NAVIGATE: Panama: What Shouldn't Be A Second Thought

NAVIGATE: Panama: What Shouldn't Be A Second Thought

Had I not visited Costa Rica last year, I would not have been properly prepared for Panama. Truth be told, I still had a few lessons learned which should be expected regardless of how often I travel, especially internationally. I refer to these as “Life’s [Sometimes Not So] Gentle Reminders” to never get too comfortable. For those who have not yet visited a Latin American country, I’ve listed a few seemingly minor tips that could have a major negative impact if you’re not aware.

I Thought I Was Going To The Beach

Note to Self: Central America is not the Caribbean. For some reason, it wasn’t until my trip to Costa Rica that I realized that all tropical destinations are not the same. This sounds silly, right? Yes, I know. But think about it. Most of the marketing strategies are selling you a beach vacation. I bet if you scroll through Instagram right now and do a hashtag search of Latin American countries, you’ll find photos of beaches, resorts and tourist attractions. However, realistically, the beach is not within 20 minutes outside of the city as typically found in Caribbean countries. In Panama (and several other Central America countries), it is roughly an additional two hour commute from the airport. Also, important to note, different locations in the country determine what experience you will have. The beach is great for more secluded relaxation while the city will give more of the authentic Panamanian culture. Both are possible in one trip. Just know that a 10-minute Uber drive between the two is not an option.

TIP: Research proximity ahead of time and secure transportation prior to arrival. There is nothing worse than having to figure out, last minute, how to get to and from your 2-hour away beach resort hotel…amongst non-English speakers, might I add.

Speaking of…

¿Tu Hablas Inglés?

If you are expecting to visit Panama and interact with a plethora of English speakers, then you are mistaken. At best, I came across eight people that spoke English, and five of them were part of my hotel staff. You may get different results depending on where you stay. I opted to stay in the city, but typically beach resorts and heavily tourist populated areas cater more to its visitors. However, those key persons that you come across during traveling will more than likely not know a single word of English; the airport staff, the taxi/Uber driver, the waiter/host…I think you get the picture. Full transparency: there was not an hour that went by where I didn’t need to learn a new phrase on the fly. This was especially the case when I somehow disabled my hotel room card key scanner, as well as when I somehow ended up getting lost while walking through the city taking photos. I am not yet fluent in Spanish and was actually surprised by how much progress I’ve made towards my goal of fluency, especially when a bit of panic set in.

TIP: Come prepared knowing a few important Spanish phases, or in the least bit be able to access Google translate.

Unpopular Opinion: Naked in 90 Degrees Is Not The Standard

As tempting as it is to walk around half naked in 90-degree weather, it actually isn’t the norm unless you’re on the beach or at the pool. Yes, I absolutely agree that you should be able to wear whatever you’d like without being subject to rude stares, catcalls and uninvited advances. However, speaking personally as a shapely woman, this isn’t the ideal time nor place to reinforce that point.

TIP: Certain establishments have clothing policies and with prostitution being present, you may want to save the tanks, shirtless attire and short shorts for the pool area.  

TSA…Twice

I will be completely honest…traveling through the Panama (PYT) airport is exhausting. I had to repack my carry-on bag twice to go through not one but two security checkpoints. There was the standard TSA check and an additional security screening at my departure gate. And to add to my annoyance, the expensive bottled water that I purchased at the only open shop at 2 AM was not allowed on the plane because outside beverages are not permitted. The airport in Panama is the only one to date where I have encountered multiple security checks. Yes, I absolutely appreciate the thorough policies. However, it is a reminder that my normal packing strategy would not work there. I have TSA pre-check which benefits me greatly with domestic travel, so I tend to pack a certain way. However, international airports do not honor pre-check, so I had to account for the possibility of having to remove every single liquid, my laptop and with the possibility of a full search of every corner of my carry-on.

 TIP: Be deliberate with how you pack. International airport policies are not the same as in the USA…and I’m fairly confident that there is no cheat sheet to tell you which airports have extra, exaggerated, necessary yet inconvenient policies.

More about What To Do in Panama and my personal experience coming soon…