Panama TR- a Hidden Family Gem (w/AWESOME restaurants)!

[davidrotts63]

@Denverite you have the best trip reviews!

#oldhock

[saw50st8]

I need to go back with my kids.

[tzifanya54]

Wow amazing. As a kid I used to go deep sea fishing with my family. We mostly caught small fish, which we would bring bag and eat. I remember once catching a baby shark. I offered it up for grabs on the boat and everyone came running apparently they are pretty rare.

[bostonguy]

We also had a tour of Las Perlas with Ilene, but alas we weren't so lucky to catch a fish.  Highly recommend Ilene's tour, but if she asks you, while snorkling at "Exile Island", if you want to swim to the other side of the island - be forewarned that it is a tough swim and meant only for really strong swimmers - lots of current.

[Denverite]

Guys, thanks for all the encouraging comments.  I still have a bunch of pics and other stuff to post if I can get around to it!

[Denverite]

We also had a tour of Las Perlas with Ilene, but alas we weren't so lucky to catch a fish.  Highly recommend Ilene's tour, but if she asks you, while snorkling at "Exile Island", if you want to swim to the other side of the island - be forewarned that it is a tough swim and meant only for really strong swimmers - lots of current.

Wow, so did she have to come rescue you guys or did you tough it out?  She must have noticed how lazy my family was because this whole "swim to the other side of the island" was never offered to us! 

[Aps]

I do personally recommend Las Perlas over San Blas (it's more cost effective and I feel less commercialized).  My friends just went yesterday and I straight out asked them if Las Perlas lived up to all my hype (they've also been to San Blas) and they said yes. 

I think Sorhay's Embrera tour is a must do.  Let me know if you need anything else!

This TR looks amazing. I'm going this summer and this was really helpful!
Question- How far is the ferry ride to las perlas?
Which are the best islands and how do you get from one to the other id I dont have a tour guide?
And what is there to do there?

[shmulys15]

Thank you so much for this trip reports they are so helpful for planning our upcoming trip.
Just want to make sure that I got this right and these are the top must see excursions:
1) Embra tour (Sorhey) - can do it in a day trip
2) Panama locks (canal) can do it on your own.
3) San Blas (Sorhey) - can do it in a day trip
4) Las perlas (Irene) - can do it in a day trip.
San Blas and Las perlas are similar ideas and I should choose one of them?
Are the monkey Island/jungles part of these tours or its separate?

[Aps]

Thank you so much for this trip reports they are so helpful for planning our upcoming trip.
Just want to make sure that I got this right and these are the top must see excursions:
1) Embra tour (Sorhey) - can do it in a day trip
2) Panama locks (canal) can do it on your own.
3) San Blas (Sorhey) - can do it in a day trip
4) Las perlas (Irene) - can do it in a day trip.
San Blas and Las perlas are similar ideas and I should choose one of them?
Are the monkey Island/jungles part of these tours or its separate?

Regarding san blas and las perlas- they have similarities and differences. I choose to do Pearl island bec it was a much easier trip and also a shorter trip. You get to do whale watching in the right season, fishing, snorkeling, and you can try to find a empty/private beach to hang out there on your own aftert youre finished with ilene.
It sound slike the beach and water on san blas might be even more beautiful- I dont know if theres snorkeling there- Ill let someone else answer that. There is def not whale watching there.

You can do monkey island together with one of the villages, or you can do a full day trip to the embrara village which includes natural pools/waterfalls.  I did the first option- the village i went to was very close to monkey islands.

There are other tour guides too besides sorjay- she sounds great but her price for a private tour for two was very expensive-  I used New Leaf Panama tours which I was referred from Gokosherpanama- you can get a discount code through their site. I was very happy with her.

[shmulys15]

Thanks for the update.
Any other tips - please share, iyh heading there soon!

[Ekay]

Thanks for the update.
Any other tips - please share, iyh heading there soon!

. Please report back once done.

[Aps]

I was there last week and I hope to type up a TR soon...

[shmulys15]

Would love to see it. Thanks!

[myi]

Wow wow. You kept me up @Denverite till 2:48am in the sortis Hotel reading through your TR.
  (While my DW was asleep was supposed to figure out a hotel for tom am. And for part of next week. But got carried away.. and now thinking to do San Blas or something different.)
As my 10 day Getaway was planned last minute.
 Like a day before I took the flight. Though to be honest I skimmed through some reports to get an idea and then just settled on this as my other itinerary to go to Thailand and all just didn't seem to work out with timing and all.

   Going to be honest, I could use a good night sleep. But wow. Your TR was Awsome and really well written. I must get my DW to skim through this so we can plan the next week like a mentch.

  Was wondering why this thread had 9 pages or so. Lol

 Kind of a Newby to the whole TR and actually living them in real life. So this is a huge help for ideas to help me plan and do some of our own trips.

 10/10.
 And the Wife doing all the leg work. Lucky Husband.

[shmulys15]

. Please report back once done.

I wrote my "report" on the main Panama thread.