Sunday, August 17, 2008
Finca Habbus de Kwie, Boquete
In recent years, Boquete has become popular with international travelers and tourists exploring Central America, and also ex-Pats looking for a quiet place to retire. It is also listed as an Eco-tourism destination as it is high in the jungles of Panama, and remains largely unspoilt. The bird-watching, flowers and wildlife here are unsurpassed.
There is plenty of accommodation in and around Boquete to suit all budgets and tastes, from backpacker lodges to Spa Hotels, and plenty of mid-level hotel rooms, rentals and self-catering apartments too. For a short stay on a moderate budget I can personally recommend the jungle lodges at Habbus de Kwie.
Having arrived in Boquete in a deluge of rain which flooded the road, we briefly toured the town of Boquete (both streets!) had a delicious coffee frappe and then phoned our host, Hans van der Vooren. He drove into town to meet us, the idea being he would guide us back to his Finca, but his first words were "You may want to book into an hotel in town. You will never get up the track in that nice car". Ha! He didn't know my husband, and he underestimated the Lexus. We agreed to follow him and see how we got on.
Out of town, he turned down a potholed former road and drove slowly and carefully around the rocks and ravines with us close behind. We crossed a bridge over a terrifying brown mass of water which was in full flood with huge trees and debris sailing along at a frightening speed. So far so good. We climbed up the hillside out of the valley and then we turned up an unpaved track which led to 'Finca Habbus de Kwie'. This is a small coffee plantation owned by Hans and Terry van der Vooren, who had emigrated from Holland some years before. Holding our breath we willed the car up the stoney road. At one point we could only just get the wheels on the road without bottoming out on the ridge, but we made it and gave a huge sigh of relief.
Hans was so impressed by our tenacity that he upgraded us to a lovely 2-bedroom cottage amidst the forest. We had to walk there carrying our bags with rain teeming from above and water running over our shoes. Inside the cottage felt cold and damp after staying on the warmer Pacific coast. Here it was only 60 degreesF instead of the usual 80. Set on a small scale 22 acre private coffee plantation, these three lodges were only 10 minutes drive from Boquete town center, yet were deep in the mountains and well off the beaten track.
Hans and Terry were friendly but unobtrusive hosts, providing us with all we needed, from directions to nearby attractions to supplying home-grown organic coffee for our lodge each day. There was also a daily maid service, and breakfast could be served on your balcony by prior arrangement.
