Lonely Planet Panama 2/E

We spent 7 days in Panama and the LonelyPlanet Panama book was our bible. I don't know what more we could have wanted from a guidebook, this one seems to have it all. As impoverished college students we were primarily looking at the cheapest way to do things and this book was deffinitely oriented around that type of travel. I really don't understand what some of the other reviewers are talking about when they say this book is written for people with lots of money to spend, that was not our experience at all. We went everywhere by bus and taxi and we saved so much money on transportation and lodging that we felt free to splurge in a couple of places. This book has just the right amount of detail so that your trip doesn't lose the element of surprise. I appreciated the range of accommodations described in this book allowing us to pick our own priorities in terms of how much we wanted to spend to stay somewhere or do something. I also appreciated the background and historical information that made the whole trip that much richer. This book is ubiquitous among the english-speaking tourist crowd and we saw people toting it around everywhere. It was a great conversation starter.

I was a little skeptic about the accuracy of any travel book of Panama. I was born and raised there and found that this book had much more information that I even knew about!! It definitely was accurate, interesting and helpful. After 10 years of absence, visiting Panama with this book made my trip an experience I will never forget. Scott Doggett depicted a place full of wonders but also took the time to "warn" you of the "do's" and "dont's" which was very important to us. This book was a wealth of information and it helped us appreciate our travels much better.. and use our time and resources wisely!!

I usually travel with a Fodor's or Michelin guidebook, but as there was no Fodor's or Michelin available for Panama, I purchased the Lonely Planet book before a recent trip to Panama. It was the first time I used a Lonely Planet book, and I found it very helpful. I was in Panama City on business, and the book provided very useful advice on where I as a businessman should stay, and it recommended not just the most expensive restaurants in Panama City, but also the best restaurants; writers, I've noticed, sometimes mistake the most expensive for the best. Not this one. I suggested four places for business lunches/dinners while I was in Panama City, and in each instance my Panamanian associates were impressed that I "knew" smart restaurants for business meals. Although I'd told them that it was my first trip to Panama, which it was, they soon took to saying, "And you've never been to Panama before?" with a wink and a chuckle. They ascribed to me more knowledge of their country than I possessed. I like it when other people make me look good, and that's one of the things this guidebook did for me. Next time I travel I won't be in such a hurry to by a Fodor's or a Michelin guide.

I am really enjoying this book. I was tired of going to the stores and not finding any publication about travelling to Panama. As a native panamanian, I feel that the author really did his research and he presented only the" best" information for travellers planning to explore the exciting adventures Panama offers. I bought the book to help me plan my trip to Chiriqui and found it very informative regarding new tourist attractions, particularly the ones dealing with eco-tourism opportunities. I am going back at the end of February 1999 and despite from the fact that I am going to miss carnival season ,this book gives me ample and detailed information on fun things to do in the Chiriqui Highlands. I am even planning to go and do some trout fishing in Volcan...well if my wife let's me do it. Once again, I highly recommend this book and encourage anybody who is re-discovering my "green Panama" to buy it!! It wil save you time and money !Hasta Luego y que disfruten el libro!!Aquilino Sanjur

I have visited Panama twice. I found this guide book to be both useful and interesting enough to read from cover to cover. I read all the sections, not just those that pertained to my areas of interest. I especially liked the author's insights and comments about Panama's history, culture and society. I got a sense of what Panama is "really" like. The frank reviews, both good and bad, of the restaurants and hotels, are very helpful. Also, there is contact information for a number of local guides. I would recommend this book for first time visitors to Panama as well as repeat visitors wishing to have current information.