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Visiting Boquete-Accommodations for family of 6?This forum post has messages dated from 09/24/09 through 05/14/10, please be sure to read all the messages. If you feel it is old or outdated, please follow up with a question or comment and someone may be able to update it, or reply with newer information if you have it.
| Visiting Boquete-Accommodations for family of 6? My wife and I are coming to Boquete this winter (probably mid December) to see if we might want to relocate (basically retire) there in the next year or two. We will likely be bringing our married daughter and s-i-l as well as two of our unmarried kids and need a nice 3-BR condo (or ?) in the Boquete area to experience what many have claimed to be paradise. So, we could really use some help here. Could we find a nice place for $150-300 per night? If not, what should we expect to pay? Any help would be most appreciated. Jim |
| Come with an open mind, It is really a third world country. If you are American get prepare to pay. If they only smell money you will have paid for a good price. It is a nice place the views and weather but nothing absolutely nothing to do there. i am trying to open the eyes to Americans coming to Panama. Do not expect to reccive the service you are willing to pay for. We rented a car in USA on line from Avis, we got to Panama and the car rented was almost doble price that we had already reserved. So we paid with AMEX and at the end complaint to AMEX nothing that was agree was giving to us. No price and not the car we had reserved. The sizes of car are not he same as USA> |
| There are several small hotel/motels both in David and Boquete. The hotels in David are not really all that nice. We woke up with red spots on our skin after staying at a hotel in downtown David. Make your reservations well in advance if you plan to stay in Boquete. It is busy during the December/January time frame. Was thinking about moving there I would not go during that time. I hope this makes sense to you: I would pay more attention to the hospitals, grocery stores, where the water comes from and a little less attention to the paradise. Boquete is a beautiful place to visit but if you plan to move there; go and visit the places you will need to visit to survive there. I went to Boquete in June and while there I visited a friend who works for a real estate company. I asked him why do I see so many houses for sale now. He told me that some people move there, build a home, then can't cope with the change in lifestyle. I hope you visit for a few months. If you are going there for just a week or so, you aren't really going to experience much. |
| Here we go again... I am sure that if you are considering moving to Panama that you have done a lot of research. My husband and I studied Panama for over a year before we made our first trip. We wanted to educate ourselves without hearing all the stories. As soon as we had a good idea of what we were up against, we started going to forums like this and many others, just wanting to hear what others had to say. So off we went. We spent the first two weeks, just seeing the country. As soon as we arrived in Boquete, we decided this was for us. Yes it is quiet, there is a lot of Expats living there and you can either keep to yourself or get involved with others who are retired down there as well. They have all the modern conveniences of home. Yes they are more laid back. But, I think the U.S. is too fast paced for the average retiree. Not to mention affordability being factored in. After seeing a lot of developments we bought in Montanas de Caldera. Go to their web site and contact Jane Davis and see if their condo's will be ready for renting in December. Tell her that Mike and Darlene sent you. She is a sweetheart. There are several places to stay in Boquete. Google: Places to stay in Boquete Panama. If you still need assistance, I check this forum a couple of times a week and will respond with some ideas. Just a quick note. It is a foriegn country, so please be respective of the customs they have and the way they do things. They are more laid back. We have NEVER been treated poorly down there, and we have been there several times. As soon as we sell our home here in Washington state, we are on our way to a new life and new adventure. If you decide you want to move there. Make sure you have a good attorney down there to handle all your legal issues. This is very important and a MUST. They are not that expensive, compared to the U.S. So read all the input on the sites in this forum and you will see a lot of advice I have given to a lot of people. Hope it helps. If you don't respond to this, and need additional information, have a great trip and good luck. I know you will love Boquete. Oh yeh, I think there is a lot to do in Boquete. Do you like to Fish? Hike? Bird Watch? River Rafting? Go into jungle? Snorkel? Deep Sea Fish? Walk on the Beach? You can do all this. The ocean is about an hour from Boquete. Everything else is in your back yard. Regards...Dar |
| "More questions "
Thanks to all who have responded to this thread. We are becoming more and more excited the more we hear and read about this Central America paradise. Some additional questions have come to our minds: 1) Do we really need anything more than our passports to travel in Panama? 2) Are credit cards accepted widely enough that we can leave most of our cash at home? Are debit cards better than credit cards? Is there need for both? 3) Is there a way to have cell phone usage without paying exorbitant fees to call back home to the US? 4) Does anyone know if there any truth to the 'rumor' we heard that pesticides are so overused in the Volcan, Cerro Punta area that the pesticide drift over the volcano to the Boquete area affects the water supply and the living conditions? (Dar-I know you said the water is very tasty but it could still possibly be 'tainted' by pesticides, I suppose.) 5) A person we talked to who lived in Boquete for a year or so claimed that there is asbestos in the older public water pipes. This just gives further question to the quality of the water for the health issues that would be involved if that were true. Does anyone know if this is true? 6) How can 'valuables' be safely transported when the 'big move' finally comes? If anyone reading this post has answers to any of these questions, we would greatly appreciate your responses. One last question: if we drive a rental car from PC upon arrival in Panama, are there any areas we should consider spending a night on the way to Boquete? I know that may depend on our interests but I am just wondering if there is a town or points of interest between PC and David that are worth extra time to explore. Thanks again for your help. |
| "Accomodations in Boquete"
We are traveling to Boquete at the end of the month and are staying at El Oasis. This place was recommended by a soon to be expat on another forum. You can view their website at www.oasisboquete.com. The facility looks nice and the weekly rate is reasonable. Will let you know how it is once we arrive. Good Luck! |
| "Mover92"
Thanks for your note. I hope you have a good trip and, therefore, some positive experiences to relay when you return.Are you renting a car? Dar recommended we rent one in PC and drive to Boquete and that is what we are planning to do now. I would be interested to know what the 'traffic' is like down there. I hear it can be pretty bizarre with little respect for driving 'etiquette'. She also recommended to take their (the rental company) liability insurance. I will look forward to hearing from you when you return. We will be visiting during the Christmas holiday season, December 16-25. Should be interesting; I know they take their Christmas holiday very festively. |
| "Boquete "
Jim, Yes, we are renting a car in PC and driving to Boquete. We are also taking the insurance offered. Ours from Texas was not valid in Panama. I found a map of the Boquete area at casasolutions.com that you can download for free! It has quite a few highlights. I will let you know how our trip goes when we return. |
| "Chiriqui: Visiting Boquete"
Hello AllGlad to hear you are going to take the plunge and drive from PC to Boquete. Yes driving is a little hectic, but really not too bad, Once you get out of the PC area, it's clear sailing. Just remember to use your horn. They seem to think it's an extention of their body. (TEE HEE) Remember you will encounter several check points along the way. Sometimes they stop you, sometimes they wave you through. Just have your passport ready for them if they ask. We've never had a problem. After you reach Santiago the road is down to one lane each way. They are doing repairs with very little warning. You will see a sign that says hole in road, well....the sign is at the hole. Not like here in the states where they remind you a mile before. Don't hold the buses back as they have a schedule to keep and will be trying to keep it, no matter what... We loved our drive up to Boquete. Don't let any of this worry you as you will do just fine. After all, I drove it, so anyone can drive it!! When you get into David on the right is TGI Friday's. Great hamburgers. Right after TGI is the right hand turn to Boquete. If you stop at a local place to eat, you will pay about .50 for a beer and $2.00 for a local meal. Please come back to this site once you return and give us an update on your travels. Have a great time and hope some of this information has helped you. |
| "Be Realistic"
Greetings, This a good thread. My only observations are to avoid using terms like "paradise." You set yourself up for disappointment. I have lived abroad in Europe, Latin America and in MANY places in the U.S. Panama is lovely, the people are wonderful, but prepared to be frustrated, often, over cultural differences -- and you'll learn to eventually appreciate and enjoy what once frustrated you. Also, I'd avoid "superlatives" and absolutes, like saying Boquete has "NO" disasters. They had major flooding last week where homes were completely totalled. This is rare (though heavy rains are not)... but like everywhere, disasters happen. Cost of living is cheaper than the U.S., but not "half price." Electricity is much higher, and gasoline is a bit costlier. Medical care and local foods are much cheaper (and plentiful). Crime is low, but not "non-existent." Exercise precaution as you would anywhere. The water quality is excellent (though you may hear of an occasional problem, just like we do in Washington DC)... it gets fixed. Don't expect "perfection", and you'll be thrilled with "excellence." |
| "We're getting excited! "
Two and a half weeks and counting. A couple questions for Dar or anyone else who is familiar with this thread. First, what kind of rental car will we need? If we plan to drive to Volcan and Cerra Punta along with our central location of Boquete, should we get a 4-wheel drive or anything like that? (How much insurance coverage do we need?) Secondly, where should we spend our first night in Panama City? We plan to get in about 8PM so we are planning to get a cab to take us to our hotel or B&B for the night and then rent a car from Thrifty at the Marcos Gelabert Airport since it is the closest rental location that will take us to the Pan American Hwy and on our way to Boquete. Does this make sense to any of you who have traveled in these areas? If we get an early enough start the next morning, we may stop at a beach on the way to Boquete. Any suggestions for a nice beach? We'll have our two single kids with us (early 20s). We'll spend seven nights in Boquete at El Oasis Boquete which was highly rated by lots of their guests. We may skip a night and stay at a B&B that is up near the Volcan Baru on the trails from Cerro Punta and Boquete. I believe it's owned by a German or Swiss couple. Are any of you familiar with that place? One last question: we fly out of PC on Christmas Day and so will be driving back from Boquete on Dec. 24th. Does anyone have any suggestions for a place to stay on Christmas Eve? I am thinking that any B&Bs will be celebrating Christmas. Maybe a hotel would be the way to go? |
| "Visiting Boquete in late June"
My family and I are getting very excited about our trip to Panama. I would like to rent a car and drive. The optional but mandatory insurance is confusing. Also, I know it is the rainy season but what should we expect? When does it usually rain and for how long (every day at noon for two hours?). I am determined to have a great time but want to manage my expectations. Thanks |
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