Lonely Planet Panama (Paperback)

by Regis St. Louis (Author) "Archaeological evidence shows that people have been living in Panama for at least 11,000 years, and that agriculture arose here as early as 1500 BC..." (more)
Key Phrases: conejo pintado, valle escondido, medium tide, Panama City, Bocas del Toro, Casco Viejo (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Lonely Planet Panama is the bible..." -- Conde Nast Traveler, February 2005

Product Description
At once wild and sophisticated, Panama lures intrepid travelers with teeming rain forests, hundreds of jewel-like islands and the ultra-hip nightspots of its salsa-infused capital. Find your own sun-drenched beach, mingle with the Kuna Indians or dance until dawn at a frenzied fiesta - Panama offers adventure at every turn. Grab your hat and let our bestselling guide show you all the facets of Central America's undiscovered gem.

• GET OUT - our outdoor activities chapter gives you the scoop on surfing, snorkeling, hiking, birding and more

• GET BELOW THE SURFACE - informed and insightful features on history, culture and contemporary life

• EAT, DRINK & BE MERRY - frank, in-depth dining and entertainment reviews, from ceviche to merengue

• FIND YOUR WAY - 73 easy-to-use maps, more than any other guidebook to Panama

• LEARN THE LINGO - earn smiles from the locals with our handy Spanish language section

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Product Details

• Paperback: 348 pages
• Publisher: Lonely Planet Publications; 3 edition (November 15, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1741041333
• ISBN-13: 978-1741041330
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 4.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #522,521 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Useful, but not perfect, May 5, 2005

By	Vickie T. "KentuckyVickie" (Florida) - See all my reviews

This guidebook is a baffling mixture of recommendations that are dead-on and those that make you wonder "What was he thinking?" I also could have done without the author's insertion of his own political and social opinions. A travel guidebook is hardly the place for value judgements.

Would I recommend buying this book for an upcoming trip to Panama? Yes. It has a lot of good information and, as I said, some excellent recommendations. That is why I decided in the end to rate the book 4 stars instead of the 3 that I initially planned. But, I would definitely advise the user to supplement the book with other information, especially recommendations from local residents or people who have visited the country previously.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars a throw away, March 25, 2008

By	T. Legras "beachsider" (cayucos, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Panama (Country Guide) (Paperback)

I purchased the previous edition of the Panama Guide from the Lonely Planet a few years ago when I started to become a frequent visitor to Panama. That older edition offered alot of helpful information and I used it frequently.

Due to the rapid changes in Panama - i thought I needed to purchase an updated version to reflect the new hotels and rates and things to do . . . .

whoever allowed this latest edition to be published should just be ashamed. Panama has been growing and changing at an alarming rate over the last few years. This recent guide does little to reflect new places to stay, things to do and current rates. i got the impression that whoever revised it - did not even step foot in Panama, or if they did, did not spend much time there. did they just put a new cover on the old material?

Anyway - I was really disappointed and will not even give it away to friends who are visiting Panama because the information is lacking so much of what could add to a great experience in this wonderful country - especially for lodging options.

Lonely Planet - You really should spend a little more time in the country - i would say to trash this edition and start over.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Less info. than the last edition, April 1, 2008

By	Carla Black - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Panama (Country Guide) (Paperback)

I live in Panama and have bought each of the Lonely Planet Panama books as they have come out. This edition seems to have less information than the last one. In my town, Volcán, there are about 10 places to sleep; six were listed in the previous edition, but just one in this book - and the one shown is an odd, out-of-the-way place offering large cabins for extended families.

I wonder if I can trust Lonely Planet to give me the information I've come to trust them for. I will look at other guides more carefully as options to LP for my other travels.