with the pilots. The plane flies low over the forests and islands of the area to reach a dirt landing strip in the middle of nowhere, and once you land the Tropic Star shuttle picks you up. You take the little shuttle to the waters edge where you then board a boat that drives you to the Tropic Star dock.
The lodge is truly secluded which adds to the magic of the place. People travel from all over the world to stay here in hopes of catching the most prized fish of the sport including sailfish, blue marlin and the highly coveted black marlin. These fish are all catch and release, but guests also catch tuna, wahoo and other fish that is then cleaned and prepped for dinner that night. I experienced the freshest, most incredible sashimi there and it has ruined me for life! There are 13 boats in the fleet at the lodge and each day they post the stats for each boat, it is cool to see how everyone did! I think it also sparks some friendly competition among guests which is always fun.
I had an amazing time relaxing by the new pool, hiking to the private beach, meeting the lodge parrots, paddle boarding, kayaking through the mangroves and, of course, experiencing my fist sport fishing outing! It was so fun to finally experience Richie's passion and talent on the water. I have known him for years and heard his crazy fishing stores so it was fun to experience it first hand. I caught my first sailfish which was super exciting, with the help of a good luck tactic they use of putting money into the reel to call the fish in. Apparently it worked because I hooked a big one and man was it fun reeling that guy in from the seat they strap you into so you don't get pulled overboard. It is crazy how hard these fish fight and the strength and time it takes to bring them in, watching them jump out of the water is pretty epic. The best part is after you worked hard and brought them in, you get to release them back to the wild and not have to feel guilty about ending a life. Very cool. It was also really cool to see Mallory running the lodge, speaking Spanish to the locals and being an all around badass! It is a lot of work to keep guests happy and it was clear she does an amazing job! I am so grateful to have friends to host me in such a special place and cant wait to o back for another visit!
Tropic Star is a very famous sport fishing lodge that is only accessible via tiny plane and boat ride from the city, so just getting there is an adventure in itself. The little planes only go there a few days a week, and you board the plane and may as well be right in the cockpit with the pilots. The plane flies low over the forests and islands of the area to reach a dirt landing strip in the middle of nowhere, and once you land the Tropic Star shuttle picks you up. You take the little shuttle to the waters edge where you then board a boat that drives you to the Tropic Star dock.
The lodge is truly secluded which adds to the magic of the place. People travel from all over the world to stay here in hopes of catching the most prized fish of the sport including sailfish, blue marlin and the highly coveted black marlin. These fish are all catch and release, but guests also catch tuna, wahoo and other fish that is then cleaned and prepped for dinner that night. I experienced the freshest, most incredible sashimi there and it has ruined me for life! There are 13 boats in the fleet at the lodge and each day they post the stats for each boat, it is cool to see how everyone did! I think it also sparks some friendly competition among guests which is always fun.
I had an amazing time relaxing by the new pool, hiking to the private beach, meeting the lodge parrots, paddle boarding, kayaking through the mangroves and, of course, experiencing my fist sport fishing outing! It was so fun to finally experience Richie's passion and talent on the water. I have known him for years and heard his crazy fishing stores so it was fun to experience it first hand. I caught my first sailfish which was super exciting, with the help of a good luck tactic they use of putting money into the reel to call the fish in. Apparently it worked because I hooked a big one and man was it fun reeling that guy in from the seat they strap you into so you don't get pulled overboard. It is crazy how hard these fish fight and the strength and time it takes to bring them in, watching them jump out of the water is pretty epic. The best part is after you worked hard and brought them in, you get to release them back to the wild and not have to feel guilty about ending a life. Very cool. It was also really cool to see Mallory running the lodge, speaking Spanish to the locals and being an all around badass! It is a lot of work to keep guests happy and it was clear she does an amazing job! I am so grateful to have friends to host me in such a special place and cant wait to o back for another visit!
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