View at Picasa 26-Dec-2008 11:07, 4.0, 32.0mm, 0.00285714 sec, ISO 100

Travel to distant and exotic places don’t usually belong in the same sentence as “thrifty”.  But we just took a great trip to Panama, and had a great time without spending a bundle.   The country of Panama is a 3 1/2 hour direct flight from Atlanta, and is in the same time zone – 2 big pluses in travel if you ask me!  We stayed at a lovely resort hotel, The Intercontinental at Playa Bonita, which is on the Pacific with every room facing the ocean, and is a 45 minute cab ride from the Panama International Airport.   Here’s a list of some of the good, the bad, and the thrifty:

1. The hotel isn’t cheap in season, but it is a real bargain in the off season.  The only 3 months that are totally rained out (normally) are Aug-Sep-Oct, do you’ve got plenty of off season to consider.

2. A lot of English is spoken (for those of us who aren’t fluent in Spanish) because of the US 100 year past ownership and influence over the Panama Canal. The MiraFlores Locks of the canal are great to visit, a really interesting museum, and you can eat in a cafe right next to the canal and see the ships go through.

3. You can find all different kinds of food at all different kinds of prices – from a simple plate of plantains, beans and rice to a complicated european/asian influenced restaurant at a higher range of $50 per person including a great bottle of wine.

4. The local beer, Balboa, is cheap and plentiful.

5. If you have a way to cook it up, you can catch loads of Peacock Bass on Lake Gatun in the middle of the Panama Canal.  Or you can throw the fish back, and just have a fun afternoon of fishing.  Either way, a plus even for people who don’t really know how to fish.

View at Picasa 26-Dec-2008 16:33, 5.6, 45.0mm, 0.0080 sec, ISO 100

6. Taxis arent cheap, but its impossible to find your way through the maze of small streets that connect the larger avenues and highways.  The taxi drivers are wonderful, and will wait for you to finish your shopping or dining or touring to take you back to your destination.

7. The Gamboa Rain Forest is really cool, and yes you can actually see the white faced monkeys AND sloths!

View at Picasa 26-Dec-2008 18:02, 2.8, 200.0mm, 0.00285714 sec, ISO 320

7. You can buy a real Panama hat for $10.

There’s lots more to be said, but I think I’ve said enough. Here’s a link to my photo album – take a look for yourself. And if you’ve got a hankering for an overseas trip this year, fly over the Carribean to Panama, and enjoy!

Enjoyed this post? See these:

1. Happy Holidays
2. Thrifty Thursday – Meal Planning Using The Pantry
3. Taking care of ourselves – a Thrifty Thursday workout plan

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