Tao Travel 365 - Panama

Tao Travel 365 - Panama

Tao Travel 365 - Panama
4.4
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About
At Tao Travel 365 we believe in eco-friendly travel preserving the beauties of nature and forming meaningful human relationships with the locals, while adhering to our Tao philosophies that focus on being in balance with yourself and with nature. Every adventure we offer to our guests has been handpicked and personally experienced by our team to ensure the best possible quality and value.
Panama City, Panama
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Tours and Tickets by Tao Travel 365 - Panama

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.


4.4
4.4 of 5 bubbles386 reviews
Excellent
283
Very good
43
Average
23
Poor
17
Terrible
21

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Patel
2 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022 • Solo
Hello I will have to be honest as I write this review about this tour. The people were lovely and made me feel safe which is a top priority for me. The tour started at 5 am with an airport pick up. Unfortunately my guide was a bit
late but there were some logistics that played a part here. Once I got to the car, we were asked to bring a passport which is very normal. There is a border check before you enter the San Blas Islands. The community is very controlled by the Kuna which is actually nice because it allows them to preserve the town and land and their culture which I admire. There is an entrance fee you’ll pay later in the day and there is a stop for breakfast which was awesome (you’ll usually see a ton of tourists at this point). Only 4x4s are allowed because of the road condition. Once you drive for 2 hours an 30 mins you’ll get to the boarding docks. Once here your guide (for the day) will take you in a boat to the first island. I went in the last week of March and the weather was not the best. It poured rain on us. And the boat ride was so scary, I heard this isn’t always the case but you’re in a small motor boat and the waves are rough, you can feel it, people were screaming scared and that’s the truth because I never read about transportation but it’s important to note. There was a rain storm as we left (it lasted 3 minute and we were told was normal ) After a while I couldn’t be scared because there was nothing I could do so I embraced it. Everyone is (literally) in the same boat so when we got off we had a good chat about it but THE WATER IS SO BEAUTIFUL you forget anything that happened. For the price it is ( I bought it on the website for 99$) it is worth it, you get lunch (fresh from village) transportation and 3 islands (2 land masses, and one natural beach in the middle of the ocean which I thought was really cool) my favorite part was the beach in the middle of the ocean. It was insane. You can get scuba googles and go diving. It’s really beautiful. We got back home at 6:30 Pm or 7 anf I scrubbed off. Unfortunately on the islands the toilets weren’t working and were clogged (you can’t put toilet paper in them) and when you get to the mainland (where your driver is waiting), there are showers and running toilets for 25 cents. It was worth it to experience how the Kuna people live and preserve their land but I would probably do Bocas Del Toro or try a larger boat and cleaner bathroom facility. I say this respectfully as I appreciated all their effort and love put into the tourist. The Kuna people are kind to open up their island to us and only drivers who know someone in the community are allowed to be a driver to the island. It is a lovely community and I am happy they have preserved their land. More indigenous communities should be able to organize and preserve culture in this way.

As someone who was solo traveling, I want others people to get the best information as possible so writing this long review.
Written April 1, 2022
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.

John P
2 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2023 • Couples
The trip itself was wonderful. San Blas islands are a treat for the eyes, body and soul.
The driver who picked us up in the morning never engaged with us. He never explained why we we were stopping ( even at passport control). He had language problem. Still, he could have made an attempt. The driver who brought us back was very cordial and answered all our questions. I think his name is Andrey.

The gentleman who came on the boat as our “ tour guide” needs to learn what the term means. Other than announcing how much time we had on each island, he never mentioned anything about the islands or Guna people ( I believe he is from the Guna community).
So, in spite of the beautiful atmosphere, we feel that it was a waste of time and money.
Written March 9, 2023
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.
We are sorry that your expectations were not met. We try to be as transparent as possible in our listing to prepare everyone for their San Blas tour. Some of our drivers engage more than other, but what is most important for us as an agency is that the driver is safely transporting our guests to the port. The roads are very treacherous and we prefer if our drivers focus on the road than on entertaining our guests. I hope you understand this. As mentioned in our listing, all services are managed by the indigenous Kunas who have their own way of customer service. We attempt to give feedback and teach our guides, but the Kunas have been and always will be a very special group. Again, we are sorry your expectations were not met. Sometimes it is best to venture on a trip or tour without having expectations and be pleasantly surprised :)
Written March 10, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Riso M
39 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2023
Some folks say, you need to stay in San Blas islands at least 2-3 days. But if you are short of time but still want to see the stunning little sandy islands with palm trees, 1day tour is still an option I fully recommend. You spend on the boat to islands + on the islands some 5 hours which is sufficient. You get to see 2 islands + the ship stops on a starfish spot. For me absolutely sufficient. Yes, you do not get to know the local people but you definitely see some beautiful spots...

And TaoTravel365 is actually ok, except for the driver we have got (arrived 30 minutes too late, we have to wait for him extra time during stops because one cigarette was not enough, the music was terrible indeed and the driving style also)
Written January 5, 2023
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.

Arturo G
5 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Friends
I would not travel with this agency again even if they paid me. Unfortunately what they advertise in their slogan that "they care about your health and safety" is the last thing they do. We stayed on the island of WAILIDUB (August) and it was impossible to be there due to the number of chitras (a type of mosquito). It is an island that has part of the mangrove forest, and the Kuna themselves from other islands told us that it is an island where it is not advisable to be on these dates due to the amount of chitras there are due to the humid area inside, and The agency has not worried about it. Everyone on the island has come out with hundreds of bites each, and people with allergic reactions. There were people who had stays for more nights and had to cancel them for this reason.
If this is the case, we add that you pay a considerable amount of money, and despite knowing that you are not going to have any type of luxuries, it does not meet a minimum of comfort. The rooms, beds and bathrooms were very dirty. The toilet was broken, yellow water with algae came out of the shower. The food was minimal portions and very poor quality. And to top it all off, the island was a real garbage dump. Aside from a small area that was clean, the rest of the island was full of bottles, plastics... etc. They can say that it is a problem of the tides and a global problem, and despite this being partly true, at the same time it is due to a lack of care on the part of the people who manage the island, since we visited 4 other islands and they were spotless, and It looked like the typical postcard of a Caribbean island, not like the island where the agency sent us. Being responsible for not worrying about where they send their clients and putting everyone's health at risk.
Google
Written August 11, 2023
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.
Dear David, we are sorry to hear your angry feedback. It has to be said here that you threatened our booking team to denounce us anywhere you can. You have been spamming us and it is very clear you are upset. Before you continue to vent your anger on our team, it needs to be stated that all the facts and details about Wailidup and San Blas were given to you upon booking. With each San Blas cabin booking we share a very detailed San Blas disclaimer, which mentions the basic amenities as well as the chitras (sandflies) on Wailidup. We also have the same disclaimer on our website on each of our San Blas cabins, asking guests to PLEASE READ THE DISCLAIMER BEFORE BOOKING! Furthermore, we state the disclaimer very clearly on Viator. We believe all these disclaimers to prepare guests for their San Blas stay are very visible. However, it appears you never took the time to read the disclaimer and you are now venting your frustration on our business. Again we are a booking agency and we try to be as clear and open with our guests as possible to avoid disappointments such as in your case. For your information, the chitras only appear on some days when there is no wind, which is more frequent during this time of the year (between July and October), but not guaranteed. You are expecting the island to shut down, which is impossible for the resident Kuna family owning and managing the island. The island is open and accepting reservations because the family is dependent on tourism. Again, as an agency we do our best to clearly communicate this fact. We hope your itchy chitra bites healed well and wish you all the best!
Written August 13, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Geonal22
Playa Coronado, Panama35 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022
We did an island tour in Bocas Del Toro. We did not receive the trip we booked for. We paid $61 for the tour that you could purchase on the island for $35. Ours was supposed to receive lunch of seafood. When we arrived we were only allowed to order chicken. Advertised as beverages included. We only were allowed one water each and after complaining got a second bottle on an all day tour. We were reimbursed $10 but still wouldn’t trust what you receive in an email.
Written March 19, 2022
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.

Christian M
9 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2022 • Family
We booked a Over Water Cabin in San Blas on Hotels.com in december 2021.
2 days before check in, febuary 21st 2022, we got a mail, saying the cabin was not available anymore.

The day after, they said we could get a cabin on the beach. We agreed to take this.
15 minutes later they told us, “The road are closed. Can you come another day?”
We agreed again to arrive febuary 24th.

We booked transportation and all.
But now we got a new issue.

The price we got on Hotels.com was not the right price.
They will add another $500 USD to the price.
This is twice as much as the first price.

We are now stock in Panama with two children and no place to go.

Thanks for nothing!

This is amateurs all the way!
Never ever use them!
Written February 22, 2022
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.
Dear Christian, we are very sorry about your San Blas booking experience with us. Unfortunately, due to the high demand of cabins in San Blas and the strict cancelation policies of the Kuna island management we can only reserve cabins when we receive full payment from the guest. With bookings from Hotels.com we received your reservation but no payment. We sent you several invoices, asking you to please pay for the cabins in order for us to reserve and hold your reservation. When we finally got in touch with you, the original cabin was sold out and we attempted to rebook you to a similar slightly more expensive cabin. Additionally, our cabins listed on Hotels.com do not include car and boat transportation services, which we clearly state in the booking confirmation message. Overall the additional payment was due to the transportation service and a slightly higher cabin price. Unfortunately, on the day we confirmed your reservation in the new cabin, a transportation strike ensued in Guna Yala territory, which is out of our control. We hope you understand that we attempted several times to contact you to confirm the cabin and that outside circumstances such as strikes and weather conditions are not in our control and should not be a negative factor for our company.
Written March 28, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

JoMcB1972
Mission, Canada19 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2021
I was picked up the next morning at 5:15 AM…in a very cramped and crowded, all-terrain vehicle. There were 7 of us squished in… with luggage. It took approximately 3 hours to get to the port.

~ No wifi.
~ No cell coverage at all.
~ No credit cards.
~ No charge accounts.
~ No ATM’s.
~ No stores.…

Thanks for the heads up, Tao Travel… if I had been told any of this, I might have been slightly better prepared. Cash only… and although I’d been under the impression everything was all-inclusive, it was not.

Paola told me I needed to bring;
$50 each way for the vehicle transportation.
$15 each way for the water taxi transportation.
$20 entrance to the marine park.
$2 for entrance to the port.

On top of this, I owed the sailing charter another $360…
I needed a minimum of $512US in addition to the outrageous prices I had already dished out. And guess what?? I had actually already paid. They were draining me however they could.

The one thing I had requested when attempting to book accommodation, was to ensure I would be at different islands than those being visited during my sailing venture. Guess she didn’t understand that part… or just didn’t care.

For an all-inclusive, private sailing adventure, and a ship that had been initially describe to me as being quite large, it was definitely not large enough for four adults and two rambunctious young children. PLUS a chain smoker.

When I finally got off the boat and made my way to my island accommodation, my room could only be described as primitive… I had a thin sheet over a single mattress, a pillow… and that was about it. There was no heads up about this at all. Nothing else.

I was left alone at a decrepit part of the lodge, on the opposite side of the island... without any electricity... in the middle of a tropical storm... alone. In fact, it was so bad that I ended up leaving the next day. I was desperate to get out of there. Everything I had was soaking wet and I had nothing but a thin sheet to keep me warm.

I can handle a lot of roughing it and primitive conditions… but my comfort cannot be compromised to this extent… especially considering the price I had paid.
I packed up and left... first thing.
I was outta there...

I was still angry about my entire transaction with Paola… and decided to dive deeper into our previous conversations. Upon investigation and a closer look at my invoice, I discovered I had already paid for vehicle and boat transportation fee.

It was time to demand a refund.

Our correspondence had already hit an all-time low, but it was time to fall off the floor. I told her I was disappointed with my accommodation, the boat of children, her professionalism, her complete lack of attention to detail, her insufficient communication… and most importantly, her customer service.

Of course, the weather was 100% no one’s fault… but this woman had literally raped and pillaged at every angle. She continually shot back at my verified accusations with apathetic defence, ludicrous excuses and nonsensical protestations, which only served to annoy me further.

She tried to side-step her way out of absolutely every allegation, but when I proved how she tried to swindle me out of payments on more than one occasion, I had her backed into a corner and there was nothing more to discuss.

I got a $178US refund...
Written December 13, 2021
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.

AS
Jersey City, NJ6 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2022
So this excursion requires a car ride from the west to east coast which takes 3 hours without traffic, with traffic 5 hours. The islands are beautiful but this is not a relaxing trip, as you only stay at each island for an hour. The boats that take you from island to island are small and you get wet. They also did not provide snorkeling equipment so we didn't see much except for 2 star fish in the natural pool.

This is not for those who are elderly or out of shape or get motion sickness.

The people were nice but it is too much for one day. The driver was on time and perfect but I would stay on the west coast next time and see the islands in the Pacific and see San Blas on a different trip...
Written February 25, 2022
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.
We are sorry to hear you did not enjoy your experience in San Blas. In our listing, we do specifically warn about the 2.5 hour drive to San Blas, which can take longer during busy times such as February, which is carnival month. We receive great feedback about our tour from most of our guests that have read the entire listing and know what to expect from their day tour. We also DO offer snorkel equipment for all of our guests and we are following up with our captain of that day. We offer several tours that take place on the Pacific side of the country, such as our Embera tribe & waterfall tour and Monkey island tour. We hope you will be able to join us on those tours and we are certain you will greatly enjoy them as they are shorter with less driving involved :)
Written February 26, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Martin L
8 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2021
This was by far my Panama highlight. I researched tours and providers and ended up booking with Tao Travel 365. First off, everything was perfectly planned and executed. Great communication and a young, fun team that answered all of our many questions with absolute patience and polite responses.

Our tour was so much fun. The driver made the journey to San Blas very interesting, telling us about his Kuna origins, showing us photos of his family and at the same time finding wildlife in the forest along the road. The tour guide was also great. Aside from the beautiful islands we visited he also prepared us delicious pineapples and gave us a great idea of his Kuna traditions and the background of the islands. We do speak some Spanish which makes comunicasting with the sometimes shy Kuna much easier.

Definitely recommend this tour and Tao Travel 365!
Written September 28, 2021
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.

Anisleidy C
16 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2021 • Couples
Amazing tour, very relaxing and fun.
I was 26 weeks pregnant when we decided to book this tour and we didn’t regret it. Everyone was excellent from Paola, our driver and Captain Nano. They were all accommodating and really took care of us. I recommend this tour 100%.
Written March 28, 2021
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.
Thank you for your comments! We are glad you enjoyed the tour :)
Written March 29, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.

TAO TRAVEL 365 - PANAMA (2025) All You Should Know BEFORE You Go (with Reviews)

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