Panama! (real estate, crime, hotels)

[sledhead1010]

what is panama like. just anything good? bad? gangs? violence? crime?

[CaribbeanJams]

Panama is a beautiful country. It is small but it is lovely! The people are very cordial and warm. If you like heat, the city of Panama is very hot but if you like cooler, the more north you go the cooler it gets. There is a place called Boquete where many americans, europeans, canadians are retiring to and the weather is simply divine. Stays around the 70's perhaps early 80's but goes down at night to 60's and even 50's. Though Panama has the same money "The Dollar" Things are very cheap in Panama so you see and get more for your money... They have the Free Zone in Colon where you can go nuts buying at wholesale and it is well worth the money. The food is wonderful, fresh and delicious. Like any place else there is crime in Panama but there are certain areas that one must stay away from, if you stay in the busy areas, nothing ever happens, no crimes recorded in those areas but if you venture into the not so good areas, things can happen but that is everywhere. When I go to Panama I wear absolutely nothing but my clothes, (jeans, sneakers, t-shirts) They are looking for the flasy fools that never learned that when you go anywhere in the world, there are those that are less fortunate than you so do not tease them nor tempt them nor fate. Wear as little as possible and always stay alert and stay in the well lit areas and go in groups or with a friend but in the city you can definitely walk alone and explore. In Boquete it is very safe as it is in Bocas del Toro... The water is very good, they sell just about everything they have here. The hotel rates are fantastic, if you need info on a reasonable yet lovely hotel to stay at just ask, I'd gladly inform you. Hope I have been of some help, if not post again... Take good care!

[sledhead1010]

Holy crap thanks that helped me out so much. last question what would be some parts to stay away from

[Sean34597]

Originally Posted by sledhead1010

what is panama like. just anything good? bad? gangs? violence? crime?

I'll only speak about Panama City, as I didn't get into the countryside on my visit earlier this year.

Lots of glass skyscrapers going up these days, although much of Panama City remains run-down. Its waterfront is an abomination of garbage strewn onto what should be a pristine beach right on the Pacific Ocean. Why locals accept that is a mystery to me. PC is also a terrible city for walking. Narrow sidewalks, often cracked, no crosswalks, and sidewalks often just peter out into...nothing. Meaning you have to cross major thoroughfares like Eddie Murphy in Bowfinger just to get to the sidewalk across the street. Take cabs because they are CHEAP but cut 50% off what the cabbie quotes you as a price. Also, see Noriega's old house which is abandoned and overrun with weeds. It's a hoot.

And don't buy the real estate hype about lots of Panamanians being bilingual. It's total crap.

As for crime, the place seemed pretty safe to me. Again, just my impression.

[CaribbeanJams]

Hi Sledhead:

These places you should stay away from: Maranon, Chorrillo, San Miguelito, Pueblo Nuevo, Santa Ana, those are the main places but there are more, I simply do not know the names but I can tell you that if you go there, try to hook up with someone that will take you around, a family perhaps or if you stay at a hotel, talk to the people at the front desk for they are quite friendly and they will guide you. Taxis are very cheap and usually hotels have tour buses and they are very safe... Panama is a spanish speaking country so NO not everyone is bilingual but in the mayor hotels they are and if by some change you run into someone that does not speak english, they will point you in the direction of those that do speak english... Of course Panama is not America, they have their own structures and the country is built Panama style so yes, the side walks for instance are not as wide as the side walks in NYC lets say but then again, Panama is not as big as NYC or a huge city so they do not need wide side walks, some areas of Panama like Casco Viejo where Ruben Blades and the President lives is built in a colonial style so yes the streets are very narrow, some areas are ran down but they are re building the area but it takes a while. Panama is up and coming but it is going to take a while for them to get to where they want the country to be and how they want it to look but if you go to Panama and look beyond the narrow streets and side walks etc you will see a lovely country that is extremely upbeat and fun... You go outside to what is called parts of the interior and there are beauties, DeCameron is simply a lovely resort and reasonable at that, so is Playa Bonita and Playa Blanca... You ride through the interior and you see how the farmers live and work, you see lovely hills and mountains and just open land that is quite beautiful... See? It all depends on what you are looking for, if you are a party animal let me tell you that Panama is the place. One of the nicer places is in the Veneto Casino right in the heart of the city of Panama, behind the Panama Hilton, very safe but of course one always should be careful... I can tell you that you must be alert in Panama, the drivers are unruly but you can live with that, I can live with anything as long as the place is nice and it gives me what I look for... Their people are friendly, every hotel has a Casino, the bigger names Casinos have entertainment and places to mingle and meet others, they can be from Panama or from any other part of the world, the food is very good, the prices are right, their beaches are lovely only thing is that you have to travel out of the city to go to the beaches but they are well worth it, the weather is great, nightlife awesome... This place has clubs and bars that are opened 24 hours a day, not saying that one should go into a bar at 7AM but saying that there is everything and anything one wants... If you should need help going there should you be contemplating going there, write me an email at tropicaribjams@yahoo.com and I will gladly hook you up with safe people, families and provide you with a very decent hotel to stay at which is quite comfy and safe. Good Luck!

[recycled]

Wow, good info CaribbeanJams. I have not been to Panama for many years, but I work with several people from there and they keep me up to date about what's going on. I don't think you are exaggerating in describing the entertainment scene there. I like tropical music (salsa, son, samba) and must admit that Panama is a great place to enjoy it with a lot of real nice people. I know there is a lot of real estate development going on right now, but Panama doesn't have the feel of an artificial tourist destination like Cancun. It's an interesting place, and pretty easy to reach with non stop flights from many places. I know that Copa airlines goes there non stop from LA in about 6 hours, just a little bit further than a flight from LA to Boston. Might take a 1 week trip there sometime this winter.

[hermosotrozo]

Originally Posted by CaribbeanJams

Hi Sledhead:
.....some areas of Panama like Casco Viejo where Ruben Blades and the President lives is built in a colonial style so yes the streets are very narrow,

i didnt knew that rubens blade lives in Panama... i have been listening to him a lot lately! i love the way this guy sings. and the great news is that his famous american wife Luba Mason has a Brazilian Jazz record coming out? I love her on Broadway and she has a great voice for Jazz too. The album is called Krazy Love you can listen to a few songs on her Myspace.

http://www.myspace.com/lubamason

[jtur88]

Panama is a very nice country, but the cities near the Canal are among the most dangerous cities in the world. There is virtually nothing accessible east of the Canal, so you're limited to the western part. There are some lovely places up near the Costa Rica border, in the volcano country. Many new developments going in, to attract American expats. Panama is currently regarded as the best country in the world to go to in order to avoid taxes on big global income and large asset holdings. US dollars are the only currency in circulation, so there are no money exchange worries. I thought Panamanians were the most friendly of any CA country.