Panama Master Thread

[Aps]

Can you do San Blas, including travel time, in 10 hours?  Like to be back for mincha and Panama doesn't do daylight savings time.
Also, is it more crowded than Pearl Island?

The tours leave at 6 am and leave there at about 3:30 pm. Check what time they get back to panama city. The only way to go is with a tour so see when they get back.

My understanding is that it is more crowded because there are many tours that go there. but then again, the summer is not the high tourist season in Panama- the high season is in the winter which is their summer.
I was at pearl islands last week and it was pretty quite there.

[Aps]

Perhaps I'm wrong, but my impression from others is that from Panama City going to Pearl Islands is much less commute time etc. We are really aiming for a relaxing trip and not looking to cram in too much (aside from some of the reportedly delicious food )

Pearl Islands just seemed to give us that day of relaxation/water activities while still making it back at a good time. Am I misunderstanding the San Blas experience?

Ill let someone else say the travel time to san blas- it sounds like its about 3 hours or a little more. 2.5 hours in the car and 30 minutes on a little canoe - can anyone confirm?
Pearl islands is 20 minute taxi ride to the ferry then 1:45 to two hours on the ferry, but the ferry is relaxing. You definitely get back in time for mincha.

[askmoses]

Do  you want to ask her if she can hook you up with a different boat driver to take you around?
Or maybe you can call the mar y oro hotel which is on the main hotel on the island and ask them if they have someone who can give you the tour

Thank you.
Any suggestions for Pearl Islands spots that are must see?

Ill let someone else say the travel time to san blas- it sounds like its about 3 hours or a little more. 2.5 hours in the car and 30 minutes on a little canoe - can anyone confirm?
Pearl islands is 20 minute taxi ride to the ferry then 1:45 to two hours on the ferry, but the ferry is relaxing. You definitely get back in time for mincha.

That is my thinking. This trip is more of a needed break for some relaxation time and not looking for a vacation we come home from wiped out.

[shmulys15]

What time could you daven in the morning these days?

[PlatinumGuy]

What time could you daven in the morning these days?

https://www.myzmanim.com/day.aspx?askdefault=1&vars=88920268&q=Panama

05:30 Bedieved, 06:10 Netz

[shmulys15]

Thanks.
We are planning on doing San Blas next week and can give you an update once we did it. My problem is davening Shachris - if the tours leave at 5:30...so we are working on arranging a later pickup.
Pearl island does seem to be much easier and beautiful and you have the whales now - but San Blas seems to have something unique...I guess I will find out.

[PBaruch]

Thanks.
We are planning on doing San Blas next week and can give you an update once we did it. My problem is davening Shachris - if the tours leave at 5:30...so we are working on arranging a later pickup.
Pearl island does seem to be much easier and beautiful and you have the whales now - but San Blas seems to have something unique...I guess I will find out.

We did a private tour of San Blas through Sorhay and were picked up at 7.  The public tours pick you up at 5:30.

[shmulys15]

Interesting - she didn't offer us anything like that, we found someone else. Good to know that you can have an awesome day leaving a bit later, and now I get how you just moved to another island when people showed up...curious did you go by plane or do the car ?

[PBaruch]

Interesting - she didn't offer us anything like that, we found someone else. Good to know that you can have an awesome day leaving a bit later, and now I get how you just moved to another island when people showed up...curious did you go by plane or do the car ?

I am not aware of an option to go to San Blas by airplane.  We were picked up by a driver with an SUV, driven to a private boat, and shuttled around to wherever we wanted to go.  I did the research and had no interested in going to Pearl - San Blas looked way nicer to me.  But, to each their own.

[Aps]

Thank you.
Any suggestions for Pearl Islands spots that are must see?
That is my thinking. This trip is more of a needed break for some relaxation time and not looking for a vacation we come home from wiped out.

Ilene did a good job showing us around the islands. If you want you can ask her if you can go out and explore any of the islands. We didnt do that.
After she drops you off at contodora- we rente a gold cart and drove around the island to explore-nothing too exciting to see there really. You can try to find a private spot to hang out on the beach

[Aps]

We did San Blas on a day trip with Sorhay.  She does not accompany you to San Blas but arranges everything.  I am not sure exactly what time we got back or if you would be back in time for mincha.  We did not find it to be "crowded."  One island we went to - bunch of people showed up shortly after we arrived - we asked the guides to just take us to another island.  There are plenty of islands to go to/visit and its very easy to avoid crowds.  Its all in my TR.

Which TR is that? What year was this

[PBaruch]

https://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=114363.0

[Aps]

https://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=114363.0

Wot that looks amazing! Great pictures.
You should try to post it to the wiki or the master list of the TR page because I never got to see this one

[asks]

Wot that looks amazing! Great pictures.
You should try to post it to the wiki or the master list of the TR page because I never got to see this one

Was thinking the same thing, especially for such a detailed TR!

[PBaruch]

I've never added anything to the Master list - just tried but wasn't posting correctly.  Anyone can do it or can tell me how to do it?

[askmoses]

Ilene did a good job showing us around the islands. If you want you can ask her if you can go out and explore any of the islands. We didnt do that.
After she drops you off at contodora- we rente a gold cart and drove around the island to explore-nothing too exciting to see there really. You can try to find a private spot to hang out on the beach

Issue is she is not available... and has no referral for someone else.

Any other ideas for Pearl Islands?

[stsschw]

Issue is she is not available... and has no referral for someone else.

Any other ideas for Pearl Islands?

Check with Go Kosher Panama - they may have some other ideas

[yuneeq]

Issue is she is not available... and has no referral for someone else.

Any other ideas for Pearl Islands?

I did it without any guides and had lots of fun. Just get to the Pearl islands and hire any of the boats at the shore. Didn’t pay a lot and was shown everything.

[askmoses]

I did it without any guides and had lots of fun. Just get to the Pearl islands and hire any of the boats at the shore. Didn’t pay a lot and was shown everything.

Thank you. You just took the ferry there and once you got there approached them?

[yuneeq]

Thank you. You just took the ferry there and once you got there approached them?

Took a flight but yes.