Januray Trip tp Panama! Help Please
Nov 10th, 2007, 01:15 PM
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Januray Trip tp Panama! Help Please
Hello!
My husband and I are planning a trip to Panama this January and don't know where to begin researching! We are really interested in Panama City - we are into nightlife, architecture, beaches would be good too...we also would love to visit a coffee farm ! Was hoping anyone knew of a coffee farm we could visit? and what other things would be good for a 8 days trp to Panama?
My husband and I are planning a trip to Panama this January and don't know where to begin researching! We are really interested in Panama City - we are into nightlife, architecture, beaches would be good too...we also would love to visit a coffee farm ! Was hoping anyone knew of a coffee farm we could visit? and what other things would be good for a 8 days trp to Panama?
Nov 12th, 2007, 08:53 AM
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We LOVED La Montana y El Valle (also known as Coffee Estate) up in Boquete, the highlands region in Chiriqui. Barry will take you on a tour of his plantation and the little bungalows are very nice. It is a beautiful property. Good hiking in the area--and restaurants--as well. Also a cooler climate!
Don't miss the Panama City/Gamboa area, of course. Miraflores Locks at the canal are excellent!
These are the only areas we know, but we sure enjoyed both parts of the country. Also liked Bocas del Toro last year. . .
Don't miss the Panama City/Gamboa area, of course. Miraflores Locks at the canal are excellent!
These are the only areas we know, but we sure enjoyed both parts of the country. Also liked Bocas del Toro last year. . .
Nov 14th, 2007, 10:16 AM
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We are going to Panama on Tuesday and I know how you feel about not knowing where to begin. We are going with our 2 girls and after a lot of research and amazing help from people on Fodors, Lonely Planet and Trip Advisor, we have decided on PC, Kuna Yala (Yandup), Playa Blanca, El Valle and Gamboa. There are so many other places I would love to visit but we only have 12 days. Also try posting on Lonely Planet--they get more traffic for Panama. Also, check out Las Sirenas in Santa Clara. It has come highly recommended, has a nice beach and it is only 1 1/2 hours from PC.
Nov 14th, 2007, 10:42 AM
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So glad yet another person liked Coffee Estates Inn. When we went there a few years ago I fell in love with it and couldn't wait to get back to tell people about it. I know shillmac discussed it with some other people who went there after I told them about it.
Jane and Barry are actually very good friends of friends of ours in Costa Rica who recommended them.
It is a darling place overlooking the town of Boquete. Do have them cook a dinner for you at least once if you go, it is wonderful. They came over and put linens and fresh flowers on the table.
Barry does a very nice tour of the property and shows how he has mixed plantings to the benefit of all of them. Fresh bowls of oranges from the property are yours to make fresh orange juice every morning with the juicer provided.
January is a perfect time of year to go there. It gets pretty busy as that is when the flowers of Boquete are in bloom and people come from all over to see them. Unfortunately there had been some flooding shortly before we went and the flowers were not in very good shape. I would love to go back to see them. Do a search for Here and there Pics of CR if you want to see pictures of it. The Boquete pictures start at number 133.
If you are looking for nightlife this is not the place to go.
Jane and Barry are actually very good friends of friends of ours in Costa Rica who recommended them.
It is a darling place overlooking the town of Boquete. Do have them cook a dinner for you at least once if you go, it is wonderful. They came over and put linens and fresh flowers on the table.
Barry does a very nice tour of the property and shows how he has mixed plantings to the benefit of all of them. Fresh bowls of oranges from the property are yours to make fresh orange juice every morning with the juicer provided.
January is a perfect time of year to go there. It gets pretty busy as that is when the flowers of Boquete are in bloom and people come from all over to see them. Unfortunately there had been some flooding shortly before we went and the flowers were not in very good shape. I would love to go back to see them. Do a search for Here and there Pics of CR if you want to see pictures of it. The Boquete pictures start at number 133.
If you are looking for nightlife this is not the place to go.
Jan 7th, 2008, 03:03 PM
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We did a tour of dolphin watching, snorkeling, Red Frog Beach and Hospital Point one day. It included lunch. Or stopped for lunch. . maybe we had to buy, can't remember. It was a very good tour and the snorkeling was great--beautiful coral.
Another day we visited Bastimiente town and wandered around, eating at a place called Roots.
Another day we spent at a beach on Bocas (forget the name--don't have my notes with me right now). We took a taxi there out of Bocas town. He dropped us off, we spent the day, he picked us up at a pre-arranged time. There was a restaurant on that beach.
We spent a lot of time just walking around Bocas town, looking in the shops, etc, hanging out at the internet cafe. . .eating, sitting on the patios on the water and visiting, having a beer. . you know, just chill stuff!
We would have liked to do the Bird Island tour, but ran out of time. It was a very relaxing time. We did a little here and there as we wanted, but weren't rushing to fit a lot of stuff in.
Not everyone would be interested, but we actually stayed in Isla Carenera (sp?) at a little hotel called Dona Mara. We only slept there. It was $45 per night, RIGHT on the beach (which wasn't all that great), but the price included toast and coffee and fruit for breakfast AND tax. It made our 4 nights on Bocas pretty economical! (We took water taxis everywhere. The hotel would call for one, or we'd wave one down--they're zipping here and there all the time).
We selected that hotel based on a link posted by cmcfong--a trip report given by a friend of hers. And it was very helpful.
cmcfong---if you still have that, you might post it?
Another day we visited Bastimiente town and wandered around, eating at a place called Roots.
Another day we spent at a beach on Bocas (forget the name--don't have my notes with me right now). We took a taxi there out of Bocas town. He dropped us off, we spent the day, he picked us up at a pre-arranged time. There was a restaurant on that beach.
We spent a lot of time just walking around Bocas town, looking in the shops, etc, hanging out at the internet cafe. . .eating, sitting on the patios on the water and visiting, having a beer. . you know, just chill stuff!
We would have liked to do the Bird Island tour, but ran out of time. It was a very relaxing time. We did a little here and there as we wanted, but weren't rushing to fit a lot of stuff in.
Not everyone would be interested, but we actually stayed in Isla Carenera (sp?) at a little hotel called Dona Mara. We only slept there. It was $45 per night, RIGHT on the beach (which wasn't all that great), but the price included toast and coffee and fruit for breakfast AND tax. It made our 4 nights on Bocas pretty economical! (We took water taxis everywhere. The hotel would call for one, or we'd wave one down--they're zipping here and there all the time).
We selected that hotel based on a link posted by cmcfong--a trip report given by a friend of hers. And it was very helpful.
cmcfong---if you still have that, you might post it?
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