(huffingtonpost.com)Costa Rica touts its exotic rain forests, (Ah the power of PR) but did you consider that the exact same terrain can be found in Panama, with the added bonus of visiting the historic Panama Canal - an artificial waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Panamanians make proud and solo claim to this extraordinary man made accomplishment, one of the … [Read more...]
Panama City celebrates 500 year anniversary in 2019
“Ron de cortesía” is probably the nicest welcome I’ve encountered checking into a hotel. The decanter of courtesy rum was just to the right of the tiny reception in Las Clementinas, a beautiful apart-hotel in Panama City’s Casco Viejo (Old Quarter). Far more grown-up than a hot towel and a fruit juice, a quality rum slows you down, gets your pulse running at the right beat for … [Read more...]
Trump Ocean Club rebranded as JW Marriott in Panama
(Caribbean Journal) There’s a new luxury hotel brand in the heart of Panama. Marriott International has officially opened its new JW Marriott Panama, a new chapter for what was once the Trump Ocean Club International Hotel and had most recently been the Bahia Grand Panama Hotel. The hotel is set in a 932-foot tower that is the tallest building in Central America and easily … [Read more...]
Tracking Deadly Mosquitoes in Panama
(Smithsonian) Kelly Bennett sets out from Gamboa at 4:30 a.m., crossing the Panama Canal on the tall, cable-stayed Centennial bridge. The Smithsonian post-doctoral fellow is on a six-hour trek to the Azuero Peninsula to track two mosquito species capable of lethal viral diseases: malaria, yellow fever, dengue, Zika and Chikungunya. At 7 a.m. at a tiny fonda in Penonome, she … [Read more...]
Two days in Panama City
(Delta Optimist) It’s been long overlooked as a tourism destination, but Panama City is one of Central America’s most exquisite gems. With its mixture of ancient history, indigenous culture and tropical jungle, the city’s attractions are diverse and fascinating. Give yourself at least two days to absorb the thrum of Latin American magic, feel the pulse of the jungle and walk … [Read more...]