Recommend August 2010 - (Page C17)

the turtles nesting—four of the world’s eight species lay their eggs on Bocas’ beaches between April and October. Another archipelago, the autonomous San Blas Islands of the Kuna Indians, is a beacon for travelers who enjoy getting away from it all to swim off white sand beaches, snorkel along pristine coral reefs and kayak or canoe to different Kuna settlements. May through November is the optimum travel time. during a 2-night stay in the capital; wildlife tour on Lake Gatun and a visit to an Embera Indian village when staying three nights at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort. Plus, leisure time at the Playa Bonita Resort & Spa during a 3-night stay. Priced from $1,900 pp dbl and based on Friday departures weekly, the cost includes deluxe ➤ Culture Calling Panama City is probably Central America’s most enjoyable capital. Comfort is guaranteed at a host of established hotels and those new to the scene include Le Meridien on the bay and Nikki in the business district. Coming in 2012 is a 600-room Westin Playa Bonita Resort, a joint-venture with the Bern Hotels group. Dining is another capital treat with restaurants serving up dishes from around the globe, as is fitting for a city and country that sit at the crossroads of two continents and two oceans. Certainly the famous Panama Canal that links these geographical elements is central to the culture and international flavor of the capital. Ships of every nation parade daily along this waterway, a spectacle on view when transiting the Canal itself or from the observation platform at the Miraflores Locks. And there is much of cultural interest right in the capital, particularly in the colonial district called Casco Viejo, declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO. You’ll find here the Metropolitan Cathedral, the ruins of the Santo Domingo Church, the golden altar of the Church of San Jose, the National Theater and Las Bovedas promenades where boutiques and restaurants are tucked into dungeons beneath the historic San Felipe ramparts. Panama displays its most important collection of pre-Columbian artifacts in the Reina Torres de Arauz Anthropological Museum and in the city’s ancient heart (founded in 1519), is the Panama Viejo Museum and adjacent stone ruins that combine to offer an interesting survey of the city’s first settlement. Panama tour talk ❖ Latour (800-825-0825; isram.com/ latournew) offers a 9-day Beyond the Canal itinerary, whose highlights are a tour of Old Panama City and partial transit of the Canal August 2010 C17 http://www.isram.com/

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend August 2010

Editor's Notes/Agent Speak
Hotel Desk
Tour Talk
Uniworld's River Royale
Discover flanders
Five-Star Taiwan
Karisma Sweetens the Pot
Barcelo Los Cabos Palace Deluxe
Playa Grande Resort & Grand Spa
Central America Calling...
Garza Blanca Preserve, Resort & Spa
Israel With Goway Travel
Puerto Rico: A community Experience
Hyatt Regency Curacao Golf Resort, Spa and Marina
The Bahamas: Players' Paradise
Orlando World Center Marriott Resort
All-American St. Louis
PH Towers by Westgate, Las Vegas

Recommend August 2010