Panama City visit; the good and the bad
 

Just spent several weeks in Panama City. Very nice city that deserves more than a one week visit. The canal is a great visit, and a can't miss attraction. Golf courses are average, but very playable. I think golf is overpriced for what you get. Next to the canal, the best thing is the food. Very creative in the Casco area. Stayed in a great condo at Playa Bonita. Traffic is a huge problem, especially if you stay in the Playa Bonita area. Crossing the canal is horrible. Warning : the police like to shake down the tourists. They will stop you for no real reason, threaten to take you to jail, then demand a bribe. You can negotiate the amount, or simply resist. I'm told they will let you go if you refuse to pay However, since very few people speak English, this is scary. I suggest you use Uber which is very reliable. Overall, it might be wise to wait another year or more before going to Panama. The good parts will still be there. Traffic and corruption will hopefully be cleaned up

Another way around that is to stay in Panama City itself while seeing the sites in Panama City.

Yes RAC, you are correct. While we loved Playa Bonita, we would likely do what you recommended, and stay in Panama City. At least until the new bridge is built. We didn't have this info when we made reservations. This forum is not very active, and the Fodor's guidebook is not very informative. Thanks for responding.