Panama- a Beautiful Country, but We’re Not Sure of the People 😬
In March, 2012 we visited Panama. We stayed at the Sheraton Bijao Beach Resort and Spa along the Pacific Coast near Santa Clara.
It was an all-inclusive resort, but not adults only.
Always looking for a positive spin- staying at a resort with kids can have it’s advantages. There were waterslides, video games and cotton candy. These are amenities, not often found at an 18+ resort.
We raced down the waterslides and raced our virtual cars in the arcade.
The beach was clean and the water was pretty. The sand was dark and not very fluffy, but still nice. There was a jellyfish warning, so we had to stay out of the water during one day of our stay.
We each had massages at the resort which was wonderful and relaxing.
Casey relaxed while reading the latest copy of Quarter Horse News. Don’t forget he’s a cowboy, only dressed as a beach-vacationer! What else does he read on vacation? Learn more here.
We took an excursion into the Anton Valley. Our day included a trip to the zoo, a rainforest, waterfall and hanging bridge hike, and some time at the hot springs.
One disadvantage to this resort was the distance from the airport. We traveled by shuttle for over two hours. It was exciting to see the city, the countryside and even the Panama Canal, but it was still a long time in a vehicle after traveling all day in an airplane.
Our return shuttle home picked us up at 4am to take us the airport. That is really early on vacation!
It is difficult to judge the entire country based on an experience at one resort. Was it an isolated vibe specific to this resort or the culture in general? The overall feel was that -They did not like Americans.
We didn’t feel in danger and we weren’t treated poorly. But in comparison to other resorts, no matter how many stars, this one had the lowest level of customer service. We were constantly asking for things: a water refill with our lunch, etc. Many places barely let you take a sip before stopping back to see if you’d like something else.
We haven’t revisited Panama, and I don’t know if we will. The experience left a bad taste in Casey’s mouth. It is not very convenient either, with limited direct flights from the US and then a long commute from the Panama City airport to the resort.
We still have a lot of traveling ahead of us, I hope. Maybe we’ll go back someday in hopes of improvement. The area was beautiful and the weather was gorgeous.
Related Posts:
More Travel Takeaways From Panama
Headed South- Try Curacao
Looking for Convenience and the Best Customer Service? Go here!
