Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Time
Panama is four hours behind Greenwich Mean Time throughout the year, the same as Eastern
Standard Time in the US, though note time changes for daylight-saving hours. Panama is one
hour ahead of Costa Rica. If in doubt, consult
Toilets
Public toilets
are thin on the ground in Panama. You will generally find them in airports and
bus terminals, which require payment of a few cents to an attendant, who in return will hand
you an inadequate few sheets of paper - always travel with an emergency toilet roll. Other
options are fast-food joints and cafeterias, and petrol stations. Most places outside top-end or
very modern hotels with their own septic system require you to throw used toilet paper into
an adjacent basket - alas sometimes missing altogether from the most rudimentary establish-
ments. In Guna Yala and parts of Bocas, a toilet cistern is no guarantee of a water treatment
system; everything may still flush straight out to sea.
Tourist information
The official
tourist agency
is the Autoridad de Turismo Panamá (ATP;
atp.gob.pa
)
; it has
a slowly improving website (in English too) at
visitpanama.com
.
The recent tourist boom
has caused a number of swanky new air-conditioned tourist offices to be built in many of the
major towns and resort areas though unfortunately most are not yet geared up to assisting
passing tourists; nor is the website much help. You may be lucky enough to get a map and, if
you have a specific question, the employee will probably do their best to help you, but do not
expect lists of local accommodation or tourist attractions, nor assume the person will speak
English.
Reception staff
at a good hostel or hotel are a far better bet for reliable information.
The Visitor/El Visitante
(
thevisitorpanama.com
), a free, weekly tourist promotion
magazine
in English and Spanish, omnipresent in hotels and touristy restaurants throughout
the country, lists attractions and upcoming events. See
Nightlife and entertainment
and
In-
formation
for other sources. Panama's
national parks
and other protected areas, which en-
compass many of Panama's natural wonders, are administered by the National Environment
Agency,
ANAM
(
anam.gob.pa
)
.
Travellers with disabilities
Organized tourism is in its infancy in Panama and awareness of the needs and rights of
people
with disabilities
is a fairly recent phenomenon - they were only granted equal rights by law
in 1999. As a result, Panama isn't really geared up to accommodate travellers with disabil-
ities. That said, Tocumen International Airport has disabled access and many mid-range and
luxury hotels in Panama City have facilities for people with disabilities, although as else-
where in the world “disabled facilities” tends to be synonymous with “wheelchair access”
