Basics: We chose not to rent a car due to numerous online reviews warning of scams and extra fees. If you do decide to rent a car, make sure to take pictures and videos of both the interior and exterior before you check it out. Also, keep in mind that Uber fares in Panama are very affordable—typically, a half-hour ride costs between $4 and $6.

 

Minyan: There are many minyan options throughout Panama City. My husband chose to daven at Chabad, as we preferred to avoid the security screenings required for the other minyanim. If you do wish to visit other shuls, be sure to fill out the security screening in advance and bring your passport or ID for your first visit.

 

Kosher Food: Panama offers a variety of kosher food options. There are multiple kosher restaurants throughout Panama City, as well as Chabad houses that sell food outside the city. For meat, we dined at Adama, a beautiful and relatively new establishment, as well as Aria. Both provided delicious options at prices significantly lower than those in American restaurants.

For dairy, we visited Kava, a lovely restaurant, and Jeffreys Café. If you're looking for Chalav Yisroel, it's important to inform the restaurants so they can let you know what's available. We also ordered sandwiches from Jeffreys for brunch several times during our trip, and they packaged them beautifully for takeout. Overall, we enjoyed a variety of delicious and nutritious meals throughout our stay.

There are also two kosher grocery stores in Panama: Deli K and Super Kosher. Both are well-stocked and offer a full variety of kosher items. We only visited Super Kosher, which is located in a mall where the Residence Inn—a popular hotel for Jewish families visiting Panama—has an entrance. Super Kosher is a spacious, beautiful supermarket, stocked with every kosher item you might need.

 

Weather: Panama is located on the other side of the equator, which means that when it's winter here, it's summer there, and vice versa. The weather remains warm throughout the year; however, it tends to be much wetter during the winter months, with frequent rain.

The weather in Panama is hot, typically reaching the 90s during January and February. Be sure to bring plenty of sunscreen and water on all your outings.

 

Hotels and Attractions: Most families choose to stay in Paitilla, the neighborhood where many Jewish families reside. The typical accommodations are the JW Marriott and the Residence Inn, but there are many beautiful hotels throughout the area. Overall, hotel prices are significantly lower compared to similar brands in America. We, however, chose to stay in the Casa Viejo, at a beautifully restored hotel, although it was a bit pricier than the options in the surrounding area.

 

To help us get around and select our attractions, we used MBZ Tours (https://turismombzpanama.com/). After reviewing Mauricio's flyer, we chose the attractions we wanted to visit, and he planned the itinerary for us. We were very pleased with his services and have since recommended him to many others.