Customer Reviews

Moon Panama (Moon Handbooks)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The Moon Guidebook is by far one of the most thoroughly researched, well organized guidebooks for Panama on the market right now. How do I know this? Well, as the owner of a backpacker hostel located in Panama I have met the writer on several occasions and have personally observed his careful fact checking and research methods. He is one of the few guidebook writers that actually speaks fluent Spanish, and this undoubtedly assists him in verifying current information and finding out about interesting things that other books may not be including. At the hostel, we have a reference library that includes most of the major guidebooks, and quite often our guests request the Moon guide-book.

A general comment about the use of Guidebooks. Guidebooks are "guides". They are NOT bibles. Travelers should assume that they will include outdated information and inaccuracies, no matter how recent they have been published. Things are changing constantly, ESPECIALLY in a country like Panama which is just beginning to BLOOM in terms of tourist venues.

On a personal note: As a hostel owner, I know the frustrations and confusions about how to please 100% of my guests due to all the differences in personal preferences. It's difficult to accept that there are always going to be a small percentage of guest complaints. But all we can do is focus on pleasing the 98% majority that see our vision and like our place. I assume that it is the same for a guidebook writer such as Mr. Friar who has obviously put a lot of time and care into the writing of his book and encourage him to keep up the good work in focusing on his majority!

This guidebook provides a very balanced & well put together information on the country. The author, being a "zonian" himself (one who grew up in the former Panama Canal Zone) & continues to spend time in the country, has a vast knowledge of the area. From the usual tourist areas to the people, history and culture; from the not so well known areas to do's & dont's, he covers it very well. What I like the most is that - unlike some other guides - he covers whatever is negative in a constructive manner without being overly critical. This latest edition includes a few more color pages at the beginning. A perfect companion to relocation guides like "Living in Panama" & "Choose Panama..." Bottom line...If there's room for only one Panama guidebook...look no further.

Couldn't agree more with reviews by Rick Marrero and Bruce Hadley. Mr. Friar's obvious knowledge of Panama and his tremendous research makes this book, by far, the best out there for anyone traveling to Panama - whether it be their first visit or their tenth. This is not a dry reference book, by any means. Mr. Friar incorporates fact with humor, which makes reading a pleasure - even the lone traveler will manage a few smiles as he goes along. This is a "must have" in anyone's library.

First, let me say that I travel with a backpack by bus or train and that Rough Guides are my standard guidebook-of-choice. However, there is no Rough Guide to Panama, so my choices were a 4-year-old Rough Guide to all of Central America, a current Lonely Planet that everyone says was just re-released without updates, and the Moon Panama guide. This is the first time I've used a Moon guide and while it wasn't everything I was hoping for, I'm sure it's the best of the three options. I will, however, still opt for Rough Guides when they're available.

I agree with previous reviews - the author does love Panama. My big complaint with the book is that it's not super helpful for a traveler on a budget who's depending on the bus system to get around the country. The author did cover all forms of transportation (buses, taxis, driving and flying), but I only used buses, so I can't attest to how useful the information was. Regardless, I always found myself wanting to know a little more on how to get around by bus.

I really wanted a list of all the bus terminals, approximately how long it took to get from one to another, and how frequently buses ran between them, etc. - all in one place. For example, I went to Pedasi from Panama City, but in the Pedasi section, there was nothing to tell me how to get there from Panama City, only from the next-closest major town, so I had to piece it together working from section to section. The information was in the book, I just had to work for it.

Another specific complaint with the book: it says that the Eco Venao hostel in Playa Venao gives surfing lessons and rents boards. So I traveled way out of my way to go there and try surfing. But actually, Eco Venao does no such thing and the best way to take surfing lessons is to set it up in the town I'd come from (Pedasi). Now I should have verified the information before going there, but I'd still like to be able to trust my guidebook, especially since this edition was released only a month before my trip.

Overall, prices were pretty accurate and the one restaurant recommendation I went by (Siete Mares in Panama City) was fabulous. Maps were plentiful and good (although there should be one of Pedasi in there). I didn't always agree with the author's impressions of places, but I do like that he's not afraid to be critical and will tell you to skip areas of non-interest. Despite my particular criticisms, if you're staying entirely in/near Panama City, renting a car or flying within the country, you probably won't have any major complaints about this book.

While it is quite well known that the Central American country of Panama is home to the Panama Canal, less recognized are its many other attractions for the vacationer or business traveler. Panama travel expert William Friar has compiled a compact, highly portable, 567-page compendium of descriptive information for hundreds of sights, activities, restaurants, and accommodations for the Panama-bound. Of special note are the practical trip itinerary suggestions including a 21-day 'Best of Panama' excursion; a 14-day 'Tarzan Tour'; 'Quetzal Spotting', 10 days of 'Family Fun', Embera-Wounaan Art; and 'Six Days for History Buffs'. Enhanced with twenty-five detailed maps and William Friar's own anecdotal experiences and insightful perspectives, "Panama" is the ideal and thoroughly 'user friendly' vacation planning guide and a welcome addition to community library Travel Guide reference collections as well.

This is, hands down, the best guide book on Panama. Terrific detail, excellent maps, accurate and insightful information. Best of all, the author's obvious love for Panama -- quirks included -- comes through on every page.

On the whole, I was satisfied by this book. I agree with Lindsay's previous review, however, that it could be improved somewhat for travelers on a budget, especially in terms of bus travel.

First, there is no explanation of how one actually takes a bus where there is no bus station to buy tickets at (that is, most buses). Thankfully I speak decent Spanish, so the person at my hotel could explain that you just flag it down, hop in, then pay the driver before you get out (at the end of your ride).

Also, the author's recommendations re form of travel often didn't make a lot of sense. For instance, he recommends taking a taxi from Penonome to Nata for $20 rather than "fool[ing] with buses", when both towns are right on the highway (where the buses go), and buses run constantly and cost $1-2. Also, he describes bus options to La Pintada without clearly explaining that its attractions are spread over a huge distance, which made it pretty hard to get around once I was there.

Besides this, all in all it was a solid book. Good descriptions of the sights and pretty thorough for all the places I visited, even those somewhat off the beaten tourist track. Maybe if Lonely Planet and Rough Guides get their act together, there will be a better book for travelers on a budget. But for now this is probably the best bet even if it does have its problems.

I bought this book a few weeks ago, right before our trip to panama to make sure we would have the latest edition. I ignored the one popular negative review, and maybe should have payed more attention.

My wife and i loved reading the book before we got to panama. It was filled with all sorts of good information about the country and its culture, about the different regions of panama, the beaches, what to expect. there are plenty of good reviews on this, so let me elaborate on the negative.
We rented a car since we planned on exploring the country a bit and did not want to be confined to a small area. We were there for 5 days.

My biggest complaint with this book was the lack of good maps and directions to get places.
We skipped on the GPS, thinking we would be fine with all the nice maps in the book. Boy were we wrong.
We spent many countless hours lost in and around panama city, trying to find places recommended in this book. The directions and maps are insufficient at best.

one day we went north from Panama City past Colon through Portobelo, we had driven at least 2/3 of the way up a one-lane, slow road that goes through every little town before we realized from reading road signs that there was a new, much faster toll highway not mentioned in the book that runs the whole distance, the corridor norte. right past portobelo there was a restaurant the book recommended, Don Quijote? "best pizza on the coast" or something to that tune. we were starving! imagine our suprise when we got there and found out this "best pizza in panama" restaurant was closed! Several km farther down the road, We did stumble on a little gem of a restaurant, El Caballo Loco, that was not mentioned in the book. Very clean, rustic, outdoor french family restaurant, Excellent food. Friendly owners. Highly recommend the writer to put this in the next edition of this book. incidentally it took 1/4 the time to drive home when we took the Corridor norte back.

The next night, still craving that pizza, we spent 3 hours driving in circles in panama city rush hour trying to find a recommended pizza restaurant, "napoli's II" We ended up going to another fine pizza place that a local pointed us to, after we had given up hope in finding this place. We found out Napoli's was over 20 blocks away from the area the book said the restaurant would be in.

There was a recommendation about great fishing on gamboa lake... to stop by the little marina and get a local to take you fishing instead of paying the ridiculous rates charged by the Gamboa resort boats. Great recommendation, but the price was way off. Even with negotiations, the price has at least doubled since the book was printed. Still a great deal compared to the resort; best part of our trip.

Bottom line, if you plan on using taxi service, then this book is sufficient. Taxi drivers should be well knowledgeable about where everything is. If you plan on renting a car and driving yourself around, in addition to this book, make sure you have a gps, get a better, NEWER map, and call the places you are going ahead of time to make sure they are actually there.

This review is for the edition published in fall of 2010. The guide book is a comprehensive look at Panama from an author who grew up in the country. That means the tone is a bit more opinionated than you might find in other guides, but there are also more insights into the culture and history of Panama. What's refreshing is that the guide avoids talking up or dismissing individual towns you may be interested in visiting. It's clear the author loves the country, but he's not really gushing like other guide book writers. He's nuanced when praising or critiquing a locale, which not only gives you a more realistic preview of different places, but also reflects realistically the way travelers tend to experience them.

There are some minor flaws. The maps tend to be a bit off; the one for Valle de Anton has a place or two on the wrong street, and the scale doesn't seem right. In Panama City, the author's favorite restaurant, Siete Mares, is actually on the other side of the road. The restaurant recommendations generally are a bit hit or miss. The author writes you can go by taxi almost anywhere in the capital for $1 or $2, but don't be surprised if reality doesn't deliver those fares.

Apart from things like that, though, it's a thorough, well-researched book. And again, the author's personal involvement with the country really makes it a more unique read. I chose this over Lonely Planet and would do so again.

the travel guide is well organized, has current information, excellent maps and suggested itineraries depending on how many days you plan to be there.