Boquete
Known for its cool, fresh climate and pristine natural environment, the small alpine town of Boquete is nestled into a craggy mountain valley 38km (23mi) north of David. It's a fine place for walking, bird-watching, horseriding and enjoying a respite from the heat of the lowlands. Flowers, coffee and citrus fruits are grown in the area and the town's Feria de las Flores y del Café is a popular annual festival held for ten days each January. Boquete is a good base for climbing the 3475m (11,400ft) Volcán Barú or visiting the volcano's vast national park.

Isla Taboga
This charming historical island, south of Panama City, has an attractive beach, protected rainforest, and bountiful flocks of brown pelicans. Known as the Island of Flowers for the times of the year it is filled with the aroma of sweet-smelling blooms, it's a popular retreat from the city.

Panama Canal
Both an engineering marvel and one of the most significant waterways on earth, the canal stretches 80km (50mi) from Panama City on the Pacific to Colón on the Atlantic. Seeing a huge ship nudge its way through the narrow canal, with vast tracts of jungle on both sides, is an unforgettable sight. The easiest and best way to visit the Canal is to go to the Miraflores Locks, which offers visitors a good view of the locks in operation. There's also a museum with a model and a film about the Canal. Five-hour boat tours leave from Balboa in Panama City.

Archipiélago de Bocas del Toro
Several of the pristine islands of the Bocas del Toro Archipelago in the Caribbean Sea are protected by the Parque Nacional Marino Isla Bastimentos. The park offers great diving, snorkeling and swimming, and its beaches are used as a nesting ground by several species of sea turtle. The main town on the archipelago is Bocas del Toro on the southeastern tip of Isla Colón. The archipelago is off the northeast coast of Panama and is accessible by plane from Panama City, David and Changuinola, or by ferry from Almirante and Chiriquí Grande.

Archipiélago de San Blás
The islands of the San Blás Archipelago are strung out along the Caribbean coast of Panama from the Golfo de San Blás nearly all the way to the Colombian border. The islands are home to the Kuna, who run the 378 islands as an autonomous district called Comarca de Kuna Yala. They maintain their own economic system, language, customs and culture, with distinctive dress, legends, music and dance. The economy of the islands is based on coconut sales, fishing and tourism, offering travellers good diving, snorkelling and swimming.

Isla Grande
A giant pastiche of exotic Caribbean cliches is squeezed into this 7 sq km (3 sq mi) island, inhabited by 300 people of African descent who make their living from fishing and coconuts. There is plenty of accommodation and boats for rent, but no dive operators or places to rent snorkeling equipment. Visitors are often attracted by local festivities, which include San Juan Bautista in June, celebrated with canoe and swimming races; the day of the Virgen del Carmen, on 16 July, is marked by a land and sea procession; and Carnaval, before Ash Wednesday, is a fiesta of Calypso dancing and songs.

Hotels
All the hotels we recommend are clean, well located and comfortable hotels varying in services as according to their category. We rarely use hostels as the price difference is negligible between a good hostel and a hotel. In places like the national reserves areas we do work with some very good lodges. Panama is a relatively wealthy Central American country with a choice of three star hotels to 5* Deluxe hotels, so you are able to choose the best hotels in line with your budget. We will always quote you with good hotels on all our programmes but upgrades or downgrades will be available as per your request. However, as the price will decrease with downgrades, this will ultimately reflect in the services and standards of the hotel.

Flights
Unless otherwise stated, we provide all internal flights in your programme, excluding the airport taxes. We also provide international flights around Central and South America and can quote, upon request, your international flight to Panama. We work directly with the best airlines in Central and South America but are not responsible for any changes in flight schedules or cancellations made by the airlines. This is the responsibility of the airline in question. We will always endeavour to minimise any delays or changes but cannot guarantee a successful outcome.

Insurance
It is a mandatory requirement that all our customers take out adequate travel insurance cover. Once you have obtained your insurance, it is company practice to check the validity and cover of your insurance policy and we hold the right to refuse travel to anyone whose insurance does not satisfy Amazing Peru's stringent criteria. These include cancellation and curtailment, death or injury, medical insurance, emergency repatriation, delayed baggage, loss and theft etc.

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