Tell Me About Panama

[brocoli]

Hey Guys,

So a group of 10 of us are going to Panama in January. Aside from seeing the canal, what else is a must see? We are staying about 1.5 hours outside of Panama City. The more nature stuff the better. We are going to be drinking a lot as well, but are looking forward to going into the rainforest. Thanks

[Reaper]

Eddie tears it up on the solo.

[Nage Waza]

I used to live there and besides the canal there are a few beaches, but I would catch a flight to get there. Try Bocas del Toro.

I haven't been in a few years so I cannot say what club or bar to go to. I used to frequent Saharas. You will not be disappointed in any place that is upscale and busy. Tip high at the start (I usually give the bartender a $20 just to start the night, pretty soon there is bottle service at your table, and a crowd of girls will make their way over.

[Cheese]

The Gamboa is a pretty cool place to visit...and I was at the Decameron as well. Very cool country to visit. Visit an indigenous tribe, hike a rain forest, spend a day or two in Panama City.
Metro Natural Park, Vieju ruins are also cool.
If your a Survivor fan the Pearl Islands is also a nice jaunt.

adding a few pics...sorry for size

[Table 5]

I spent 3 days in Panama last year and I wasn't that crazy about it. Extreme wealth right next to extreme poverty...it created a weird vibe. There is some beautiful scenery and the countryside is really nice...but that inequality was really apparent in a lot of places. The people too were nowhere as friendly as they were in Ecuador.

The canal itself (at Miraflores) is a pretty neat place to go to, but prepared to spend a few hours there as the ships aren't as frequent as you think they would be. There are times of the day where you could wait an hour for a ship to go through the locks.

[FlamingHomer]

I've been there several times and the angle you may want to take is just experiencing another country's culture. It's not like Las Vegas were you go here here and here and everything is cool and touristy.

The Canal is a must see. Have lunch there. Casco Viejo is interesting. Just be careful which alley you venture down. The fish market. Fresh seafood cooked right there. Decent beaches are an hour out of the city and are usually all to yourself on weekdays. Great shopping there if you are into that. Don't go to the Atlantic side (Colon) it's not pleasant. If you rent a car, gas stations are rare so make sure you keep your tank full. The city is quite first world but the interior less so. You should still experience it. You can get by with English in the city but not so much in the interior.

[Hevishot]

There is a Nitro Circus resort called Nitro City where you can Skate, Wakeboard, Bmx and MX! I think you can even get day passes for it. We looked into it for our honeymoon but decided it was too new to have all the bugs worked out (this was 2 years ago) we might try to get there in the next year or so.

[brocoli]

The Nitro City looks awesome. Thanks for all the info guys. We are looking forward to doing some jungle tours and getting more involved with the local people.

[CaptainYooh]

Being 1.5. hours away from Panama City makes a big difference. I assume you're going to be staying at some resort. Beaches are OK at the resorts but not spectacular, like Mayan Riviera beaches. Water is murky, not too clear even on a sunny day. Food was very simple (at Decameron). Panama City used to dump all or most of their raw sewage into the ocean until not too long ago and it shows. Plus, there is a lot of construction along the shoreline everywhere.

If you are staying at or near the Decameron resort, take a trip to the Fishermen's Village between Decameron and Costa Blanca. It's very authentic and not too touristy:





I was going to suggest that you should stay at the Hard Rock Hotel at Panama City at least for a few days. The place is simply amazing – brand new and super cool. I believe this is the biggest HR Hotel in the world. Crazy club parties at the bar level every night. Lots of good action.

Gamboa boat ride was good. We saw some wildlife, but not too much. Depends on a day, I guess. Bear in mind, it rains almost every day in Panama. We did rent a vehicle and drove around. On the way to Gamboa, we took a wrong turn and got lost in the rainforest during a tropical rain. Ran into a group of Canadian potheads from Toronto who turned out to be really nice guys. They showed us the way out of the forest and on the way out we have also found a wildlife observation deck/station, where we saw a million hummingbirds. I've never ever seen anything like it.

This is Gamboa:










Canal is a must see. Seeing gigantic ocean liners passing by through a 30'-wide trench is nothing short of spectacular.



Casco Viejo is an old district of the downtown that is being "revitalized". Nice, but nothing special. Lots of armed military men on every corner. Panama City has a hugely over-built downtown. There were no height or style restrictions there until now and it shows. Everything is eclectic architecturally.




Slums are everywhere other than downtown and they are quite striking in contrast:




We had a local host, so we ate at the restaurants they've recommended. Food was good in every place we ate. Not cheap, though. Golf was nice also.

PM me if you need any more details. Sorry for the long post.

[troutman]

[bubbsy]

avoid the doggy areas.... had a coworker out there get shot in the head while in a car (miracle he survived it with just some relatively minor aesthetic long term effects all things considered).

[SebC]

Originally Posted by CaptainYooh

Panama City has a hugely over-built downtown.

Such a thing does not exist.

[FlamingHomer]

Another tip: Pack more long pants than you planned. Wearing shorts in public in Panama is like wearing a Speedo in public in Calgary. You are OK in shorts around the pool and beaches but you will get some stink eye looks in most other places.

Before you head to the Miraflores Locks to view the ships passing through, check the activity with this webcam http://www.pancanal.com/eng/photo/ca...m=MirafloresHi to make sure there is something to see.

Nothing more boring than watching locks that aren't operating.

[Huntingwhale]

The people are called Panamaniacs