The word is out!

By Patricia Earnest

There’s more to Panama than the canal or the hats! With the infrastructure evolving to meet tourists’ needs, Panama is embarking on a new tourism day hustling to showcase its many tourism facets to the American traveler. From birds to beaches, special interest demands can be met in a variety of manners.

For the Birds
This small country is fast becoming a bird watcher’s destination of choice. Serious bird watchers will flock to the almost-new Canopy Tower Ecolodge and Nature Observatory by the Soberania National Park. Raul Arias de Para, the bird knowledgeable owner, has leased a one-time radar facility, built by the U.S. military, and has turned it into a colorful and very functional birders’ paradise.
Located a 30-45 minute drive from downtown Panama City, once you make the final turn onto Semaphore Hill, you realize that you have entered a different space. A mile up the hill, Canopy Tower sits in a wonderland of treetops. You enter the building past bright flowers buzzing with hummingbirds. Climb to the top of the tower and you are looking into and onto the tops of trees that shelter an abundance of birds of all sizes, shapes and colors. On a recent visit we spotted red- and yellow-legged honey creepers, the blue dacnis and a keel-billed toucan within minutes.
The Tower itself is a five-story structure built in the round. Enter on the ground floor to a Smithsonian Institute museum dedicated to the history of the tower and the birdlife that surrounds it. The second and third floors house airy, spacious and simply elegant rooms, each with large windows that offer a view of the trees, the fourth is where guests eat or mingle. Make the final ascent to the fifth level and grab your binoculars. The 360-degree view is stupendous, overlooking rolling hills, the canal and the Bridge of the Americas in the distance. Nearer to hand are the birds and this is why visitors are flocking to this airy viewing station.
A frequently asked question is “When is the best time to visit?” Late February to early May is when the spring birds are migrating and passing through. Also, native birds are starting to nest at this time. June to August is rainy season, then September signals the first return migrants to climax in October. However, any month has its particular attractions.
Per person daily rates are all-inclusive and run from $75-$185, depending on season and accommodations. Rates include entrance fees to the National Park, full breakfast, lunch, hors d’oeuvres and dinner, including wine and hotel tax. Also included is transportation along the hill road and two guided walks per day through the rain forest. Ask ahead for special dietary needs, which can be accommodated. Check out the Canopy online at www.canopytower.com or call Allen Hale at 800-722-2460.
A very different experience awaits visitors at nearby Gamboa Rainforest Resort. Overlooking the Chagres River, just before it spills into the Canal waterway, the resort is designed more for those with luxury in mind. Midway between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and about 17 miles from Panama City, the resort offers a variety of tours—from the bird life of the rainforest to the nightlife in Panama City. It is truly thrilling to take a launch to visit the Monkey Island situated off to the side of the canal and see huge cargo and cruise ships pass within shouting distance, then glimpse Cappuccine monkeys flitting through the foliage.
Unique to this resort are the restored villas built originally for executives of the former Panama Canal Zone. Here guests will find the airy, spacious feel of the Canopy Tower experience but without the treetop excitement. Otherwise the accommodations are deluxe, with every amenity.
Per person rates at the resort are $175-$235; at the villas $120-$150. Travel agents are offered a 50 percent discount for stays at the resort. Call Gamboa at 877-800-1690 or visit www.gamboaresort.com.

Beach Bums Delight
The country’s beaches are also gaining notoriety with new properties springing up on their shores to take advantage of their splendor. Visitors wanting to get away from the rush of Panama City and relax on a beach will enjoy Bananas Village Resort on Isla Grande. The island is located north and east of Colon at the other end of the canal from Panama City. Depending on the traffic, Isla Grande is a two-hour plus drive from the city, then a short boat ride to the resort on the northern side of the island. An alternative is to take a helicopter from Albrook Airport in Panama City. Five to six persons will be charged $150 for the trip. You can also take a bus leaving at 11:00 a.m. from Bananas’ Panama City office for $15 per person each way or from your Panama City hotel for $20 each way per person.
The newly-built resort includes six two-story villas placed to follow the curve of the hillside. Each villa has three bright and pleasant guest rooms with wicker furniture, views of the ocean and all the amenities, including AC, that you would expect at an up-scale resort. The restaurant offers local and Caribbean-type meals and it sits beside an inviting hourglass-shaped pool. Diving, snorkeling and water sports are offered as well as fishing boat rentals. A private villa is also available sitting on a rocky headland around the corner from the main part of the resort.
Rates for the Modified American Plan (two daily meals-full breakfast and lunch or dinner) are $75 per person, per night or $450 per week. This includes transportation from the mainland, a welcome cocktail, boat excursions to nearby beaches and islands, use of beach towels and chairs, water sports equipment, entertainment on Saturday nights and hotel taxes. Ask about special group rates. Call Bananas Resort at 011-507-263-9510, visit www.bananasresort.com or email info@bananasresort.com.

Indigenous People and Panamanian History
Seven groups of indigenous peoples produce remarkable crafts. The village of Tvsipano on the Chagres River in Soberania National Park is home to a small group of 26 Embera people. They moved to this area before it was a national park, so now can no longer follow their natural life of hunting and have turned to tourism to make a living. Visitors reach the village by dugout canoe, then are taken by guides from the village on a nature walk to learn about the flora and fauna that still sustains them. After a meal visitors watch dances with haunting flute music. Crafts here include their exceptional finely woven baskets. Contact Experience Panama Tours at 877-267-0566 for information.
Visitors looking for the famed Kuna molas and other Panamanian crafts such as wood carvings will find a selection in Panama City at the Gran Morrison chain department stores. Also in the city, at Mi Pueblito, a replica of a rural village at the foot of Cerro Ancon, you will find reasonably-priced goods.
East of today’s Panama City is Panama La Vieja, where the original town stood. Now in ruins, it is interesting to visit and imagine how it might have been when the Spaniards used it as a major port transporting gold bars from Peru. Today the Mercado Nacional de Artensanias by the entrance to the old city is a great place to shop for local crafts. Open daily from 9:00-6:00 p.m. the market sits in the same building as a restaurant. In the same building is the Museo de Siteo Panama Viego with an impressive scale model of the city prior to 1671, the date when it was destroyed by Henry Morgan, the pirate.

Of Special Interest
Visitors staying in Panama City might want to get away from it all for the weekend and Casa de Campo Country Inn and Spa high in the fresh air of the Cerro Azul mountains fits the bill. There are seven rooms and four interestingly rustic cabins with lofts, nestled into the hillside with a view of the hills. The restaurant faces a pool and offers delicious home-cooked fare served on local pottery. The resort offers guided hikes on trails running through the nearby cloud forest, all wrapped in peace and serenity. Best of all are the massage services, with aromatherapy, body scrubs, essential oil massages and baths in rose petals.
The resort is run by brother and sister Ana Maria Sanchiz and Jorge Luis Sanchiz. Rates run from $110 per couple including lodging and all meals. A weekend package runs $254 per couple. This includes six meals per person, three days’ and two nights’ stay. Call the Casa at 011-507-270-0018 or email casacamp@sinfo.net.

Staying in Panama City
Panama City is a modern city with skyscrapers and every amenity including the usual American-type accommodations. The five-star Westin Caesar Park is where heads of state stay when they visit. It is elegant and well-located for getting around the city. The hotel offers every amenity you might expect from a five-star property. Rates start at around $160 per room. Call them at 800-228-3000 or visit www.caesarpark.com.
Less expensive is the Country Inn & Suites further out from the center of town in a quieter area. On the edge of an open wooded area, it has a country feel with outdoor swimming pool and complimentary breakfast. A TGI Friday’s restaurant sits conveniently next door. Local telephone calls are included in the room rate. A “Super Saver” rate is currently being offered at $55 per night, per room or $75 per night for a suite. Call them at 800-456-4000.
Visitors looking for a totally upscale experience will love The Bristol. A new member of the Rosewood chain, well known for outstanding personal service, from the moment you step through into the reception area, you know that this is what you will find here. Each guest has a personal butler who can attend to most whims, including extra early coffee delivered to the room. A small, intimate hotel, it has 57 rooms on eight floors. It is elegant and comfortable with an excellent restaurant onsite. Room rates run from $175-$550. Call them at 888-767-3966 or visit www.rosewood-hotels.com.

Facts for the Visitor
Entry requirements: Depending on the traveler’s citizenship, a valid passport and a visa or a $5.00 tourist card is required. Tourist cards can be purchased at the airline ticket counter upon departure.
Currency and Local Taxes: The currency is the Balboa and since 1904, the U.S. dollar is a legal tender in Panama. Travelers checks and credit cards are widely accepted. The current international departure tax is $20.00 collected at the airport.
The American presence left impressive roads around the country in and near the military installations and there are a couple of fast toll highways. If clients plan to travel far around the country however, suggest that they take advantage of the convenient and frequent flights from newly-opened Albrook Airport with Aeroperlas Airlines, at 011-507-269-4555 or visit www.aeroperlas.com.
Airlines flying to Panama include COPA. tel. 800-359-2672, from Miami. Airlines flying into Panama City from the New York area include American Airlines, tel. 800-221-2255, Avianca, tel. 800-284-2622), and Continental Airlines, tel. 800-231-0856.
A $20 departure tax is levied on all visitors when they leave the country.
For further information on Panama call 305-629-3644 or visit www.panamainfo.com