Panama

Why we went…

Ever since I flew through Panama on the way to South America, this country has intrigued me. The airport advertisements got me! I wanted to learn more about the history of Panama City and the canal. I wanted to explore the jungle, eat the chocolate, and drink the coffee.

How we got there…

Getting to Panama is actually quite easy from Los Angeles. We took a direct flight on Copa Airlines to Panama City. We used United points (transferred from Chase Ultimate Rewards) for two business class seats and two premium economy seats. We left late at night on the 26th of December, tried to sleep for most of the flight, and landed at 8 a.m. in Panama City. The time change from LA is only three hours so, other than being tired from the Christmas holidays and a night of bad sleep on the plane, the jet lag wasn’t bad at all. Getting through the airport in Panama City was quick and easy and we were checked into our hotel and out on a boat by 10:15 a.m.

Where we stayed in Panama City…

In Panama City, we chose to stay at Hotel La Compania using Hyatt points. This gorgeous hotel has all of the modern amenities and comfort of a newly built hotel with a ton of history. There are three unique wings that capture different eras of Panamanian history: the French wing, the Spanish wing, and the American wing. Each has a unique feel. We stayed in the Spanish wing and the American wing. My preference was the Spanish wing, but both were wonderful and felt very different.

What we did in Panama City…

We hired a private full day Taboga Island boat tour for our first day in Panama City. We attempted fishing. We learned about the shipping industry that is a vital part of the Panamanian economy and greatly influenced the history and culture of the country, visited the beautiful Taboga island. We ate fresh fish at a local restaurant. We snorkeled and swam in the warm Pacific Ocean. On our final stop of the day, we cruised by the Bridge of the Americas and saw the entry to the Panama Canal.

After six hours at sea, we had plenty of time to explore the Casco Viejo (historic old town) neighborhood in Panama City. We loved meandering through the streets and discovering beautiful churches, brightly colored buildings, and impressive ruins. The kids enjoyed perusing the many touristy trinket shops for inexpensive souvenirs and Panama soccer jerseys. And I loved the beautiful resort wear at Portomar for linen shirts and beachy dresses. We aren’t big souvenir shoppers, but there are plenty of shops to purchase Panama hats should you want one. We visited at Christmas time, and the town was beautifully decorated and very festive.

We love finding the best coffee wherever we go, and Panama City did not disappoint. Unido and Sisu are two of the best coffee shops that we have been to. Sisi even has a $10 pour over geisha coffee that is truly exceptional and definitely worth trying. The espresso drinks at both locations are also top notch.

Tasting local libations is another favorite vacation past time for our family. There are many amazing rooftop bars in Panama city that offer tasty beverages and beautiful views. Two of our favorite spots, however, didn’t have beautiful views, but great local artisanal drinks. La Rana Dorada was our favorite spot for local craft brews, and Pedro Mandinga had the best rum tasting and craft rum cocktails in town.

Where we ate in Panama City…

Maito – We love a good Latin Americas 50 Best restaurant. Maito is currently ranked as the 7th best restaurant in all of Latin America. The 12-course tasting menu with alcohol pairing is excellent and reasonably priced. There is even a course served with the Unido pour over geisha coffee. We really enjoyed our meal here on their outdoor patio and were especially happy that they really good chicken tenders for our 9-year-old son. Our daughter ordered and ate the entire tasting menu and even licked a few plates along the way.

Nazca 21 – We love Peruvian ceviche and since we heard that Peruvian ceviche is quite good in Panama, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to eat at Nazca 21. We had a wonderful casual lunch with the freshest ceviche and grilled white fish. The decor was over the top Peruvian, but that added to the charm.

1739 – We ate at 1739 at the Hotel La Compania for New Year’s Eve. We had a wonderful French meal in the beautifully decorated restaurant in the French wing of the hotel.

How we got to Bocas del Toro…

Bocas de Toro is a short plane ride from Panama City. We purchased our Air Panama tickets on the 1 p.m. flight online. This flight leaves from the Marcos A Gelabert Airport which is a 15-minute Uber ride from Casco Viejo. Uber is a great and safe way to get around Panama City. It is a small airport and a small plane! The Bocas airport is also very small and quite friendly. It is located right in the middle of town on Colon island.

Where we stayed in Bocas del Toro…

La Loma Jungle Lodge – This is the place to stay for the ultimate jungle experience. The lodge is located on the Isla Bastimentos which can only be reached by boat from Isla Colon (this is where the airportis located). When we reached La Loma’s small wooden dock, we were escorted up 175 stairs through the jungle to the main lodge. We were informed that this is where we would be dining for our three daily jungle to table meals that were included with our room rate. The views from the lodge are spectacular and the welcome drinks, both cocktails and mocktails, were unique and exceptional, featuring local fruits from the La Loma farm. After reviewing our excursion options, we were escorted up another 125 stairs to our double queen tree top villa. This open-air villa featured spectacular views and no walls. A dream to spend the night in a real tree house! The room was beautiful and luxurious despite regular visits from the local bugs. Thankfully, the netting around the beds kept the bugs out of the sleeping area. The evening sounds of the jungle were a natural sound machine. And with the ceiling fan circulating the air, the temperature for sleeping was perfect. While walking around the property, we saw a ton of wildlife including capuchin monkeys, sloths, and red frogs.

Guests should be able bodied to hike up and down the rocky jungle trails, and there is a reason that children under 9 aren’t allowed. We brought our 9- and 11-year-old kids, and they loved every second of it. They were physically able to get around the property and we didn’t feel nervous with them sleeping in a room with no walls. Eating was a bit challenging for the kids, given the limited options at each meal. But we made do, and the kids learned how to enjoy the food by the end of our stay.

What we did in Bocas de Toro…

All of our activities were coordinated through La Loma. Their wonderful local staff guided us on all of our adventures. There are many excursion options. We chose the following:

Evening Bioluminescence Tour: If the conditions are right, we highly recommend this tour. A boat takes you out into the mangroves after dinner to see the bioluminescent algae. We even jumped in the water.

Night Jungle Hike: We loved exploring the jungle at night and seeing frogs, turtles, spiders, caymen, and even night monkeys.

Bat Cave Tour: This was an adventure and not for the faint of heart. We ventured deep into a cave filled with thousands of bats and some poisonous spiders. We walked through water and even swam in a swimming hole deep in the cave. It was exhilarating, but I was frightened the entire time and happy when we exited the cave. That said, I am really happy that we stepped outside of our comfort zone for this excursion. We highly recommend it!

Cacao & Farm Tour: This was my 12-year old’s favorite activity. She loved tasting all of the exotic fruits and plants, and seeing how chocolate is made from start to finish. It was also wonderful seeing the plants we tried on the farm tour used in our meals at the lodge. Mr. Kelly was a phenomenal personality and so informative.