Wekso Ecolodge, Panama
For American ecotourists, Panama has the advantage of being close to home. But that doesn't make its cloud forests any less spectacular. The Wekso Ecolodge (+507-530-3747; turismonaso_odesen@hotmail.com) is located in La Amistad Biosphere Reserve, part of the Southern Mesoamerica Corridor, which stretches across Panama, Costa Rica and Nicaragua and is threatened by development and deforestation. The ecolodge itself was built on the site of a former jungle training camp and now generates income for several local families of Panama's indigenous Naso tribe. It is also bird-watching heaven — the forest surrounding the ecolodge is a convergence point for approximately 75% of all the migratory birds in the Western Hemisphere, and home to spectacular species like the quetzal. The lodge has three rustic rooms, which can sleep four people each. Getting here requires a short flight from Panama City and an hourlong boat ride up the Teribe River, on which visitors can canoe.