I'm Panamanian, born and raised in the city. My family is from Chiriqui. Boquete, Volcan, Cerro Punta, Dolega, are very beautiful places, with beautiful lush green scenery, chilly weather in some places, little bit warmer in others like Dolega. Boquete town is very popular for local tourism, very touristy vibe there. David is very hot and humid, hot even for us, maybe it's the 2nd biggest city in Panama, you'll find anything over there. Distance from Chiriqui to Panama City is about +7 hrs bus drive, or close to an hour in airplane. You can even go to Costa Rica, to capital San Jose may be around 7 hours driving as well.The highway to Panama city is fairly good but it's an exhausting trip, nice to do once at least :) - People in Chiriqui, are very kind and helpful and with good intentions, more over outside of the city. Learning at least basic spanish is very important to get things done. Internet/phone connection is very good, it depends in the area you plan to live in (how far remote), but usually very good coverage. Trust in these reviews, are very accurate and love to watch the experience of foreigners that have chosen Panama to retire or to live :)
What an incredible interview! Paula and Dean expressed/touched on everything we would want to know! What a beautiful couple in such a magical place! Now I really want to take this tour!
Yeaaah Paula & Dean... great interview and prospective of what would be like retiring overseas, or in Panama. I hope you two find your piece of Panama soon and enjoy retirement life.
Neat video and I'm subscribed, gonna watch these vids more often. Passed the tour link over to Millie,, now she's interested, who knows. At 88 years, good health, not sure it's the best thing for me, but it sure look interesting and inviting.
Great interview! Thank you very much to Paula and Dean for providing their perspective! I lived in Panama for 5 years while in junior high and high school. I really enjoyed it there. I would love to get my wife down for a tour someday. I am not sure where I'd consider living there. I guess that is what taking a tour like this would be great for! From one perspective, down by the coast would be tempting as we've never did that before. But, a place like Boquete is very tempting too as the climate there is so mild; pretty much like living in San Diego. Safe travels to all!
All of Panama is very tempting! You just need to explore different areas to see which area is best for YOU! Some like the warmer beach weather, some like the hustle and bustle of Panama City, some prefer the bohemian vibe in Bocas del Toro, and some prefer the tranquilo of the highlands which has cooler weather. There's something for everyone in Panama!
Fantastic video. We are originally from Fort Wayne, Indiana and now we are in Ocala Florida. Panama has been popping up as best places to retire, the crime rate, interest rates and the political climate is really stressing me, not mention the cost of living…. Very discouraging to remain in the USA… Thanks for sharing. Good luck on finding your happy place….
Hello everyone! You are welcome to my country . ☺️ I'm glad You are enjoying all of our wonderful provinces. I love Boquete and we visit it every summer when David city is hot. Bienvenidos siempre ! 🙏 My Best for you!
Great footage of Boquete. I have watched many of your videos and tried to envisage what it looks like from Google Maps and streetview pictures, but the drone footage really gives a great perspective. I am still trapped in Australia, but hope to go on one of your tours at some time in the future.
HI Barry Panama is very much like it was for me growing up in the 60s - except we have 100mbps internet, cell phones, and cable TV. Family values still exist in Panama. Kids pray in school in Panama. Come see how you can live BETTER in Panama.
Hello Paula and Dean, I am also from the Indianapolis area. My wife and I are in the middle of our transition to Panama. We are heading to the Bocas del Toro area. Would be nice to get to know you two. Jeff
Jeff, my wife and I are in Westfield and have recently discovered Panama- Boquete in particular. Are there any other avenues that you're doing research and obtaining information?
@@swtexan6502 I'm an hour east of Indianapolis, we have our permanent residence visas but have not officially moved to Panama yet. We are looking in the Bocas del Toro area. We were there in July, August and again in January and with this snow, I'm going back later this month to get out of the cold. We are looking for property there. We have not visited Boquete yet but plan to. We have heard it is beautiful and great weather. We would like the mountains but we are really excited to be on the ocean. We like the water and beaches.
@@jeffbrown6222 Thanks for the quick reply- my wife couldn't tolerate the higher heat and humidity for living, which is why we're looking at Boquete area. The snow is ridiculous, isn't it? I hate the cold more and more each and every winter. I'm going to try to work on my wife (she's from here and has never lived outside of Indiana) to at least go down soon for a visit. Best of luck with your move and retirement!
Hi I'm Dan De Gracia a Panamanian expat in the USA. I like your video. Glad you like my home town of Biquete. And that you have Jackie and co to help you if you decide to retire in Panama. I hope you choose my home town it's not perfect but I know you be happy there Too bad your country don't have people like Jackie to help expats. But it's tough coming here. I been here since 1979 and expat help is discouraged. Terrible the USA had a lot to offer natives and expats if only their government had a plan..
Folks, I try to stay away from any form of politics etc but "Alberta opened for business in June or July"...all covid protocols were disbanded. We now have the military helping in our hospitals, surgeries have been postponed , patients are being transferred to other Provinces...on and on. So Panama BRAVO 👏 to you for taking the measures to curb the spread. I am totally mad as I have to spend another winter in lockdown in Alberta when it could have been avoided..just my personal opinion so I don't need the negative responses.😊
@@michaeljohannes5996 the plan was to head to Panama this fall ..canceled...now hoping that we can at least get there for a week or so in January before our scheduled tour in October 2022 and find a rental after the tour for the winter. When are you planning to head out? Would be nice to connect with some Albertans.
@@bernadette503 I'm close to Edmonton. I still looking around for a place to retire. Panama is of the top 5 countries on my list. But it's get harder for me to get out here.
@@michaeljohannes5996 Michael let's stay in touch. I also looked at several places including Belize. We are now on the tour for the end of January. On our way to Edmonton to spend it with our son and his family..all Covid protocols are in place😊. Have a great Thanksgiving .
I have a question. If we what to stay six months in Panama to decide if Panama is right for us but come down on a travel visa how long can I stay in country? Normally the visa is good for three months how do your customers renew there stay time. Am I right about visa length time?
My wife and I did the tour in August. We felt many of the same things you described. Bottomline, we loved Panama and the tour. Thanks far an awesome video.
Allen Mapes, We are going on tour next August, can you tell me a little about your experience, weather, favorite places, clothing needed, anything that might make our experience as good as yours was. I am already certain we will retire there by the end of 2022.
@@marcicamenisch3367 You will love the whole country. You will love some areas more than others based on where you would like to live or visit. We see our retirement as stress free as possible by living in the perfect climate. The Boquete area fits the bill for us. You wake up in the morning 365 days a year and it is 65 degrees Fahrenheit / 18 Celsius. By 2 pm, it is a comfortable 75 degrees Fahrenheit / 24 Celsius and almost immediately starts heading back to 65 degrees again by evening. And the mountain, oh the mountain.....so many views to enjoy. One of the really cool things about Panama, is you can be in the mountain in the morning and make it to the beach for breakfast or lunch. While in Boquete, the tour will take you up the mountain, which is not far, but so enjoyable. You will stop at a waterfall, a really cool rock wall made by nature, a really awesome coffee shop that we loved for the coffee and the cake and the peacefulness, and scenery including unafraid birds that are soooo beautiful. You will also see coffee plantations and more beautiful scenery. GET YOUR CAMERA OUT. Take photos or videos of everything because it is very cool. So I told you about the mountain, so now the beach. You will see several beaches. I never met a beach I didn't like. There is a beach area that I would have loved to go to, but it would have taken too much time. Looking back, I wish we would have booked a few extra days to have gone there. Maybe you know about it....Bocas Del Toro. Research it if you like beach towns. This will be the crown jewel in our opinion. Our goal is to enjoy every day life on the mountain with perfect weather everyday. When we get tired of that kind of paradise, we will go to the beach and enjoy that kind of paradise. How about Panama City? We loved Panama City, but not enough to ever live there. Too much hustle and bustle. However, there are some cool amenities that go with all that hustle and bustle. Panama City has about everything you could want. We were there for 2 days so we did not take in a lot. We are soooo happy that we went to the Fish Market where there are many outdoor restaurants to enjoy. The food was better than any other fish restaurant we have been to. We wish we could have been able to enjoy all the restaurants at the Fish Market. So, what kind of clothes? We are just average 60 year old couple. I only wore polo shirts, shorts, and flip flops. I never got cold or chilly ever. My wife did take some knee pants to be stylish, not for warmth. We stayed comfortable all the time in this attire. We did take wind breakers, mainly to repel the light rains. We also took umbrellas for extended walks. Although in Boquete it rained nearly everyday, it was never an all day event. You will stay in Boquete a few days near the end of the trip. The hotel washes everyone's clothes and return your clothes to you, and yes, your clothes. I do not know how they do it, but nothing gets mixed up. You hand your bag of clothes to them and when done, you pick them up at the front desk in a bag. The point here is, DO NOT OVER PACK. They will wash your clothes on the 4th day (I think it was day 4) Although we took bathing suits, we never used them. I don't think anyone did. There was just too much to do. We never had idle time, unless you just wanted to call it an early evening after your last bite of food after dinner, etc. On our last full day, in Boquete, we met two police officers ( Gun toting "Tourist Police" ). They spoke no English and we speak very little Spanish. After they helped us find a location in town, because they were so nice, we took them to breakfast at Big Daddy's. We all had an amazing breakfast (ours was the most delicious "Green Eggs and Ham" ever! The green was pesto). with a little help of our translation app on our phone, we talked non-stop for about 1 hour and 30 minutes. The cost of our breakfast would have been double or more in the USA. We were NEVER afraid of the people of Panama. The Panamanians ARE AWESOME. It is really amazing to be there. Yes, it is different than home, but everywhere is different than home. Based on our experience, it was not just different, it was better. YES, we will retire there and cannot wait !!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are pretty outgoing and enjoyed everyone on our trip. Steve and Ellen were our tour guides and they are AMAZING. One night at dinner, they both sang karaoke. They are really good. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I love talking about our trip. You can email me and I will see it more quickly..... amapes@cox.net We hope you have an AWESOME trip and would like to hear how it was for you. Sincerely, Allen and Nancy
Bocas is beautiful in different ways than Boquete. It's really hard to describe...I say lather on the bug spray and go see it. Lol. The water is wonderful. The people are amazing. The town is small but the island life is large.
@@PanamaRelocationTours Who said so. If you are traveling with COPA, when you check in at the airport you need to have "la declaración jurada" filled in and it specifically asks you if you had been vaccinated and you have to specified the dates. Without that form you won't be able to board. This applies to both ways... going to the States and coming back to Panama. Plus, a Covid negative test taken within the previous 48 hours and back to the States, 24 hours before.
Great couple and great information but IMO not one of your best videos. I don't like all the stock footage TOTALLY unrelated to Panama. Much, much better when you fill in with shot of Panama not stock footage.
I'm Panamanian, born and raised in the city. My family is from Chiriqui.
Boquete, Volcan, Cerro Punta, Dolega, are very beautiful places, with beautiful lush green scenery, chilly weather in some places, little bit warmer in others like Dolega. Boquete town is very popular for local tourism, very touristy vibe there. David is very hot and humid, hot even for us, maybe it's the 2nd biggest city in Panama, you'll find anything over there. Distance from Chiriqui to Panama City is about +7 hrs bus drive, or close to an hour in airplane. You can even go to Costa Rica, to capital San Jose may be around 7 hours driving as well.The highway to Panama city is fairly good but it's an exhausting trip, nice to do once at least :) - People in Chiriqui, are very kind and helpful and with good intentions, more over outside of the city. Learning at least basic spanish is very important to get things done. Internet/phone connection is very good, it depends in the area you plan to live in (how far remote), but usually very good coverage. Trust in these reviews, are very accurate and love to watch the experience of foreigners that have chosen Panama to retire or to live :)
What an incredible interview! Paula and Dean expressed/touched on everything we would want to know! What a beautiful couple in such a magical place! Now I really want to take this tour!
Such nice people, great to have a tour filled with people like them!
Yeaaah Paula & Dean... great interview and prospective of what would be like retiring overseas, or in Panama. I hope you two find your piece of Panama soon and enjoy retirement life.
Neat video and I'm subscribed, gonna watch these vids more often. Passed the tour link over to Millie,, now she's interested, who knows. At 88 years, good health, not sure it's the best thing for me, but it sure look interesting and inviting.
8 kids wow well healthy wishes to you both!
Great interview! Thank you very much to Paula and Dean for providing their perspective!
I lived in Panama for 5 years while in junior high and high school. I really enjoyed it there. I would love to get my wife down for a tour someday.
I am not sure where I'd consider living there. I guess that is what taking a tour like this would be great for! From one perspective, down by the coast would be tempting as we've never did that before. But, a place like Boquete is very tempting too as the climate there is so mild; pretty much like living in San Diego.
Safe travels to all!
All of Panama is very tempting! You just need to explore different areas to see which area is best for YOU! Some like the warmer beach weather, some like the hustle and bustle of Panama City, some prefer the bohemian vibe in Bocas del Toro, and some prefer the tranquilo of the highlands which has cooler weather. There's something for everyone in Panama!
Very helpful. Thanks for sharing your perspective. Jackie's tours sound so professional and helpful.
Glad it was helpful!
Excellent! What a charming couple. Very informative. Thank you!!
They are such a nice couple!! And they have the right kind of attitude to enjoy a new life in Panama.
Fantastic video. We are originally from Fort Wayne, Indiana and now we are in Ocala Florida. Panama has been popping up as best places to retire, the crime rate, interest rates and the political climate is really stressing me, not mention the cost of living…. Very discouraging to remain in the USA… Thanks for sharing. Good luck on finding your happy place….
Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed it. PANAMA IS THE SOLUTION!!
Great Info! I do it the other way around😀Excited to start my own road trip on Oct 17 I will get into the virtual tour afterwards .
Hello everyone! You are welcome to my country . ☺️ I'm glad You are enjoying all of our wonderful provinces. I love Boquete and we visit it every summer when David city is hot. Bienvenidos siempre ! 🙏 My Best for you!
@@nadia4722 ok great! Feliz domingo
@@928gto thank you so much!! Happy sunday!
@@nadia4722 buenas! Nadia
@@nadia4722 ? Apuesto a que eres una buena mujer nativa, Nadia ... ¿eres del tipo 'disponible' ... yo mismo soy una buena atrapada! What the heck
Great footage of Boquete. I have watched many of your videos and tried to envisage what it looks like from Google Maps and streetview pictures, but the drone footage really gives a great perspective. I am still trapped in Australia, but hope to go on one of your tours at some time in the future.
Glad you like them! Hope you can get out of Australia soon
Great video. Hope they find the perfect place for them.
I hope so too
I was told panama is like the 60s in the USA. I was told kids pray in schools. Sometimes you just know it is right, without visiting.
HI Barry Panama is very much like it was for me growing up in the 60s - except we have 100mbps internet, cell phones, and cable TV. Family values still exist in Panama. Kids pray in school in Panama. Come see how you can live BETTER in Panama.
Thanks! So informative.
Glad it was helpful!
Hello Paula and Dean, I am also from the Indianapolis area. My wife and I are in the middle of our transition to Panama. We are heading to the Bocas del Toro area. Would be nice to get to know you two. Jeff
Jeff, my wife and I are in Westfield and have recently discovered Panama- Boquete in particular. Are there any other avenues that you're doing research and obtaining information?
@@swtexan6502 I'm an hour east of Indianapolis, we have our permanent residence visas but have not officially moved to Panama yet. We are looking in the Bocas del Toro area. We were there in July, August and again in January and with this snow, I'm going back later this month to get out of the cold. We are looking for property there. We have not visited Boquete yet but plan to. We have heard it is beautiful and great weather. We would like the mountains but we are really excited to be on the ocean. We like the water and beaches.
@@jeffbrown6222 Thanks for the quick reply- my wife couldn't tolerate the higher heat and humidity for living, which is why we're looking at Boquete area. The snow is ridiculous, isn't it? I hate the cold more and more each and every winter. I'm going to try to work on my wife (she's from here and has never lived outside of Indiana) to at least go down soon for a visit. Best of luck with your move and retirement!
@@swtexan6502 Thank you and good luck to you as well.
i like to rest a lot and sit...lol. waiting for my ssd i hope!
Hi I'm Dan De Gracia a Panamanian expat in the USA. I like your video. Glad you like my home town of Biquete. And that you have Jackie and co to help you if you decide to retire in Panama. I hope you choose my home town it's not perfect but I know you be happy there
Too bad your country don't have people like Jackie to help expats. But it's tough coming here. I been here since 1979 and expat help is discouraged. Terrible the USA had a lot to offer natives and expats if only their government had a plan..
Thanks Daniel. I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Maybe it's time to come home to Panama!
Possible to drive our motocycle overthere or its to dangerous?
Not a good idea with all the different Covid restrictions at each country. After the pandemic, it will be better.
Folks, I try to stay away from any form of politics etc but "Alberta opened for business in June or July"...all covid protocols were disbanded. We now have the military helping in our hospitals, surgeries have been postponed , patients are being transferred to other Provinces...on and on. So Panama BRAVO 👏 to you for taking the measures to curb the spread. I am totally mad as I have to spend another winter in lockdown in Alberta when it could have been avoided..just my personal opinion so I don't need the negative responses.😊
Hi Bernadette. I'm from Alberta too. I understand your frustration. I'm looking too , to escape to Panama .
Greetings Michael
@@michaeljohannes5996 the plan was to head to Panama this fall ..canceled...now hoping that we can at least get there for a week or so in January before our scheduled tour in October 2022 and find a rental after the tour for the winter. When are you planning to head out? Would be nice to connect with some Albertans.
@@michaeljohannes5996 Michael are you Northern or Southern Alberta. We are Central..
@@bernadette503
I'm close to Edmonton.
I still looking around for a place to retire. Panama is of the top 5 countries on my list.
But it's get harder for me to get out here.
@@michaeljohannes5996 Michael let's stay in touch. I also looked at several places including Belize. We are now on the tour for the end of January. On our way to Edmonton to spend it with our son and his family..all Covid protocols are in place😊. Have a great Thanksgiving .
I have a question. If we what to stay six months in Panama to decide if Panama is right for us but come down on a travel visa how long can I stay in country? Normally the visa is good for three months how do your customers renew there stay time. Am I right about visa length time?
If you are from the US or Canada, you can stay in Panama for 180 days. Then you need to leave Panama or get a residency visa.
My wife and I did the tour in August. We felt many of the same things you described.
Bottomline, we loved Panama and the tour.
Thanks far an awesome video.
Allen Mapes, We are going on tour next August, can you tell me a little about your experience, weather, favorite places, clothing needed, anything that might make our experience as good as yours was. I am already certain we will retire there by the end of 2022.
Thanks Allen. So glad you enjoyed your tour AND Panama!
You will get detailed information about 30 days before your tour. RELAX! We'll take care of everything!
@@marcicamenisch3367 You will love the whole country. You will love some areas more than others based on where you would like to live or visit. We see our retirement as stress free as possible by living in the perfect climate. The Boquete area fits the bill for us. You wake up in the morning 365 days a year and it is 65 degrees Fahrenheit / 18 Celsius. By 2 pm, it is a comfortable 75 degrees Fahrenheit / 24 Celsius and almost immediately starts heading back to 65 degrees again by evening. And the mountain, oh the mountain.....so many views to enjoy. One of the really cool things about Panama, is you can be in the mountain in the morning and make it to the beach for breakfast or lunch.
While in Boquete, the tour will take you up the mountain, which is not far, but so enjoyable. You will stop at a waterfall, a really cool rock wall made by nature, a really awesome coffee shop that we loved for the coffee and the cake and the peacefulness, and scenery including unafraid birds that are soooo beautiful. You will also see coffee plantations and more beautiful scenery. GET YOUR CAMERA OUT. Take photos or videos of everything because it is very cool.
So I told you about the mountain, so now the beach. You will see several beaches. I never met a beach I didn't like. There is a beach area that I would have loved to go to, but it would have taken too much time. Looking back, I wish we would have booked a few extra days to have gone there. Maybe you know about it....Bocas Del Toro. Research it if you like beach towns. This will be the crown jewel in our opinion. Our goal is to enjoy every day life on the mountain with perfect weather everyday. When we get tired of that kind of paradise, we will go to the beach and enjoy that kind of paradise.
How about Panama City? We loved Panama City, but not enough to ever live there. Too much hustle and bustle. However, there are some cool amenities that go with all that hustle and bustle. Panama City has about everything you could want. We were there for 2 days so we did not take in a lot. We are soooo happy that we went to the Fish Market where there are many outdoor restaurants to enjoy. The food was better than any other fish restaurant we have been to. We wish we could have been able to enjoy all the restaurants at the Fish Market.
So, what kind of clothes? We are just average 60 year old couple. I only wore polo shirts, shorts, and flip flops. I never got cold or chilly ever. My wife did take some knee pants to be stylish, not for warmth. We stayed comfortable all the time in this attire. We did take wind breakers, mainly to repel the light rains. We also took umbrellas for extended walks. Although in Boquete it rained nearly everyday, it was never an all day event. You will stay in Boquete a few days near the end of the trip. The hotel washes everyone's clothes and return your clothes to you, and yes, your clothes. I do not know how they do it, but nothing gets mixed up. You hand your bag of clothes to them and when done, you pick them up at the front desk in a bag. The point here is, DO NOT OVER PACK. They will wash your clothes on the 4th day (I think it was day 4)
Although we took bathing suits, we never used them. I don't think anyone did. There was just too much to do. We never had idle time, unless you just wanted to call it an early evening after your last bite of food after dinner, etc.
On our last full day, in Boquete, we met two police officers ( Gun toting "Tourist Police" ). They spoke no English and we speak very little Spanish. After they helped us find a location in town, because they were so nice, we took them to breakfast at Big Daddy's. We all had an amazing breakfast (ours was the most delicious "Green Eggs and Ham" ever! The green was pesto). with a little help of our translation app on our phone, we talked non-stop for about 1 hour and 30 minutes. The cost of our breakfast would have been double or more in the USA.
We were NEVER afraid of the people of Panama. The Panamanians ARE AWESOME. It is really amazing to be there. Yes, it is different than home, but everywhere is different than home. Based on our experience, it was not just different, it was better. YES, we will retire there and cannot wait !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We are pretty outgoing and enjoyed everyone on our trip. Steve and Ellen were our tour guides and they are AMAZING. One night at dinner, they both sang karaoke. They are really good.
Please let me know if you have any other questions. I love talking about our trip. You can email me and I will see it more quickly..... amapes@cox.net
We hope you have an AWESOME trip and would like to hear how it was for you.
Sincerely,
Allen and Nancy
Please tell us more about Bocas del Toros
Bocas is beautiful in different ways than Boquete. It's really hard to describe...I say lather on the bug spray and go see it. Lol.
The water is wonderful. The people are amazing. The town is small but the island life is large.
See this video about Bocas del Toro -- ua-cam.com/video/KsAw84Xqx5k/v-deo.html
Realized
is vaccine mandatory for americans in Panama?
A vaccine is not required to visit Panama.
@@PanamaRelocationTours Who said so. If you are traveling with COPA, when you check in at the airport you need to have "la declaración jurada" filled in and it specifically asks you if you had been vaccinated and you have to specified the dates. Without that form you won't be able to board. This applies to both ways... going to the States and coming back to Panama. Plus, a Covid negative test taken within the previous 48 hours and back to the States, 24 hours before.
Yeah it’s tight in the US bc people do not want rules or just their rules alone.
Great couple and great information but IMO not one of your best videos. I don't like all the stock footage TOTALLY unrelated to Panama. Much, much better when you fill in with shot of Panama not stock footage.
noted