What am I suppose to expect when traveling abroad to Panama?

Question

What should I pack/ what type of clothes should i bring?

(are tank tops, t-shirts, and shorts alright?)

Will i be viewed as a spoiled american if i bring my laptop?

What is the diet like over there?

What to teenagers to in their spare time?

also if you have studied abroad there or in any other central american country, what is the best way to manage ur spending $$? (credit card, traveler's checks, etc)

srry this is a loaded question but i'm really curious ^_^

thanks

Answer 1

Are you going on a teenage summer expedition? I would go to the book store or bn.com and find books on traveling to Panama. Also, this happens to be hurricane season so check up daily on the storms out on sea. Also, make sure than you are not mugged or anything. People think we Americans are stupid and people all over the world steal our money when we travel. SO always stay near or in a populated place. Also, never go out after the sun sets. I would also know Spanish really well. I had a family member who went there, but passed recently so I can't help you much there. I am currently planning a trip to Belize so this is why I know this. Also, I would do a LOT of research on Panama. That helps out to. (research examples: clothing, laws and customs, violence, currency, etc.) Hope that helps!

Answer 2

Hi!

Well... I'm from Ecuador and I had been in Panama recently.

Is a beautiful  country where you can find a lot of things like in the US....

There are several malls and places you can visit to shop beacause everything is very cheap!

You can aslo travel to Colón where you find a no-taxes port where you can buy all you could ever dream for half the price! For this, you must take a tour and research a little bit, because is better if you hire a taxi for the day. The distance from the capital, Ciudad de Panamá is very short so it won't be a long journey.

Also, you must visit the Canal de Panamá, is amazing and is open every day. There is a museum and you can see the boats go through it!

Don't be worry for your cash because they have a conversion kind of economy, this means that you can use dollars or Balboas... is just the same thing!

You won't get mugged... just don't go out to neighborhoods apart from the city, try to visit tourist sites where you will find people like you, knowing and having fun in Panamá...

There are movie theathers, Hard Rock Café and a lot of casinos, where you can have a lot of fun...

Be aware of the taxis rates, they are very cheap, like $3 max. if you go to a mall far away from your hotel.

People hava a US culture... they really have!

Hope you enjoy your trip!

Answer 3

Panamanians don't wear a lot of shorts. It is how we can tell gringos, they do.  You can wear T-shirts, Tank tops and shorts on the beach and in Bocas del Toro, but not in Panama City, the capital.

Bring your Laptop, there are plenty of WiFi zones where you can use it to check your email.

We have little restaurants called Fondas. They serve baked chicken & rice, salad and Patacones (slices of fried green Plantains) for about $2.75. That's the most typical meal.  Rice is eaten a lot! The food is good, safe and cheap. They will also serve stew and fried chicken sometimes fish. At the more upscale restaurants you will find Cerviche, bits of raw fish "cooked" in fresh Lime juice and spiced with onion. Everybody eats that, it is quite good too.

The city has a lot of ethnic restaurants with Chinese being the most prevalent as it is the largest group of immigrants.There are a lot of the fast food restaurants from the USA whose names you will know immediately. And there's good local Pizza in several Panamanian chains.  One nice thing is that restaurants here will deliver to your front door, not just pizza but their entire menu. They have motor scooters and take food all over town.

Teenagers hang out at the malls. There are a lot of them. Albrook is the most popular and the largest. Then there is MuliPlaza and MultiCentro. These malls all have food courts and they have movies and the latest films are about $4. Or they go to the beach,

Bring your Debit card. Don't use Traveler's checks, nobody does and they will really slow you down IF they will be accepted at all. Most don't these days.  ATMs are everywhere.  And we use American currency.  

Panama is very safe, so you can really enjoy your trip here.

Somebody mentioned Hurricanes, That's B.S. We don't get Hurricanes here!

I live in Panama.