Search Results For : Panama

Las Lajas - Walk South - 27
APRIL 2018: Why not read our Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: PLEASE NOTE: The official exchange rate at time of writing was US$1 = P$1 (Panama Balboa). Panama uses US$s and only uses Balboa as coins for small change. I stayed a total of 2.5 weeks in Boquete, Panama. I stayed at the Hostal Suenos del Rio on the riverside … … in a Double Room with Cable TV, Hot Water Shower, and Shared Kitchen for US$25 / night. Boquete was a bit of a surprise for me – it was much nicer than I was expecting – with a nice crowd […]

Las Lajas – Panama – Information

2018: OVERVIEW: “Panama’s major draw is its Pensionado (pensioner) visa, where qualified retirees achieve residence status fairly quickly. The program entitles visa holders to discounts on medical treatment, dining, movies, and more.  Most expats in Panama regret they didn’t come sooner, as many say they chose Panama for the friendly people, its rainforest, its plentiful beaches, and the choice of secluded or city living lifestyles. Panama is definitely the hidden gem of Central America. It has coastlines on both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean and is one of the most attractive emerging tourism destinations in the world. It […]

PANAMA REVIEWS

APRIL 2018: Why not read our Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: PLEASE NOTE: The official exchange rate at time of writing was US$1 = P$1 (Panama Balboa). Panama uses US$s and only uses Balboa as coins for small change. I stayed a total of 3 weeks in Isla Bastimentos and Bocas Town, Isla Colon. Throughout Latin America, hotel costs can go crazy in Easter / Holy Week / Santa Semana … with some hotels tripling their prices. So, I decided to leave Bocas Town and get back to the mainland to take refuge in Changuinola for a few nights (before moving on to […]

Boquete – Panama – Information

MARCH 2018: Why not read our Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: PLEASE NOTE: The official exchange rate at time of writing was US$1 = P$1 (Panama Balboa). Panama uses US$s and only uses Balboa as coins for small change. I made my way from Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica to Isla Bastimentos, Panama by Shuttle Bus(es) and Boat(s). On Isla Bastimentos, I booked a GRANDPAcking Double Room for 4 nights at US$31 / night (Bubba’s House). The room was expensive, basic and ‘tired’. The shared kitchen was small and almost unusable. I needed to get my costs down and find somewhere with a […]

Bocas Town – Panama – Information

MARCH 2018: Why not read our Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: PLEASE NOTE: The official exchange rate at time of writing was US$1 = P$1 (Panama Balboa). Panama uses US$s and only uses Balboa as coins for small change. I made my way from Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica to Isla Bastimentos, Panama by Shuttle Bus(es) and Boat(s). I left Puerto Viejo just before 9am and arrived at my Isla Bastimentos hostel (Bubba’s House) mid afternoon. I booked a GRANDPAcking Double Room for 4 nights at US$31 / night. The room was very basic. The ensuite was ‘tired’. The door to the ensuite was off its […]

Isla Bastimentos – Panama – Information

MARCH 2018: Why not read our Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: I made my way from Granada to Puerto Viejo and stayed in Puerto Viejo for 1 week. From Puerto Viejo, I had to make my way to Bocas Del Toro, Panama. PLEASE NOTE: At the time of writing, US$1 = C$570 (Costa Rica Colon) and US$1=P$1 (Panama Balboa). THE PANAMA ‘EXIT TICKET’: To enter Panama, you must have an onwards ticket. Information online differs. Some say that they will accept a return bus or shuttle ticket from / to Costa Rica as long as you can show that you have an onwards flight […]

Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica – to – Bocas Del Toro, Panama – Journey

CLOSED: My tour of Panama is done, at least for now. Please SEARCH FOR ‘Panama‘ to find all of my Postings, Travel Budgets and Retirement Reviews. I found a couple of nice GRANDPAcking Retirement Locations in Panama. Meanwhile, here is some general information about Panama and / or the places of interest that I did not get to … GENERAL INFORMATION: “Panama’s major draw is its Pensionado (pensioner) visa, where qualified retirees achieve residence status fairly quickly. The program entitles visa holders to discounts on medical treatment, dining, movies, and more.  Most expats in Panama regret they didn’t come sooner, as many […]

Panama

SEPTEMBER 2018: Why not read our Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: PLEASE NOTE: The currency in Ecuador is US$s. I stayed a total of 3 nights in Saraguro in a Double Room (single occupancy) at the Hostal Achik Wasi which was up on a hill about 500 metres from the town centre. I paid US$28 / night. My room was an average size and came with problematic in-room WiFi, wardrobe, cable TV (with no English Speaking channels), and a ‘Warm’ Water Ensuite (you need hot water at this time of year!). The only good thing about this place was the view … … and the […]

Vilcabamba – Ecuador – Information

GENERIC: Why not read our Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: For detailed information about how costs are constructed, please read About – GRANDPAcking Costs. For more detail about what we are looking for, please read About – My Plan and about My Retirement Reviews. These GRANDPAcking Retirement Locations have a Cost Of Existence (COE) of US$50 (or more) per day for 2 people: Panama – Boquete – US$51 (2018) ♥ Serbia – Zlatibor – US$53 (2019) ♥ Turkey  – Ayvalik – US$53 (2019) ♥ Honduras – Roatan Island (GRANDPAcking Standard) – US$93 (2022) ♥ PLEASE NOTE: A little ♥ means that I, personally, liked the place. […]

Over US$50 / day

GENERIC: Why not read our Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: For detailed information about how costs are constructed, please read About – GRANDPAcking Costs. These GRANDPAcking Holiday Destinations have a Cost Of Existence (COE) of US$60 per day (or more) for 2 people: Costa Rica – Puerto Viejo – US$61 (2018) Ecuador – Ayampe – US$63 (2018) Thailand – Andaman Sea – Island Hopping – US$64 (2023) ♥ Ecuador – Central Highlands Tour – US$65 (2018) ♥ Romania – Sibiu – US$66 (2019) ♥ Panama – Bocas del Toro Island – US$66 (2018) Colombia – San Andres Island – US$71 (2018) Ecuador […]

Over US$60 / day