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· What
clothes do I need to bring?
· How
many days do you recommend staying?
· Do
you have airport transfer service?
· In
case of an emergency, what are the medical facilities like?
· Is
there any anti-Americanism?
· How
do I get to Panama City (Airlines)?
· How
to get around in the city?
· What
sort of souvenirs and gifts can I find?
Shorts, short sleeve shirts, sundresses and sandals are commonly worn. An extra swimming suit is always useful, as is sunscreen. Insect repellent is recommended for horseback riding, jungle and plantation tours. We suggest bringing sun hats and sunglasses although straw hats and various caps from our local markets make nice souvenirs. In general, for the tropical climate, light colored, loose fitting cotton clothes are the most comfortable. Do bring at least a pair of trousers (for the gentleman), a nice shirt & closed shoes. Panamanians themselves, especially the women of Panama City are beautifully groomed. Panama City is a dress-up city, but as a tourist you’ll be excused from the dress code provided you are dressed neatly (the high-end restaurants are stricter).
The highlands can be cold in the night so a warm sweater or light jacket
is necessary.
How many days do you recommend staying? Panama is a rather small country (77,381 sq. km. / 29,762 sq. mi.) and the major attractions are all in Panama City and its surroundings. You have beaches, mountains, lakes, tropical rainforests, the Panama Canal, tax free shopping, history, ruins, bird watching, jungle trekking, golfing, deep-sea fishing, diving, snorkeling, marine and biodiversity exhibition centers, excellent restaurants and night life... all at your finger tipsJ
Our recommendation is to stay at least
5 days (a week would be better as some of you will need time to get rid
of the jet-lag!) in Panama City and take
day tours
to the places of your interest. This will save you a lot of time and money
and at the same time will let you enjoy Panama's night life enjoying one
of Amador’s restaurants with the canal view and ocean breeze, the Casco
Viejo's ambiance with great restaurants or in Bella Vista neighborhood
where you will find the widest selection of restaurants and bars of the
city with its casinos and night clubs or just dance away to the salsa
and merengue music;-)
Do you have airport transfer service?
Yes, we offer airport transfer service to our guests for
US$30-US$45
depending on the number of passengers. For details
click here. We charge the same as the airport taxis...the added plus is that you have someone waiting for you who knows where to take you;-)
For your convenience, your hosts, Patty & Rudy speak
English, Spanish, German, French and Italian fluently. The native tongue
in Panama is Spanish...the upper Panamanian class speak English fluently
however the taxis & vendors don't so it is useful to have a mini
dictionary at hand
In case of an emergency, what are the
medical facilities like?
As a by-product of its long association
with the United States, many Panamanian doctors are U.S. trained and the
standards of the top hospitals compare favorably to US standards. For
medical treatment we recommend the
Hospital Nacional
in Panama City (Tel: 204-8100) which has a special department for tourists
with a multilingual staff and the
John Hopkins Hospital. They accept most insurance policies.
Their medical staff is mostly US trained and English speaking and the
facilities and service are excellent. There is a new incentive at the moment that entitles you to a 1 month free medical service during your stay...so ask for the card when entering the country.
According to the prestigious Pinkerton Intelligence Agency,
Panama was rated amongst the top countries for tourist safety.
Panama has no army and uses the U.S. dollar as currency, therefore
political stability and a peaceful place to relax and enjoy your
vacations. More incidents of violent crime occur in cities like Rome,
Paris or Washington D.C in 24 hours than they occur in the whole of
Panama in an entire year!
Panama is one of the most stable democracies in the
Americas. Since 1989, when dictator Noriega was deposed ( now
languishing in a Miami prison), Panama’s presidents have been
democratically elected. The current president Martin Torrijos began his
five year term in September 2004.
Is there any anti-Americanism?
On
the contrary - Panamanians are some of the most pro-American people.
They are proud and relieved to finally have complete sovereignty over
their country but are absolutely delighted to see Americans back as
tourists, investors or living full time (which is a trend!). Due to
their long historical association with the United States, Panamanians
understand and appreciate Americans as few other peoples.
They say Panama is like Miami "Panama is safer than Miami,
more people speak English in Panama than in Miami, there are no
hurricanes in Panama and Americans are more popular in Panama"!!!
Low cost with: www.spiritair.com departing from: New York, Fort Lauderdale & Atlanta (but check their web site as they might be adding new routes!) There are direct flights to Panama from 7 US cities: New York (www.copaair.com), Newark (www.continental.com), Miami (www.aa.com and www.copaair.com ), Los Angeles (Copa), Houston (Continental), Atlanta (www.delta.com) and Orlando (Copa). Copa, a partner with Continental Airlines is Panama's international airline company. Duration of flight from US cities range 3-5 hours.
Other airlines serving Panama: www.avianca.com ,
www.cubana.cu ,
www.iberia.com ,
www.labairlines.com ,
www.taca.com , www.mexicana.com ,
www.wca.com.co ,
www.alitalia.it ,
www.britishairways.com ,
www.airfrance.fr ,
www.japanairlines.com ,
www.klm.com ,
www.lufthansa.com ,
www.sabena.com ,
www.sas.com ,
www.varig.com ,
www.airmadrid.com ,
www.lauda.it
How do we get around in the city? Getting around in the city is easy…just grab a taxiJ The cost is between US$2 and US$7 within the city, depending on distance and the number of passengers.
Traffic and driving is quiet challenging even for a very good driver as
road signs are hardly there to see and many streets are one
way...needless to say that it is not indicated!!!
What sort of souvenirs and gifts can I
find?
Panama has the greatest variety of indigenous-made
souvenirs of any country outside Mexico. Panamanians have an innate
sense of beauty that shows in their handcrafts. “Molas”, intricate
hand-sewn tapestries of the Kuna Indians are the most popular souvenirs-
you can buy little girls dresses, women’s clothes and handbags decorated
with Molas. Native jewelry, Panama hats (which are not made localy...for
the little info!), fine woven baskets & masks from the rainforest palms
and natural dyes, tropical wood carvings and pre-Colombian and Spanish
Colonial style jewelry are some of the other most popular items.
Meals in Panama are generally cheap. From a
US$0.50
empanada to a
US$19.00
lobster dinner (16onz) you will surely find a decent meal to suit your
budget. If you want to treat yourself to a nice restaurant the price for a full course meal with wine (without choosing a US$30 bottle!) can range from US$25 to $100.
10% is the norm but if you had excellent service then
please do tip them more;-) Some restaurants include the tips in the
bill, so check it. You don’t have to tip taxi drivers-but
they'll be happy if you do!
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