Panama 💰 Where Our Budget Went to Die (but we still had a blast, mostly)

Panama 💰 Where Our Budget Went to Die (but we still had a blast, mostly)

Alright, buckle up, because we’re about to dive into the nitty-gritty of our Panamanian road trip. You know, the kind of adventure where you envision rugged mountains, lush rainforests, and pristine beaches, and Panama certainly offers all of that. From the dizzying heights of Panama City’s skyscrapers to the laid-back vibes of the Bocas del Toro islands, we crammed four weeks of landscapes, cultures, and questionable culinary decisions into one rather epic journey.

So, after navigating the chaotic charm of this Central American “gem,” what’s the verdict? What nuggets of wisdom (and perhaps a few disgruntled grumbles) did we unearth? Well,  you’re about to get the unfiltered truth – our Panama travel budget laid bare, alongside all the impressions, observations, and perhaps a touch of bewildered head-shaking that only a true travel saga can inspire.

Spoiler alert: it wasn’t cheap.

Highlights

• Our 4-week Panama Budget
• Exploring Panama with ‘Hello Travel’
• Top 14 Panama City Activities
• Discovering David
• What to Do in Boquete
• Bocas Del Toro Carnival
• Fly from Panama City to Bocas
• Our Complete Panama Itinerary
• Our Panama Impressions
• Retirement in Panama?

The Great Panamanian Money Pit: A Budget Breakdown

Let’s just rip off the band-aid, shall we? Our Panamanian escapade officially holds the esteemed title of “Most Expensive Tropical Venture of the Past Several Years.”

Yes, you read that right. Even our grand Sri Lankan adventure – which, for context, included Emirates, flights, a lavish 3-night stopover in Dubai, and a mega-luxury 3-night stay in the Maldives – managed to come in cheaper for a similar number of days.

All are welcome in Panama

How, you ask? Well, it certainly wasn’t the flights. Our return tickets from Europe were a ridiculously good steal at €310 per person with Lufthansa and Avianca.

No, the financial haemorrhage happened elsewhere, as you’ll see from the rather eye-watering breakdown below.

(These figures are for two people sharing over 26 glorious days.)

Excluding the rather modest airfare, we clocked in at an average daily cost of €211 ($246) for two people. And before you gasp, yes, that includes accommodation, travel, every bite of food and sip of drink, all our entertainment and activities, and even a few questionable souvenirs. Oh, and don’t forget the delightful local taxes, which added a cheeky 10-15% to almost everything.

To put it mildly, this figure is roughly double what we’d originally budgeted. Our wallets are still in therapy. The primary culprits? Accommodation and restaurant costs, with those pesky local taxes acting as an enthusiastic accomplice.

(A quick note for the pedants: our cheap flights started in Amsterdam, which we consider a delightful bonus city break, not part of the Panama budget. But if you’re curious, that extra 2-night Amsterdam jaunt, including budget European flights and hotel, set us back an additional €459 ($537) for two. You can read all about that particular detour in our Amsterdam Layover saga.)

Panama City

Panama: The Good, The Bad, and The Salsa

So, was it worth it, despite the rather aggressive assault on our bank account?

Honestly, Panama wasn’t quite the picture we’d painted in our heads, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

What we did take away were a series of genuinely vivid, often unique experiences and some wonderfully warm personal encounters that, dare I say, are actually priceless. Here are some of our favourite (and, ahem, not-so-favourite) takeaways:

The Highlights (Mostly)

• Salsa, Everywhere! Like a persistent, rhythmic earworm, salsa permeated every corner of Panama. Shops, supermarkets, restaurants, hotel lobbies, buses, taxis – if it had a speaker, it had salsa. From the classic, hip-swaying good stuff to bizarre fusion versions with rap (don’t ask) or traditional accordion-and-warbling-falsetto renditions, it’s inescapable. You’ll know it’s truly gotten to you when you find yourself involuntarily gyrating in the hotel lift. Don’t fight it.

• A Curious Lack of Mosquitoes: This was genuinely shocking. Even deep in the jungle, we barely had a mosquito-related incident. We practically forgot what DEET smelled like. A huge win, frankly.

• Packed Buses (but survivable): We expected sardine-can levels of personal space on buses, and Panama delivered. However, having endured far more cramped and uncomfortable journeys in India, these were practically luxurious.The trick? Always, always board at the departure terminals if you want a guaranteed seat.

Hotel Deals in Panama City

The Head-Scratchers (and the Gross Bits)

• Toilet Paper Disposal – A Gastronomic Horror: Prepare yourselves, because this was, without a doubt, the most unhygienic aspect of many of our accommodations. Having to lob used toilet paper into an open bin, where it then, well, festers until someone deigns to empty it, is not a system for the faint of heart. It’s a rather grim indicator of the primitive plumbing and sewage systems in many parts of the country.

• Taps Turn the Wrong Way! This is a minor, yet infuriating, detail that I never quite mastered. Anti-clockwise to turn off? My brain simply refused to compute. I shudder to think of the gallons of water I inadvertently wasted in my daily struggle with the bathroom sink.

• Danger, My Dear Watson: Barred ground-floor windows, armed police seemingly on every corner, “No Guns” signs in bus stations,  squalid urban tenements, whispers of drugs and missing tourists… Panama is decidedly not South-East Asia. Caution is advised, especially after dark.

• The Expense! Our Budget Was Obliterated: We’ve covered this, but it bears repeating. Panama is one of the most expensive tropical destinations we’ve ever visited, and quite possibly the worst value for money. Then, just to twist the knife, most places piled on a delightful 7% tax plus a 10% service charge. Ouch.

• American-Style Tipping: Oh, joy. Panama has enthusiastically embraced the glorious American tipping culture, where everyone expects a hefty 12-18% gratuity. Many places just slapped a 10% service charge onto the bill automatically. Because, you know, being discreet is overrated.

• Pacific vs. Atlantic (Spoiler: Atlantic Wins): We spent a good chunk of our trip bouncing between the two oceans. And honestly? There’s a clear winner. The Atlantic’s pristine white sands easily trounced the Pacific’s somewhat dismal black sand offerings. We did eventually unearth some genuinely beautiful, safe, and sheltered beaches, but it required some serious hunting.

Waiting at the bus station…

• Cleanliness & Hygiene (Room for Improvement): This was a genuine disappointment. We frequently saw refuse surrounding homes, and yes, we suffered from stomach cramps on a couple of occasions after dining out. Not ideal.

• Panamanian Food: Meh. While not quite the culinary wasteland of, say, the Philippines, Panamanian food was… fine. Just fine. The home-style dishes were often tasty, but also alarmingly high in carbs and sugars. And while we found some decent Italian and French-style fare, you can get far superior (and cheaper) versions in Rome or Paris. Our personal highlights were Trapiche Restaurant  and Rene’s Cafe in Panama City. – go there.

Panama Travel Budget

Panama City to Bocas del Toro

The Unexpected Gems (and observations)

• Stunning Nature: Despite our various grumbles, the sheer natural beauty of Panama is undeniable. Places like Santa Catalina, Boca Brava, and the lush valley and highlands of Boquete. are truly breathtaking.

• The “Booty” Observation: This is purely an observation, folks, but related to the diet (and probably genetics), we have genuinely never seen so many incredibly wide-hipped women. While I appreciate a good derriere as much as the next person, some of the sights we encountered were… well, bordering on the grotesque. Bocas Del Toro seemed to be the epicenter of this particular phenomenon.

• Small, Uncomfortable Beds: Considering the aforementioned width of the local populace, why on earth are most hotel beds so ridiculously narrow? Combine that with a tiny room (looking at you, The House that Jack Built in Boquete), and you’ve got a recipe for serious insomnia.

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  A town called David, in Panama

• Some Genuinely Great Activities: Our saving grace, perhaps. Kayaking on the Panama canal, Ziplining in Boquete, a fantastic valley and Coffee Tour at Finca Agroturistica La Milagrosa, and Waterfall Rapelling at Ja Wakta waterfalls – these were absolute highlights and definitely worth the extra spend.

• Learn Spanish! Seriously, our lives would have been infinitely easier if we’d spoken fluent Spanish. My “parrot-Spanish” (a smattering of random words and hopeful gestures) simply didn’t cut it. The upside? Panamanian Spanish is wonderfully clear, devoid of the “the-the-the” vocal affectations of European Spanish (which, apparently, some Panamanians find rather effeminate). If I ever do manage to learn proper Spanish, I want to speak it like a Panamanian.

• Delicious South American Wines: Finally, a win for our taste buds! Being so close to the incredible vineyards of South America, we had high hopes for the wine, and Panama delivered. Three-liter boxes of good quality South American wine were readily available in most supermarkets and shops. Wine, thankfully, was one of the few essential items in Panama that didn’t demand a second mortgage.

Panama Travel Budget

Retirement in Panama? Don’t Hold Your Breath…

So, back to one of our initial musings: would we pack up our bags and retire to Panama? Well, probably not. Though, I admit, the thought of buying that Panamanian island (yes, we were tempted) did cross our minds for a fleeting, delusional moment.

For now, it’s a firm ‘hasta la vista, Panama.’

We might swing by again for a visit, but we’re definitely keeping our retirement options wide open. After all, the world is vast, and our budget needs to recover.

Boquete – Final Panama Travel Budget

If you enjoyed Our Panama Travel Budget & Impressions, check out our Panama Roundtrip. You may also like:

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