Britni Dutz
This year the Panama Canal celebrated its Centennial Commemoration of 100 years passing since the first use of the canal. The canal is, of course, one of the greatest feats of engineering the world has ever seen, but Panama is also home to unique wildlife, beautiful beaches, mountains and rainforests. Recently Bon Voyage Travel advisor Vicki Orr travelled through Panama and saw all it has to offer through a Pleasant Holidays tour.
“One of the great things about Panama is that there are beaches, rainforests, mountains and great city nightlife all within two hours travel,” said Vicki. She began her journey at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort one hour outside of the city. “One thing that I really liked was that there are unique hammocks on the deck of every room with the resort’s name woven into them – really comfortable!”
Next was a Gatun Lake expedition tour. “A boat took us around the islands of Gatun Lake; when we pulled up to an island a noise sounded and a bunch of monkeys came onto the boat and ate snacks.” Next Vicki went on an aerial tram tour to the highest point and after a short hike was able to see the sights like a 100 year old bridge and a small native village in the distance. “After our interactions with nature we went into the city to Trump International Hotel and Tower for lunch. It was very beautiful and everything you would expect from a Trump property. It has unique architecture and design and really stands out among the other sky scrapers,” said Vicki.
In the days that followed, Vicki was able to explore the beaches and volcanos of Panama. “The beach we went to was only about an hour and a half away from Panama City and is an up and coming beach resort that I can’t wait to share with people. It reminds me of Rocky Point before it was built up. The JW Marriot Resort alone has 25 acres!” Next was Anton Valley where Vicki visited one of the largest inhabited dormant volcanos in the world.
When we asked Vicki if she had any advice for those interested in Panama, she said, “Be sure to go to the Panama Canal Tourist Center and experience the Panama Canal, of course, but also explore the rest of what Panama has to offer. There is a beach area only 20 minutes outside of the city, so it’s easy to make time to see the rainforests and beaches along with the casinos and city life. Panama also uses the US dollar, so there is no currency exchange required; an international travel bonus!”
“Pleasant Vacations is one of the largest providers of vacation packages in the United States and this trip really showed me firsthand all the amazing relationships they have with hotels, airlines and more; they are so great at taking care of all the details for you,” said Vicki. If you are interested in a custom vacation, contact your local Bon Voyage Travel location at 520-825-2757.