This was recently posted on the Boquete Guide Blog and I couldn't resist sharing it here. Be sure to read to the end to capture the spirit of the whole piece. Jennifer and Lee do a great job of expressing my my sentiments in this piece.<< MORE >>

With the US economy on shaky ground many people are asking if Panama Real Estate and in fact the entire Panama economy as a whole will falter and crash now that many Americans can't unload their home to fund a move to Panama. Unlike many countries, Costa Rica for one, who rely very heavily on foreign tourism, Panama has an economy which is based primarily on much more than just tourism or retirement real estate. In fact both of these 'industries' combined don't even come close to generating the amount of revenue the Panama Canal does for ...<< MORE >>

FYI - I just added a new page to Learn About Panama. Check it out - Weather in Panama

        

Hey Sports Fans!  My beloved home land of Canada is taking on Panama in a friendly.  Check out the details by clicking on this headline -

National team coach will juggle roster as Canada plays Panama in friendly

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Discovered this Hot Deal today on TACA Airlines. Now the window which opens will not show Panama in the example but if you input your city of origin, ie. MIA for Miami and PTY for Panama City you will get the fares to/from Panama City. In this case I checked Miami (MIA) to Panama City (PTY) and got a fare of $224 round trip - and Miami to San Jose, CR is just $125 - now that's a Hot Deal! If you are interested in the Chiriqui Highlands - Boquete, Volcan or David area then flying into San Jose makes sense. You can then connect on to the Chiriqui airport in David.

Check it out -

South of the Border Savings! Round-Trip Flights from $125+ w/ Taca Airlines! > Expires 5/28/08

Please note you need to book by 5/28/08 and travel by Dec. 15/08

        

I am loving this new site for

Cheap Airfares to Panama!

As a matter of fact I'm not only getting good deals to and from Panama but finding it excellent for Cheap Airfares anywhere - especially for travel in the U.S.

It is so cool! It automatically searches airfares on all of the discount sites.

Then it scans continuously for the best fares and updates the prices as it works.

I checked for Panama to Miami on the typical consolidator sites the best fare to Panama from Miami was $310

Then I checked Site

Here's what I got: $244

This site is very cool and will definitely save us money flying to Panama or anywhere else for that matter.

Check it out here - Lowest Airfares Online! Oh, and be sure to register for additional perks, benefits and some extra discounts.

        

With the rising cost of health care in the United States I am getting a lot more questions about - Medical Tourism in Panama. I came across this interesting site with a good Q&A about Medical Tourism in Panama. here's an excerpt -

What is Medical Tourism?

Medical tourism, also known as health tourism, offers a different and affordable approach to medical procedures, giving patients a chance to relax, while recovering from or awaiting their particular surgeries.

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Undergoing MyBlogLog Verification

        

Yesterday the Seattle Times Travel Section posted this article answering the question, 'Can I plan my own trip to Panama for bird-watching, canal-watching and culture? Do I need to be on a tour, or can I get my own guides and keep my costs down? What is the best time of year to travel?'

Kristin Jackson, Seattle Times Travel writer provided this informative response. I've added some comments to Kristin's which I hope will help more -

A: Yes, you can certainly go on your own, and Panama has some of the best bird-watching and hiking in Central America. However, when you are hiking or bird-watching in remote areas, you might find it easier — and safer — to go with a group. The advantage of guides is that they can arrange transportation, and they'll know local conditions.

LAP says,  - Good advice.

For instance, some parts of Darien province, near the border with Colombia, are unsafe because of bandits and drug-smuggling. The wild, and wildlife-teeming, Darien National Park is there; you would definitely want to be with a local guide and a group for security.

LAP says, -  Good advice

Some authorities, including the U.S. State Department, advise against traveling to all of Darien province; see its Panama information sheet at www.travel.state.gov. Certain areas of Panama City and the city of Colón also should be avoided, particularly at night, because of robberies.

LAP says, - very true however, take the state department warning with a grain of salt. Remember the US State departments main purpose is to keep all Americans in state of fear so they stay put and put up with whatever the government throws at them! Kristin's comments in the previous paragraph are most appropriate here. There are plenty of safe places to visit in the Darien but a good local guide is a must!

The best time to go to Panama is roughly from mid-December to mid-April, which is the drier season. That's also when hotels are most expensive, however. Christmas and Easter are very busy travel periods, although there are many religious processions and cultural events in Holy Week (the week before Easter). If you plan to visit then, make hotel reservations far in advance.

LAP says, - True, True, True!

For seeing the Panama Canal, you can easily arrange a one-day tour from Panama City. There are many tour/travel companies in the city; hotels will have information. You can get lots of information on Panama through the government tourism office's Web site: www.visitpanama.com/eng/. And you can find all sorts of tours, including escorted nature tours arranged by U.S. companies, if you search online for "Panama and tours."

LAP says, - Using a tour company to visit the canal is really not necessary and will cost you a lot more than doing it yourself. The Mira-flores locks and museum are easy to get to by taxi. Ask around and set a price ahead of time for the taxi fare. It really depends on where you are staying. From downtown hotels expect to pay $15 or less. Entry to the museum is $8. 

There are two indispensable guides for planning such a trip to Panama -

A Guide to the Birds of Panama and The Lonely Planet - Panama

Oh, and don't forget a good Map of Panama.

        

We have moved our Q&A from the website to this blog. Please ask your Panama questions here for a speedy response and be sure to Subscribe to the blog - up there in the top left corner - to be notified by e-mail when your answer is posted.
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