accommodations  ropic Star Lodge is a veritable paradise cut out of the side of a mountain at the edge of the Darien Jungle on the Pacific coast of Panama. The Lodge is situated 150 miles south of Panama City, or 35 miles from the Colombian border. It can only be reached by boat or plane, since there are no roads within a hundred miles. A charter plane lands on our own Pinas Bay airstrip. You then take a fifteen minute boat ride to Tropic Star Lodge. he original owner's home is known as El Palacio, or the Palace. It is reached by cable car, or for those looking for exercise, there are 150 steps up the mountainside! The Palace has three bedrooms with private baths, and can sleep six. It has a sunken living room and outside terrace, both with a beautiful panoramic view of the Bay and surrounding mountains.  ur spacious cabins and rooms are fully carpeted and air-conditioned, with a beautiful view of Pinas Bay. Each room has twin-beds and private bath/dressing room areas. A king bed can be requested. The cabins have surrounding porches with chairs.  he Lodge has a fresh water swimming pool and bar. A jungle trail has been cut across to La Playa Blanca, where you may enjoy swimming, sunning, and shelling on the beautiful white sand beach. This trail is over a small mountain and takes thirty to forty minutes to hike there. In order to really enjoy this walk you should be in very good physical shape! Kayaks are also available to enjoy the Bay and Pinas river on your own.  jungle river trip to bargain with the "primitive" Indian tribes is a fascinating experience, which can also be arranged. However, this trip can only be made during certain tides. If you are interested in planning this excursion, contact the manager upon arrival to see if it is available and on what day it can be arranged. Many guests bring candy for the children, and special "gifts" for the Indians, such as cloth, thread, needles, or other items that can be put to good use by the tribe. School supplies for the children are always welcome, as well as used tee shirts and children's clothes.  Please pack these donations in a separate bag/box and identify this as "excess luggage".  It will then travel to Pinas on space available. ach afternoon when the boats return to the Lodge, "fish stories" are swapped while guests relax in the fresh water swimming pool, or drink pina coladas and eat dolphin fingers on the veranda overlooking the bay, or in the air-conditioned bar. ulti-course dinners, complete with wine, are served in the scenic bay-view dining room each evening. The chef prepares various specialties, such as baked Alaska, cherries jubilee, black bean soup, fresh baked pies and bread, ceviche, and many more varied and delectable dishes.  A fresh "catch of the day" is offered as well as our regular main course selection. ropic Star guests are catered to by 80 employees, whose "personal touch" makes your stay a memorable one! Since the Lodge can only accommodate a total of 36 guests at a time, early reservations are a must; otherwise, you might have to be wait-listed for a possible cancellation. ropic Star Lodge enjoys a very large repeat client business. It is known the world over as an exclusive fishing lodge where quality and a quantity of fish come together in Pinas Bay! You will find no telephones, fax machines, or newspapers at this fantastic "get away from it all" fishing retreat! We have a television and (VHS) VCR used solely for the purpose of viewing fishing videos. Please bring any cords or adapters needed for your video equipment. eekly bookings consist of a 31-foot Bertram with captain and mate, six days of fishing (Sunday through Friday), seven nights lodging, and three meals a day, plus fishing tackle and leaders. Arrangements for less than a week can be made during June and July.