Travel for the Over 30s

With the economic downturn many people are looking to get extra value for their vacation dollar. They can’t afford a two-week break, an extended weekend may just have to do. If that’s your situation and you live in North America then Panama may be a country to consider.

Panama is considered an eco-destination with much of the country covered in its Word Heritage listed national parks. Even if you are focused on getting up close and personal with nature I would schedule a day or two in the capital. Panama City dates back over 500 years and the atmospheric “Casco Viejo”,the old city, is certainly worth a look. As of course is the fascinating Panama Canal and Miraflores Locks which are only a short drive from the center of town. With 13,000 ships using the canal annually - you’d be unlucky not to see at least one!

Panama has just as much to offer than its better known neighbor, Costa Rica, but is maybe just that little bit off the beaten track. Not that you have to stay in a cheap hostel, or worse, when you get there - though you can if you must. Hotels in Panama cover the full range of cheap and basic to 5-star and luxurious - for my money for a short-break I’d probably consider staying at one of the best Panama hotels : the 5-star luxury casino hotel, Veneto.

The Veneto is the biggest casino in Panama and therefore home to the anything goes gambling culture of Panama and its related nightlife. This place certainly won’t feel like Vegas - it has a rawer, central American edge to it. Nightlife, girls and serious money on the tables is all part of the scene at the Veneto - possibly not family-friendly but definitely edgy and fun for the rest of us!

For your money you will get rooms and suites that are comfortable and offer the normal facilities for a 5-star property. There is a great pool area to chill out in during the day. At night you have several dining options in-house and many more just down the street. But the real action is centered around the casino which offers everything from poker and blackjack tournaments to craps and roulette table games. If losing money isn’t your thing then check out the ever changing entertainment program - and remember to polish up your salsa skills for the local dance floors.

If you need a bit of “me time” then head to the hotel’s spa which includes everything from facials to pedicure, hot stone message to hydrotherapy.

So for me a short break in Panama can be a great combination - you can do a few days at an upmarket hotel and really chill out but there are certainly enough natural and cultural attractions in the country to keep you entertained. Panama boasts a modern infrastructure which will make North American visitors feel right at home. It is of course a Spanish speaking country, but the currency will be familiar - United States dollars are the official currency.

So if you are looking for a mini-break or something longer grab a cheap airfare deal, book a great Panama hotel and pack your best dancing shoes - and welcome to Panama!

Although its better than the old days of travel guide books and nothing much else its still pretty hard to get decent local information on a place you plan to visit. The large sites such as Lonely Planet - which used to be pretty reliable have now gone very corporate and bland - but bloggers are stepping into the breach. No I don’t mean the 90% of travel bloggers who tell you step by step how they couldn’t find a soy decaf in Sweden or bacon in India for breakfast - but those that actually live and blog about their home town.

A recent example of a great local site written by local expats is a Mexico Blog I found whose owners live and blog about their home of Manzanillo.  Mazanillo was just a small resort town on the way to Puerto Vallarta from Acapulco  when I passed through in the 1980’s - and basically the bit I remember most had something to do with Magaritas - having gone authentically local and learnt to drink the lethal concoction while in the country.

I get the impression from the Manzanillo Blog that the town has grown up a bit - certainly I didn’t stay anywhere as nice as the Dolphin Inn which they reviewed recently. The site is a nice mixture of local reviews and advertisements but all very professionally done and a nice clean layout. I really like the look and feel of the site - its a very nice example of a “magazine style” WordPress Theme.

Its a relatively new blog - about six months old -but there is a wide variety of posts which include a weekly series of local photographs - nice photography from one of the partners I suspect. Manzanillo is a retirement destination for Americans as well as a shorter term vacation destination so there is a mixture of articles on how to live in Mexico, English-speaking services, and relevant how-tos for those who come for the surfing, fishing and diving.

Nice site guys - keep it up!