Recommend August 2012 - (Page 23)

PANAMA Panama’s making headlines—as an under-the-radar eco-playground with jungly interiors, pristine beaches and a steamy party-primed capital. All true. And indeed that capital, Panama City, is welcoming her guests with a handsome proﬁle of glass skyscrapers that catch the sun along Panama Bay, offering as well a UNESCO Heritage Site in its colonial Casco Viejo quarter, a delicious restaurant scene, lively nightlife and casino action, and the only rainforest in the world within city limits. Top draw is the Panama Canal, being widened to accommodate larger vessels. And right in the canal watershed is Soberania National Park, the start of a whole new great outdoors of rainforest and cloud forests that stretches to the highlands of Chiriqui province: all places to listen for howler monkeys, meet a sloth, and update one’s bird list on foot, by kayak or canoe. And by the sea, with some 1,000 miles of coastline, Panama has no shortage of ﬁne beaches. Paciﬁc sands start almost at Panama City at Playa Bonita and Playa Blanca, while after a short ﬂight from the capital, you’re scuba diving or snorkeling off beaches that fringe the islands of the Bocas del Toro and San Blas archipelagos. (visitpanama.com) On Oct. 1, Copa Airlines will add a ﬁfth daily ﬂight to its nonstop schedule between Miami and Panama City; Copa is also the newest member of the Star What’s New in Panama Alliance. To the boom-in-luxury hotel list add the Waldorf Astoria’s ﬁrst entry into Latin America—gleaming and golden, The Panamera, located in Panama City’s Calle Uruguay quarter, will offer 130 rooms and suites. Dining venues include the Brasserie Brillo and the Ginger Sushi Bar, plus Bungalo Terrace and Pool bar with sunset views. (waldorfastoria3.hilton.com) Another big and classy new hotel entry in Panama City is the Hard Rock Hotel Panama Megapolis, with 1,499 rooms, including 769 suites. In addition to the existing Hard Rock Cafe in the attached Multicentro Mall, the hotel has eight food and beverage outlets, including an indoor/outdoor bar and club on the 62nd ﬂoor offering breakfast/lunch/dinner buffet and grand views. Other features: a grand inﬁnity pool and 7,800-sq. ft. Rock Spa. (hardrockhotels.com) Attention all golfers: the 109-room Bristol Buenaventura, the most luxurious resort on the Paciﬁc coast, ofﬁcially opened its 18-hole Jack Nicklaus course, adding golf to its horseback riding, ﬁshing and snorkeling activities. In Panama City, Bristol Panama’s just-opened 25-story tower has 111 rooms and suites. (thebristol.com) Hard Rock Hotel Panama Megapolis in Panama City Where in Our World would your clients like to go? Amazon Antarctica Falkland Galapagos • Argentina • Belize • Bolivia • Brazil • Chile • Colombia • Costa Rica • Ecuador • • El Salvador • Guatemala • Honduras • Nicaragua • Panama • Paraguay • Peru • Uruguay • • Antarctica • Falkland Islands • For Custom Designed Pampered Adventures Contact ladatco tours Islands • 800 - 327 - 6162 • 305 - 854 - 8422 • www.ladatco.com • tailor@ladatco.com • august 2012 http://waldorfastoria3.hilton.com http://www.hardrockhotels.com http://www.visitpanama.com http://www.thebristol.com http://www.ladatco.com http://www.ladatco.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend August 2012

Editor's Notes
Hotel Desk: DogSpa Resort & Wellness Center
Tour Talk: MLT Vacations
The Danube With AmaWaterways
Striking Gold With Vegas' Golden Gate
Central & South America Guide
Wequassett Resort and Golf Club, Cape Cod
New Zealand's South Island is Sheer Eye Candy
Seven Stars Resort, Turks & Caicos
Iberostar Cancun
Three Days in Cape Town & the Winelands, South Africa

Recommend August 2012