Thx for sharing your story on moving to PTY and now living there. I've been to Bocas only once, 16 yrs ago and Yes, bocas del toro is paradise! Your review of Isla Colon is spot on- We got a vacation hm 5 min south of Coronado in Costa Esmeralda since its closer to my in-laws;)
I was just in Bocas a few weeks ago and it caught my attention. It wasn’t on my list as a place to live but when I return, I want to look at it with that lens. Thanks for sharing! 🇵🇦
I flew straight in from Panama City to Bocas. I stayed for a month and a half. The bugs (no seeums) ate me alive....I am in Coronado Bay now but missing the Caribbean waters. Unfortunately, the internet sucks in Bocas. Glad it's a good fit for you guys.
I live in USA but I am Panamanian. Last yrs by Octuber I travel to Panama and the heat over there Tried me crazy..the fan not help You I was sweating a lot..I spend Two months over there because All my family live there. Bocas del Toro is a beautiful Place and the weather is more Nicely..What I love much is the Beach..Panama have a beautiful Beaches..thank you for share with Us your steady in this wonderful Place..enjoy.
Thank you Lara for sharing! And thank you Jackie Lange/Panama Relocation for providing diverse and informative videos. My best friend is from NZ and I realized I had a smile on my face just listening to you speak! She too is an outdoor enthusiast. My husband and I will be visiting soon. We purchased Jackie’s online guide and look forward to exploring Panama.
Lara - thanks so much for your frank and lively assessment. I spent my teen years and first year of uni in an Auckland suburb and cannot imagine anywhere more stunningly beautiful or friendly than NZ. Unfortunately can't afford to live there so very glad to hear you talk about Panama's beauty (I am moving there in June). If a Kiwi thinks it is gorgeous, I know it must be! Not thrilled to hear about the rubbish - I lived in the Dominican Republic for three years and it was the same there - so will do my best to avoid those places. It just makes one sad to see beautiful nature littered with human rubbish, eh? I hope you and Ceasar continue to enjoy Bocas.
You're welcome. We find it works just fine, you just need a little patience. Another tip: get a back up battery supply. When the power goes out it gives you another 2-4 hours power, and you'll need to hotspot from your mobile bcos when the power goes out, the router obvs dies too.
You are so right about the garbage. People just through everything on the ground the Panamerican high way just discusses me with the amount of garbage. We have lived in Panama for 15 years and we live near the City of Chitre and the side roads are filled with garbage. Also the tourist places are so dirty and no bathrooms or an outhouse that is full and again beyond belief that they don't do something about this. But they don't!!
Blame the government for its corruption... they are given money to maintain all the issues (roads, education, etc..) but the high bigots pocket it for their own benefit forgetting about the people and their problems.. we all hope that one day we have a government like USA were everything has to be taxed so Panamanians like me could start appreciating more the cost of living seriously and take care of their country... believe me part of the problem are the rats in the goverment.. you can bribe anybody in there if you try to do good. Your dead in a matter of time.. now, we face a problem with orphan places that house more than 1,000 children and elderly with disabilities.. they had been raped, malnourished etc.. but they don't want to do nothing about it... NOW, THEY WANT TO OPEN EVERYTHING (BACK TO NORMAL) SO EVERYBODY WOULD FORGET ABOUT THE ISSUE WITH THE KIDS..
Welcome to Panamá Lara & Ceasar! Bocas is where my granny and great grandpa were from. I lover Bocas. It takes a certain mindset. But it seems you have the proper mindset. I am saddened and embarrassed at the problem you encountered with rubbish in other parts of the county. I acknowledge that is a problem is some parts and that too boils down to a mindset. There must be a way to fix this. If other ministries are inept in this regard, I believe that an innovative approach may be to take it up with the Ministry of Tourism. Makes me cringe. Thank you for bringing your good mindset with you. Again, welcome aboard & enjoy them waves!! Oh, BTW, stay tuned for a service which will soon come to you courtesy of Elon Musk. It's called StarLink, which will allow you to have very fast and reliable internet for less than what you are paying all in all right now. Keep your eyes on StarLink once it rolls out for your region. You're welcome. lol
You arrived in December.... believe me it gets properly hideously unpleasantly hot!!!! There are two seasons, twice a year so intermittantly it gets uncomfortable. That said, i absolutely love it!!!!
it's now the end of April, and it is a bit warmer, we had about 3 days which were hot and I did not like, but overall still much better than the heat I experienced in Coronado
Really enjoyed your highly informational recap of Bocas. We may consider visiting, since you mentioned it was cooler, and not sweaty.. I wonder if there are places higher up in the hills there ? The views would be awesome.
When u lived in Coronado Beach, did u ever surf at El Palmar Beach? That's where I'd go when I was a teenager....also Rio Mar. Met world champion surfer Tommy Curren there once. Venao is solid near Pedasi. The best beach to swim and relax in is Santa Clara beach....during low tide it's like a pond. Thats where my Grandpa had his beach house. Playa Blanca is very nice for swimming. Did u go to The Gamboa Resort? Take care and enjoy Panama. Go Kiwis 👍
Great info and video Lara. I am looking to take a trip down there for a possible relocation and my time is a bit limited for the initial trip. Looking into flights from Tocumen Intl to the Bocas Del Toro airport and back has proven to be difficult for me to book in advance. Would you be able to guide me or point me in the right direction to a source that can help me understand the best way to deal with these flights on a reasonably tight time schedule(trying not to need to spend the night in Panama City this trip if I can avoid it)? Thank you
I was going to ask why a person from NZ would move to a hot, humid and filled with mosquitos place when you mentioned you were surfers. I’m from Puerto Rico where lots of people go surfing. You should try to visit Rincón some time, the waves are much bigger than what you surf but you get some world class waves there!
Hey there! I've watched a couple of your videos. Thanks for sharing. We are so interested in relocating to Panama. My husband and I are in the beginning planning stages of going to Panama. We want to fly into Panama. Fly to David and stay in Boca Chica for a week at one of the resorts. Have y'all ever stayed? If so, what did you like about it? Then drive over to Boquete for a week. My husband wants to play some golf. Then, drive over and catch a ferry to bocos del toro for a week. In Bocos, we want to stay on the water. Do you have any suggestions, where we might stay? Your recommendations and opinions would be much appreciated.
What do you do online? I am interested. I am leaving Canada, and I would love to be able to have an income made online. I would appreciate any input. Thanks
I'm a Chartered Market Technician, I analyse financial markets. I've been doing it for over a decade, we take our business with us where ever we go. This business we have developed over a decade, started back in New Zealand.
New Zealand’s rubbish ends up in Malaysia and China before they stopped accepting recycling. Developed countries recycling plans are not as developed as you might think. In panama they probably do not export near the quantity of recycling and trash. That also probably contributes to the pileup.
That's true, NZ isn't as clean and green as many people think it is. We do use less plastic though, in takeaway food containers, single use bags, straws and locally made packaging NZ has shifted away from plastic over the last few years. But, so much stuff we buy regularly comes in plastic; cleaning products, processed foods... NZ now has a problem with building piles of plastic that isn't being recycled and can no longer be sent to Asia.
@@LaraLandX hopefully in time with more investment and infrastructure panama can overcome this. Heck it would be cool if they built a recycling plant for the plastic to actually break it down into the plastic beads that can be remelted and make new plastic things. Then that industry would help build the trash collection as well. Then they could profit rather than try to fund it. I know Canada also hugely lags behind on being able to handle and process our own plastic waste. It all ends up in 40ft containers shipped to Malaysia as well.
Several Details left out in the video, what specifically is " bad " about the quality of the department store products? How much does the 2 hour ferry cost? How much are the bills for shipping/ gas/ utilities? What was "wrong" with Porto belo (too cold, no waves, something else)?
The store upstairs in Toto has very cheaply made clothing, a lot of polyester which isn't ideal in a tropical climate. the Ferry cost $40 for one car, two people in it To me Portobello just looked neglected, with a veneer of black mould and disrepair. It was hot. This is my opinion only though, other people like the place.
The other problem here is the Panamanians don't like other Spanish and if you are just learning good luck. They do not like to listen to you and if you are Spanish from another country they don't like to listen to you either. Terrible Spanish believe me.
maybe because I'm a gringo.... but so far I've found Panamanian people to be wonderfully polite, smiling, helpful and kind to me. To my Columbian husband too... but then he has a Columbian / Texan / New Zealand accent, so it's odd and they probably can't place him as Columbian...
Thx for sharing your story on moving to PTY and now living there. I've been to Bocas only once, 16 yrs ago and Yes, bocas del toro is paradise! Your review of Isla Colon is spot on- We got a vacation hm 5 min south of Coronado in Costa Esmeralda since its closer to my in-laws;)
That's awesome!
We were also surprised that Bocas was not as hot and humid as we were expecting. Thanks for confirming this. A very pleasant surprise!
Kia Ora. Thanks for sharing.
I was just in Bocas a few weeks ago and it caught my attention. It wasn’t on my list as a place to live but when I return, I want to look at it with that lens. Thanks for sharing! 🇵🇦
I flew straight in from Panama City to Bocas. I stayed for a month and a half. The bugs (no seeums) ate me alive....I am in Coronado Bay now but missing the Caribbean waters. Unfortunately, the internet sucks in Bocas. Glad it's a good fit for you guys.
I live in USA but I am Panamanian.
Last yrs by Octuber I travel to
Panama and the heat over there
Tried me crazy..the fan not help
You I was sweating a lot..I spend
Two months over there because
All my family live there.
Bocas del Toro is a beautiful
Place and the weather is more
Nicely..What I love much is the
Beach..Panama have a beautiful
Beaches..thank you for share with
Us your steady in this wonderful
Place..enjoy.
Thanks for sharing your journey Lara. Very enjoyable video. 👍
Glad you enjoyed it!
If this is the Lara I think it is I like your technical analysis. Cheers
it is me! (here I am in my personal Lara profile)
Thanks for sharing your story Lara.
Thank you Lara for sharing! And thank you Jackie Lange/Panama Relocation for providing diverse and informative videos. My best friend is from NZ and I realized I had a smile on my face just listening to you speak! She too is an outdoor enthusiast. My husband and I will be visiting soon. We purchased Jackie’s online guide and look forward to exploring Panama.
Lisa, I'm so glad you enjoyed the video! And, thanks for purchasing the panamarelocationtours.com/guide
Great video with such useful information. Thanks for posting.
Lara - thanks so much for your frank and lively assessment. I spent my teen years and first year of uni in an Auckland suburb and cannot imagine anywhere more stunningly beautiful or friendly than NZ. Unfortunately can't afford to live there so very glad to hear you talk about Panama's beauty (I am moving there in June). If a Kiwi thinks it is gorgeous, I know it must be! Not thrilled to hear about the rubbish - I lived in the Dominican Republic for three years and it was the same there - so will do my best to avoid those places. It just makes one sad to see beautiful nature littered with human rubbish, eh? I hope you and Ceasar continue to enjoy Bocas.
My sister and brother in law (a Kiwi) live in Queenstown. A nice place to visit, but… 😂
Thanks for the tip on internet connection as a digital nomad. I have an online business and this is a key element for me.
Keep your eyes on a service called Star Link. Once it is fully rolled out it won;t matter one bit where you live: Freedom!
@@fanfare100 thanks will do!
@@TheodoreHenderson You're very welcome. Lemme know what you think.
You're welcome. We find it works just fine, you just need a little patience. Another tip: get a back up battery supply. When the power goes out it gives you another 2-4 hours power, and you'll need to hotspot from your mobile bcos when the power goes out, the router obvs dies too.
@@LaraLandX thanks!
Thank you 🙏 Lara
Our pleasure!
I’m ready to come check it out.. do I contact Panama relocation torurs?
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences.
thanks for the great information, much appreciated and greatly helpful.
Glad it was helpful!
thanks! nice video... good information!
You are so right about the garbage. People just through everything on the ground the Panamerican high way just discusses me with the amount of garbage. We have lived in Panama for 15 years and we live near the City of Chitre and the side roads are filled with garbage. Also the tourist places are so dirty and no bathrooms or an outhouse that is full and again beyond belief that they don't do something about this. But they don't!!
Blame the government for its corruption... they are given money to maintain all the issues (roads, education, etc..) but the high bigots pocket it for their own benefit forgetting about the people and their problems.. we all hope that one day we have a government like USA were everything has to be taxed so Panamanians like me could start appreciating more the cost of living seriously and take care of their country... believe me part of the problem are the rats in the goverment.. you can bribe anybody in there if you try to do good. Your dead in a matter of time.. now, we face a problem with orphan places that house more than 1,000 children and elderly with disabilities.. they had been raped, malnourished etc.. but they don't want to do nothing about it... NOW, THEY WANT TO OPEN EVERYTHING (BACK TO NORMAL) SO EVERYBODY WOULD FORGET ABOUT THE ISSUE WITH THE KIDS..
Welcome to Panamá Lara & Ceasar! Bocas is where my granny and great grandpa were from. I lover Bocas. It takes a certain mindset. But it seems you have the proper mindset. I am saddened and embarrassed at the problem you encountered with rubbish in other parts of the county. I acknowledge that is a problem is some parts and that too boils down to a mindset. There must be a way to fix this. If other ministries are inept in this regard, I believe that an innovative approach may be to take it up with the Ministry of Tourism. Makes me cringe. Thank you for bringing your good mindset with you. Again, welcome aboard & enjoy them waves!! Oh, BTW, stay tuned for a service which will soon come to you courtesy of Elon Musk. It's called StarLink, which will allow you to have very fast and reliable internet for less than what you are paying all in all right now. Keep your eyes on StarLink once it rolls out for your region. You're welcome. lol
Enjoy 😉
You arrived in December.... believe me it gets properly hideously unpleasantly hot!!!! There are two seasons, twice a year so intermittantly it gets uncomfortable. That said, i absolutely love it!!!!
it's now the end of April, and it is a bit warmer, we had about 3 days which were hot and I did not like, but overall still much better than the heat I experienced in Coronado
Kinda hard to follow your train of thought but lots of excellent info here. It looks like a lovely place!
Really enjoyed your highly informational recap of Bocas. We may consider visiting, since you mentioned it was cooler, and not sweaty.. I wonder if there are places higher up in the hills there ? The views would be awesome.
There are no highland areas on the islands in Bocas. Some area on the mainland in bocas province have a higher elevation but not very high
Your Colombian husband would know a good relevant saying: “No dar papaya”, which means don’t make it easy to steal from you.
When u lived in Coronado Beach, did u ever surf at El Palmar Beach? That's where I'd go when I was a teenager....also Rio Mar. Met world champion surfer Tommy Curren there once. Venao is solid near Pedasi. The best beach to swim and relax in is Santa Clara beach....during low tide it's like a pond. Thats where my Grandpa had his beach house. Playa Blanca is very nice for swimming.
Did u go to The Gamboa Resort? Take care and enjoy Panama. Go Kiwis 👍
Sounds like paradise... Panama!
Great info and video Lara. I am looking to take a trip down there for a possible relocation and my time is a bit limited for the initial trip. Looking into flights from Tocumen Intl to the Bocas Del Toro airport and back has proven to be difficult for me to book in advance. Would you be able to guide me or point me in the right direction to a source that can help me understand the best way to deal with these flights on a reasonably tight time schedule(trying not to need to spend the night in Panama City this trip if I can avoid it)? Thank you
Fly from PAC to BOC on Air Panama or Bocas Air. Go direct to their websites. You can’t fly out of Tocumen to Bocas
I was going to ask why a person from NZ would move to a hot, humid and filled with mosquitos place when you mentioned you were surfers. I’m from Puerto Rico where lots of people go surfing. You should try to visit Rincón some time, the waves are much bigger than what you surf but you get some world class waves there!
One answer -- PANAMA HAS NO HURRICANES!!!
❤🇵🇦
Hey there! I've watched a couple of your videos. Thanks for sharing. We are so interested in relocating to Panama. My husband and I are in the beginning planning stages of going to Panama. We want to fly into Panama. Fly to David and stay in Boca Chica for a week at one of the resorts. Have y'all ever stayed? If so, what did you like about it? Then drive over to Boquete for a week. My husband wants to play some golf. Then, drive over and catch a ferry to bocos del toro for a week. In Bocos, we want to stay on the water. Do you have any suggestions, where we might stay? Your recommendations and opinions would be much appreciated.
What would be a possible low income cost of living in Bocas?
a nice furnished rental will be about $500 a month
You mention that the temperatures are lower in Boca than Coronado and Panama city. What are the temp ranges there?
Bocas seems to be mid to high 20's (celcius, not farenheight). Coronado was high 20's to low 30's. It feels like a 3-4 degree difference.
Hi Lara LandX . I am wondering what kind of work you do?
she has an online business. financial report.
What do you do online? I am interested. I am leaving Canada, and I would love to be able to have an income made online. I would appreciate any input. Thanks
I'm a Chartered Market Technician, I analyse financial markets. I've been doing it for over a decade, we take our business with us where ever we go. This business we have developed over a decade, started back in New Zealand.
This free book will give you some ideas for an online biz "Fund Your Freedom Overseas" panamarelocationtours.com/fund-your-freedom-overseas
As far as internet, if landlord can't upgrade, try SpaceX's new Starlink internet. They've started rolling out in Canada
New Zealand’s rubbish ends up in Malaysia and China before they stopped accepting recycling. Developed countries recycling plans are not as developed as you might think. In panama they probably do not export near the quantity of recycling and trash. That also probably contributes to the pileup.
That's true, NZ isn't as clean and green as many people think it is. We do use less plastic though, in takeaway food containers, single use bags, straws and locally made packaging NZ has shifted away from plastic over the last few years. But, so much stuff we buy regularly comes in plastic; cleaning products, processed foods...
NZ now has a problem with building piles of plastic that isn't being recycled and can no longer be sent to Asia.
@@LaraLandX hopefully in time with more investment and infrastructure panama can overcome this. Heck it would be cool if they built a recycling plant for the plastic to actually break it down into the plastic beads that can be remelted and make new plastic things. Then that industry would help build the trash collection as well. Then they could profit rather than try to fund it. I know Canada also hugely lags behind on being able to handle and process our own plastic waste. It all ends up in 40ft containers shipped to Malaysia as well.
Several Details left out in the video, what specifically is " bad " about the quality of the department store products? How much does the 2 hour ferry cost? How much are the bills for shipping/ gas/ utilities? What was "wrong" with Porto belo (too cold, no waves, something else)?
The store upstairs in Toto has very cheaply made clothing, a lot of polyester which isn't ideal in a tropical climate.
the Ferry cost $40 for one car, two people in it
To me Portobello just looked neglected, with a veneer of black mould and disrepair. It was hot. This is my opinion only though, other people like the place.
If you like trash everywhere and very unfriendly people, then yeah: it is Paradise.
The other problem here is the Panamanians don't like other Spanish and if you are just learning good luck. They do not like to listen to you and if you are Spanish from another country they don't like to listen to you either. Terrible Spanish believe me.
maybe because I'm a gringo.... but so far I've found Panamanian people to be wonderfully polite, smiling, helpful and kind to me. To my Columbian husband too... but then he has a Columbian / Texan / New Zealand accent, so it's odd and they probably can't place him as Columbian...