Travel agency promotes Darien Gap  as an adventure tour

Wandermut , a German travel agency is promoting the Darien Gap which has claimed the lives of over 300 migrants in search of a better life as an Adventure Tour.

“Our goal is to traverse what is probably the most infamous jungle in the world . Together we will make our way through vines, lianas and dense undergrowth for days, until finally reaching the coast of the Pacific Ocean. The challenges will be enormously diverse and tough. But with a strong and motivated team, it will be the adventure of your life” says the promotional blurb.

the Darien Gap , the scene of one of the most dramatic migratory crises in recent years and has left some 300 recognized deaths and hundreds of others missing.

Although it does not define the specific route they will travel, the agency indicates that they will start in an Emberá indigenous town , which they can only reach by boat.

“What awaits us in the middle is uncertain. To move faster, we often try to walk along old hunting trails… if they are still recognizable,” says the promo piece.

They add that “if everything goes well”, they will reach a lonely beach on the Panamanian Pacific coast in about 10 days.

CHALLENGES
The agency recognizes that, during the journey, they can face several challenges like physical risks to and poisonous animals such as snakes, but in case of “extreme” emergencies, a distress signal is sent through a satellite phone.

Regarding the presence of “smugglers and other criminals” the agency says their guides have not had any problems with this issue. They attribute that to the contacts and experience they have accumulated over the last 20 years.

In any case, “if there are signs of such dangers, we will change or reverse the route.” The cost of this journey, according to the website, is 3,643 euros, ($4000, at the current exchange rate). It is not specified exactly what this fee covers and whether it includes tickets, lodging, food or insurance.

Panamanian authorities such as the director of the National Migration Service, Samira Gonzaine warn that  the package offered by the  agency, Gozaine is not a route to migrate and even less for adventure tourism.

“I ask you to investigate before entering that jungle, since it is not an adventure and it is a dangerous section and  not suitable for any human being,” she  said.

Gozaine’s message was clear: “The Darién plug is not a tourist route and the Government does not authorize such activity. Many people have died and now the rivers are in flood. That is not a route, much less a tourist one”.