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Drawing from his trip to Panama, the author offers tips on travel, lodging, and restaurants in this Central American country.

When You Go

Delta via Atlanta to Panama makes sense. Continental goes from Boston to Newark or Houston to Panama City. Check your airline.

Yes, you can drink the water from the tap! The Americans created a perfect filtration system.

They also established the greenback as the national currency. The Balboa is the official monetary unit of Panama, but US dollars are dispensed in ATM's (lots of them) and are the basis of all transactions. Finding a Balboa is difficult!

Do go to www.panamainfo.com for reliable country overviews and FAQ's.

Do sign up with a reputable Tour Operator and talk through the kinds of expeditions that appeal. Ancon Expeditions seems to be among the most experienced, and offers reliable customer service, as I found out when an internal flight went snafu. Their guides are trained naturalists and know their stuff. Email: info@anconexpeditions.com

IPAT (Panama Tourism Office) is improving its services rapidly and has a major commitment from the government to develop the country's service and promote its attractions.

Some basic Spanish is helpful if you're out and about by yourself, but many people speak English, a residual benefit of the long US presence.