This was our first time in Panama. We typically head to an island in the Caribbean or the Bahamas for Patrick's spring break. Living in Chicago, we always look forward
to getting away from the cold. However, we wanted to go somewhere
different this time. We seriously looked at Argentina but quickly realized that one week there wasn't going to be enough. We
didn't want to come back from our much needed vacation exhausted from
trying to do everything in a short period of time. After much back and
forth, we finally decided on Panama (the Canal was on our bucket list).
Would we go back? Unlikely. Too many places, too little time. Did we
enjoy ourselves? Absolutely. We love visiting new countries and are
thankful that we can do that.
~ PANAMA CITY ~
We originally planned to stay at Le Meridien, but a few days before
our trip we received an email saying the pool would be closed due to
some construction. I knew that after some sightseeing, we'd want to
spend time in a pool (especially with a teenager), so we switched to the
Waldorf Astoria. I am so glad we did. It was HOT in Panama and pool
time felt like a necessity! The hotel is in a good location, near many
restaurants that were within walking distance. There was a lot of
construction around it though so the area was noisy and not attractive.
We did like the hotel very much and can't say we had any other
complaints.
Why come all the way to Panama and stay on the sideline
to watch the ships go by in the Panama Canal? Go for the actual experience. We think a Panama Canal cruise is a must do. We used Canal PMA Tours and did the 1/2 day tour. We did think the
1/2 day was enough (vs the full day). It's a little tedious at first
because you don't get to the 1st lock for a couple of hours. One of the
reviews I read said that everyone goes to the front of boat so it's
better to be in the back of the boat. I couldn't agree more. There were
just a few people there and we weren't jockeying for space to stand and
take pics... and you could see the locks closing and the water rising
after the boat went through. The tour is a little pricey and the food is
eh (but that's not what you go on this tour for anyway). At the end of
the day, it was a pretty cool tour.
Casco Viejo is the historic district of Panama City. It reminded us of a smaller version Old San Juan in Puerto Rico. It was too hot to walk to it so we grabbed a yellow taxi down the street (the hotel taxis are pricier).
We had a great dinner and a great lunch at Latitudes at Le Meridien.
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| Prawns |
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| Salmon |
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| Steak |
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| Cheesecake |
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| Chocolate mousse pie |
We also had a delicious dinner at La Posta.
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| Lasagna |
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| Steak |
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| Creme brulee |
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| Some chocolate thing |
We figured out a way to get some beach time on this vacation. We ended our trip with 3 nights at Azul Paradise in Isla
Bastimentos (Bocas del Toro). We flew Air Panama from PAC>BOC, then it was a short
boat ride to Isla Bastimentos. Talk about falling off the grid. We loved
our time there. We stayed in a fabulous 2-bedroom over-the-water bungalow.
We met Rafiki the monkey, a resident of the resort. He is a hoot but tends to become a little aggressive when he gets excited.
We went on a couple of snorkeling trips. We saw quite a few dolphins and a couple of sloths.
Our meals at the resort were pretty decent. We tried ceviche for the very first time and it was delicious!
We enjoyed our time in Panama. The sunrise and the sunset were magnificent.
Goodbye Panama...
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