Panamá City Favorites

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Favorite thing: Depending on How long you will be staying, you can find excelent options, you can browse in www.encuentra24.com but you will need to read spanish, If you write me direct I can contact you with a real state agent friend of mine. ebolivar@cableonda.net

In Night Life there are lots of option, but you must visit ZONA VIVA in the causeway of Amador, when you are there, drop in Karaoke SHOT, thats my Bar, Im always there from thursday to saturday after 10pm.

See ya!

Favorite thing: It is imperative that you learn Spanish if you plan to go out and about in the city. A few people know english and you might get by without spanish but if you at least learn some general terms, that would help you big time.

Favorite thing: The official unit of currency in Panama is the Balboa. It is equal to one US dollar. However it is only minted in coins less than one balboa. Above that value, US dollars are used as the means of exchange.

Favorite thing: In case other people are having this same problem:
I tried to pull money out of 4 ATM's and I wasn't able to. It didn't deny me outright, but the machine went into this strange loop of me entering my information over and over until I gave up and hit cancel. I figured something was up with the local banks because I called my bank and there was no problem on their end. So I was on my way to a Scotiabank, to see if I could draw money out there when I came across a Western Union location with an international ATM that worked perfectly for me. (And it didn't charge me a fee!!) So if you have problems with the ATM's, find an American/Canadian bank or a Western Union!

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Favorite thing: Modern Panama is quite a sight from the distance... not beautiful but surely interesting. It's a long skyline of towering skyscrapers... which clearly serve you as a reminder that big money DOES transit through this city. If you were to be transported there without knowing where you were, you would think you are in a large US metropolis.

Fondest memory: Modern Panama is a center of finance, conventions, trade, hotels, restaurants, nightclubs and casinos. Basically it's a place to have fun, but in particular it's a place to spend money.. loud, brash, fast. it's one of those places that I am happy to go and visit, and even happier to leave, heading towards quieter destinations. A must-see but a must-not-return, either.

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Favorite thing: The Casco Antiguo (also called Casco Viejo) is the most interesting sight in Panama city and should not be confused with Panama viejo. This is in another part of town and it's the place where the first city was founded. In Panama viejo you see only ruins, in casco viejo you see real people, living in real houses that were part of old colonial panama...

Fondest memory: The Casco Viejo is now part of the UNESCO Heritage Trust. It's located on Panama Bay and for quite some time it was regarded as a rough part of town... but it is no longer so and it is slowly being restored to its former glory. All the most important city's attractions are located in this historical areas, as well as most governmental buildings. Even the president has his house, there.

Favorite thing: the best way to to to san blas is by plane you could try www.aeroperlas.com or www.flyairpanama.com.
to go to san blas take a plane to el porvenir or corazon de jesus were youll find severel hotels and cabans from there you can transporte yourself to all the islands in boat the cost for a round trip to el porvenir is 96.77 corazon de jesus 100.97 it takes 25 min to get there. you can ge to see indians and how they live. carribean side

i could also suggest isla contadora really nice place, you could go there on a boat or plane the boat ride will take 2 hours but its worth it you can see the dolfines very comen to see if you are luck you can get to see the whales(i can not explane the experience that it was for me to see whales in there natual habitat). in contadora oull find several hotels. from there you coul also pay for a boat trip to the other islands one of them is known as the survival island. theres also a nude beach if your interested.pacific side

in close proximity is also isla grande in colon carribean side. beautiful beaches you could take a boat ride around the island are just take a walk around and eat at the restuarants were youll eat there daily fished food. it is an 2 hour drive were you can contract a taxi driver to get you there.

isla coiba is also a graet option. you can get to veraguas by plane and catch a bus to take you to the port were youll have to cross over in a boat. or contract a taxi driver to take ou all the way to the port.

if you need more information contact me i could give you more detalles on were to go and how to move around

Favorite thing: Known best for its canal, Panama has an overwhelming number and variety of birds.
Keel-billed Toucans, Chestnut-mandibled Toucans,Green and shining Honeycreepers, Blue Dacnis, Greenlets, Tanagers, Trogans, Masked Tityras, the list goes on and on.
Welcome to Panama, one of the friendliest places to observe birds in the Neotropics.