1.
Is Panama safe?
Yes- Panama
is one of the safest countries in the world. In graph by the Pinkerton
Intelligence Agency published in Newsweek magazine, in which countries
all over the world were rated for tourist safety, Panama merited
the most desirable category for tourist safety- the same category
as the United States. Those of us who are foreigners (including
this author) know first-hand how safe Panama is compared to just
about anywhere.
In our experience
Panama is safer than Costa Rica and along with Chile and Uruguay
among the safest countries in Latin America. The purse snatchings
and pick-pocketing common in other places are almost unheard of.
As for all foreign travel, when going about it is advisable not
to carry large sums of money, carry a photo copy of your passport,
(not the real thing) and not to flash expensive watches etc. And
like anywhere, there are poor areas of town that it is not wise
to walk around in especially at night. [
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One area in
Panama has a State Department warning- this is a remote part of
Darien province that borders with Columbia where no tourists go.
Only journalists and missionaries go there.
2. When
is the best time to visit?
Tourism in Panama
is a year-around activity. The temperature never varies and the
sun shines everyday, all year long.
However, there are two "seasons" in Panama and some people
prefer to come in the "dry season" from mid-December through
May when it doesn't rain. Some recreational activities are better
in the dry season, for example Caribbean diving and particular kinds
of sport fishing and bird watching.
In the so called "rainy season" or “green season”
from June until December, most days there is a one to two hour tropical
rain storm in the late afternoon. This is a regular occurrence and
most activities can be planned around it. Many hotels offer special
“green season” rates. [
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3.
I don't speak Spanish. Will that be a problem in Panama?
Most Panamanians
speak some English and many speak it fluently, especially those
that cater to tourists. Remember, for 85 years up to 50,000 Americans
lived in the middle of Panama in the former Canal Zone. Furthermore,
Panama is traditionally an international business crossroads. Panamanians
are accustomed to working side by side with foreigners and English
has become a second language. [
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4. Do
I need a visa to visit Panama?
Citizens of
most countries including the USA and Western Europe do not need
a visa. Tourists from some countries including the US, need only
purchase a $5 tourist card from their airlines, at the ticket counter
on the day of departure for Panama. A tourist card gives you an
automatic 30 day stay in Panama and is extendible for another 60
days. Citizens of most other countries need only their passport.
If your children are traveling with one parent only, Panama, like
many countries requires a notarized letter of permission from the
other parent.
The following
countries can enter Panama without a visa.
Argentina Austria Belgium Chile Costa Rica El Salvador Finland France
Germany Great Britain Guatemala Honduras Hungary Israel Italy Lichtenstein
Luxembourg Nicaragua Paraguay Poland Portugal Portugal ,Singapore
Spain Sweden Switzerland The Netherlands Uruguay
The following
countries can purchase a tourist card from their airline or upon
arrival:It cost $5 and is valid for 90 days.
America Antigua & Barbuda Aruba Australia Bahamas Barbados Belize
Bermuda Bolivia Brazil Canada Canada Colombia Curacao Ecuador Granada
Greece Guyana Jamaica Japan Malta Mexico Monaco New Zealand Norway
Saint Lucia Saint Vincent & Grenadines Samoa Occidental SanCristobal
& Nevis San Marino San Tome & Principe South Korea Surinam
Sweden Taiwan Tobago Trinidad and United States of Vatican City
Venezuela. [
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5.
What’s the Government Like?
Panama is one
of the most stable democracies in the Americas. Since 1989, when
dictator Noreiga 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. His government is investor friendly and is taking effective
measures to reduce corruption. [
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6. What's
the best way to get to Panama?
There are direct
flights to Panama from seven US cities: Newark, New York, Miami,
Los Angeles, Houston, Atlanta and Orlando. (See our Airlines &
Car Rental page).
If you are coming
from Costa Rica, flights from San Jose are still expensive- about
$260 round trip. But you can also come by bus over the border to
West Panama to visit both Bocas del Toro and the Chiriqui Highlands.
Or you may be one of the hundreds of thousands of tourists who visit
Panama on a shore tour off a cruise ship. Indeed because of the
great variety of its attractions, Panama shore trips are the most
popular in the cruise ship tours in the region.
[
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7. What
is the currency?
The US dollar
is the currency. Yes- that’s right-no currency exchange hassles!
Indeed, the US dollar is one of Panama’s great tourist conveniences.
This is one country where you don't have to be a mathematical genius
to figure out what that meal just cost. [
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8.
Which Airlines fly to Panama from which US cities?
There are direct
flights to Panama from 7 US cities: New York (Copa) Newark (Continental)
Miami (American and Copa), Los Angeles,(Copa) Houston (Continental)
Atlanta (Delta) and Orlando ( Copa). Copa, a partner with Continental
Airlines is Panama's international airline. Flight times from US
cities range 3-5 hours. [
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9. How
do I get from the airport to my Panama City hotel?
Tocumen International
Airport is just 15 minutes by a super highway from downtown Panama
City. There is a taxi booth as you come out from customs. Taxi drivers
are both safe and reliable. The fare is around $20. [
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Hire a Private
Taxi to get around Panama City: If your Spanish is not great or
you just want to relax and leave everything in capable, friendly
hands, we recommend you contact Judy of Easy Travel Panama which
specializes in “personalized” ground transportation
and sight-seeing service by private taxi. From the minute you touch
Panamanian soil, you will have a knowledgeable and English-speaking
driver/guide at the Tocumen International airport to receive and
assist you. Their rates are very reasonable- for example $15 an
hour for your private taxi with an English speaking, knowledgeable
guide. Easy Travel offers transportation throughout Panama City
and other nearby popular destinations. Contact Judy at
Email: easytravel@cwpanama.net
Tel: 507.617-4122
10.
How are the prices in Panama?
The tourism
industry in Panama is just developing and so prices are reasonable
and some of the most competive anywhere. Then again, with a few
exceptions, Panama is not the place for “bargain basement”
beach vacation offerings like Cancun. Panama is the "affordable
exotic destination", meaning it offers exotic, unique and off-the-beaten-path
kind of experiences with no tourist hordes and plenty of priceless
pristine nature. If you are a backpacker on a shoe-string budget
, buy Lonely Planet Panama and you will do just fine. [
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11. Can I drink the water? Are there any health concerns?
Panama is the
only country in Latin America where you can drink the tap water.
The “Montezumas Revenge” that is so common in the rest
of Latin America is almost unheard of in Panama. Sanitary conditions
are just very good. There are no special other health concerns and
no shots or special pills are necessary unless you are going to
hike in the Darien jungles or other remote areas- something few
tourists will do. [
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12. What’s the Weather Like?
Panama has two
climates-the lowlands including Panama City which are tropical and
humid and the highlands which have spring-like temperatures year
round. [
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In the lowlands,
temperatures during the day range between 80 F and 90 degrees Fareinheit
( 25-30 degrees Celsius).It cools off in the evenings which are
invariably pleasant. In the Highlands the day range is between 45F
and 85F.
Panama has two
seasons- the ‘dry” season and the “green”
season. The dry season is from mid-December until May and green
season from May until December. “Dry” means it rarely
rains and the green season means typically a refreshing tropical
shower late each afternoon. It rarely rains all day, which means
that rain is no obstacle to tourism activities. The exception to
this rule is Bocas del Toro, where it does rain all day from time
to time and occasionally in the Highlands as well.
13. Where Do I Take Domestic Flights?
Panama’s
domestic airport is in Albrook about 15 minutes from downtown Panama
City and 45 minutes from Panama’s Tocumen International Airport.
[
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14.
What are the Transfer times between Panama City and the most Popular
Destinations?
Panama City-Costa
Blanca: 1 ½ hours by bus or car.
Panama City-Gamboa Rainforest Resort or Canopy Tower: 45 minutes
by car.
Panama City-Panama Canal Miraflores Lock and Visitor Center: 20
minutes by car.
Panama City-Contadora Island: 15 mins. by plane.
Panama City-San Blas Islands: 30 mins. by plane.
Panama City-Isla Grande: 2 hours in car, longer by bus.
Panama City-Bocas del Toro: 1 hour by plane.
Panama City-Boquete: 1 hour flight to David, then a 45 minute drive
by car. .
Panama City-Anton Valley (El Valle): 2 hours in bus or car. [
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15. 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 handicrafts. ‘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, fine woven baskets 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. [
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16. What Type of Wildlife can I see in Panama?
Panama’s
position as a narrow land bridge connecting two continents has endowed
it with some of the world’s most pristine and biodiverse rainforests.
It’s national parks cover five million acres. One key indicator
of its biodiversity: Panama ( the size of North Carolina) has 944
recorded bird species, more than the US and Canada combined.
One of the most exciting aspects of nature hiking in Panama is the
many kinds of animals that can be readily seen: monkeys, sloths,
the tropical neque and gato solo, alligators, armadillos and an
unparalled variety of birds. One American travel writer told us
that she saw more nature in one afternoon in Panama’s Soberania
National Park just 45 minutes from downtown Panama City, than she
saw in two weeks in Brazils Amazon.
Panama is also
home for ninety years to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
(STRI), an ecological treasure and the world's top tropical scientific
research institute. No country outside the developed world has a
flor and fauna that has been as studied and cataloged as Panama,
thanks to STRI. [
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17.
Where are the Best Places to See Wildlife?
In Panama's
national parkrs-Soberania National Park ,Barro Colorado Island,
Monkey Island, Pipeline Road, (there first four are just outside
Panama City,Plantation Road, Achiote Road, Bocas del Toro, Amistad
National Park in Chiriqui (on the border with Costa Rica), Pearl
Islands, Darien National Park, Coiba National Park.
Hotels and ecolodges
in these areas include Gamboa Rainforest Resort and Canopy Tower
( Panama Canal Rainforest/Soberania National Park, Hacienda del
Mar ( Pearl Islands), Punta Caracol and Al Natural ( Bocas del Toro)
and Los Quetzales in Chiriqui’s Amistad National Park.
If you won’t
have to rough it to see wildlife, have lunch at Los Lagartos Restaurant
over the historic Chagres River at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort-
from the terrace you can see trove of tropical wildlife- alligators,
turtles, fish, birds in the river and even an occasional mammal
on shore. [
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18.
What is the electrical voltage? Can I use my electrical appliances?
Yes- all your
appliances will work here. The voltage is the same as the United
States and Canada: 110V.
[
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