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From survivor to five stars, Isla Palenque, what a difference in two years

May 1, 2013 by 2 Comments

In June of 2011 Mayra and I visited Isla Palanque. At that time in a post, I described the vision of the developer and called it “survivor for the jet set”. We were invited to return this past weekend to see the changes made in two years. I am pleased to say Isla Palanque is still almost all a nature preserve as promised but the signs of the planned community are taking form.

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We stayed in what I will describe as a five star hotelet, six rooms.  It will be someone’s home after the first real hotel is built on the Isla Palenque. We had the opportunity to take a hike down one of the beaches and into the rain forest. We enjoyed some of the most innovative food I have eaten in all of Panama and on Saturday we took a tour with the project designer and manager who is living onsite.

Getting to Isla Palenque required a drive to Boca Chica and a thirty minute boat ride to a new pier.

Forget Fantasy Island

Forget Fantasy Island

We were greeted in a style reminiscent of Ricardo Montalban, except we were met by two gracious ladies both too young to remember Fantasy Island. They were from the staff of what turned out to be the nicest little house on the island.

Our welcome cocktails

Our welcome cocktails

After a weekend there I decided to take three days to share our experience. Today just a bit about the accommodations because they represent the quality of design and innovation. The current hotel is based on a design for a six bedroom house. It is a design I have never seen before. Each bedroom is part of a two level stack, each stack independent, floating above the ground with connections to the salon and outdoors. The salon has an infinity pool and view of the ocean. Each unit has air-conditioning, two or three different showers, a bathtub for two. The water is solar heated and the interiors true apartments themselves. I originally thought each bedroom suit was a free standing cabin minus a kitchen, but not to be, each is a bedroom.

Isla Palenque

Isla Palenque bathroom

Bathrooms are not usually photogenic but this one has a shower wall. a bathtub built for two and behind those doors an outdoor shower that is open to the sky and closed to prying eyes. It was great fun. The toilet has it’s own room.

Isla Palenque bedroom suiteThe suit has a king sized bed, living area and opens to a view of the ocean and a floating terrace. I spent most of my time on the terrace staring at the sea. There is no cable, in fact there is no television, who needs it. They do have Internet and provide an Ipad in each bedroom.

Isla Palenque beach view from hotel

Isla Palenque beach view from hotel

Isla Palenque

Kayaking

The image below is the hotel from the beach. The Joron is the restaurant. The roof in the center the salon and entrance to the home.

Isla Palenque Hotelito from the beach

Isla Palenque Hotelito from the beach

Mayra suffering

Mayra suffering

Isla Palenque wants you, local residents to have our experience so they are providing a nice deal to fill short term vacancies. Tomorrow more, Food Pornography, the naked truth about great food.

VECINO5 discount rate
The special unpublished package rate applies to stays of 2 nights or more between 11-19 May and includes:

> Jungle Room accommodations
> All meals
> 1 Island Tour per room-night, based on tours offered per our regular schedule
> Transport to/from Boca Chica

The price per room, per night for this package is $195 (value: $540/night; save over 60%). All our rooms are double occupancy but one of our Jungle Rooms can accommodate a third person; to add a third person to this room would cost $95.

All that’s needed to take advantage of this rate is to input the rate code VECINO5 when booking. Please be advised that this is a “last minute” offer, meaning it can only be redeemed 7 days before arrival and is subject to our availability. Also, this rate is strictly “word of mouth”, meaning it cannot be published online, but you are welcome to email it to anyone you think would be interested.

This is the LINK to their website form more information.

 


Filed Under: Chiriqui, Featured, Lodging, Resorts, Travel in Panama

Playa Blanca, Farallon Panama

September 23, 2008 by 5 Comments

As the leaders of the United States and other countries try to avert an economic disaster built on the pillars of greed and lust for acquisition I decided to go spend a few days at the beach. Since no one called me for macro economic advice I felt safe shifting Money Market funds to FDIC insured CDs and abandoning the Internet, the news and reality. Let them sort out how to save the people who profited from the mess they created.

I chose Playa Blanca because I have never been here before Normally I would escape to the Decameron someplace close to Playa Blanca and by this point very familiar. Neither resort has WIFI or even Internet in the rooms so unless I turn on the television or discuss world economics with the pool towel boy I am safe here.

Playa Blanca is not a white beach, the name I suspect refers to the copious amount of while paint on every building, and there are many; most under construction some completed. The beach is long, empty and is grey from volcanic sand. You can walk for a long, long way down the beach especially as the tide is receding.
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The hotel is pleasant, compared to the Decameron small, not crowded and tries to project a more upscale image; they do that by charging more for rooms. There is only one registration desk unlike the three at the Decameron so you never have the now famous which lobby is my lobby Decameron preregistration shuffle. If you live in Boquete I will suggest you contact Anavillma at Viajes David she was able to save me over $100 on a two day stay by booking the rooms for me. In fact two nights cost just a little more than one night at Playablanca.com website.

Pools are big and this week empty. The first days cuisine is mandated to be buffet. I wish I could suggest the food is better than the Decameron, it is however not as varied, not as good. It reminds me of El Sobroson in Boquete which is a great place for a $2 lunch. The only fact worthy of upscale distinction from the Decameron is that Playa Blanca serves red wine from bottles not pitchers (aka boxes) .At the Decameron there is more variety and always some station of fresh food preparation not everything is cafeteria style.

One my second day I did have the opportunity to eat dinner in El Velero a delightful restaurant on the beach. The food was very good, way beyond the quality of the buffet and although the appetizers were pre prepared the entree was definately cooked to order and was an excellent medium rare Pork loin with a tasty pepper sauce.

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The entertainment is weak, they did have a evening show designed for either the over 80 or under 10 set and since I am someplace between it was not exhilarating.

I want to find something more to say about Playa Blanca and here it is. It is small and tranquil. That makes it a wonderful escape from the realities of a crumbling world financial system and the politicians scrambling to find the right 15 second sound bite to claim they can fix it with some chewing gum and bailing wire. Next trip back to Farallon look for me back at the Decameron.


Filed Under: Resorts, Restaurants, Travel in Panama

Road Trips from Boquete – Chitre, Herrera

May 30, 2007 by 2 Comments

I intended to post a we are travelling post, but forgot to publish it and now we are back. In the time of our short trip Panama changed it’s tourist Visa so that instead of 90 days it is only 30 days with a renewal to a maximum of 90 days. See Chiriqui Chatter for more on that.

We spent six days on the road and had a wonderful time. Our first stop was the town of Chitre, Herrera.
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We arrived in town late in the afternoon and looked for a Hotel. We discovered the Guayacanes hotel.
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It looked nice, had a Fiesta Casino, a nice pool, tennis court, restaurant and we were shocked that a room for two including breakfast was $67.00 a night. A motel 6 rate before the Jubilado discount of 50% which made our stay at whopping $36.50. If the US Congress followed the lead of Panama and implemented a Jubilado program many seniors in the US would have a life again at little cost to the government.
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The hotel consists of several buildings like this surrounding a lake.
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This is the outside of the restaurant,
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we will get to it inside as soon as I can do another post.


Filed Under: Herrera, Herrera, Lodging, Resorts, Restaurants, Travel in Panama

Road Trips from Boquete – The Decameron Part 2

May 3, 2007 by 2 Comments

Now that you have indulged in comidas it’s time to work them off. The Decameron resort at Costa Blanca Panama is very large.
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Three check in lobbies, many buildings with many rooms, I was told it can accommodate 2,500 people. Therefore large is relative since that would not be a significant single resort in Las Vegas.

This is a quick peek at some of the activities we watched while we were there, note watched not did. We walked, eat, drank and walked and were in gerneral decadent.
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Water exercise
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Dance lessons
[Read more...]


Filed Under: Lodging, Outdoor Activities, Resorts, Travel in Panama

Road Trips from Boquete – The Decameron Part 1

May 2, 2007 by 1 Comment

Our road trip of last week included a few days in what has often been described as a World Class resort in Panama; the Royal Decameron. We have now real experience and it is indeed a wonderful place to stay for a few days to recharge and recreate.

The Decameron is located about 90 minutes west of Panama City at Farallon and is on Costa Blanca a beautiful beach.

We made reservations in Boquete with Jose Palm at Viajes David in Boquete and our off season rate per person, per night was $51.00. Email Jose if you are looking for special rates.If that sounds high the normal rates are closer to $100 per person per night. The value at $51 clear when you see what you receive.
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The Decameron has three different check in area each with a multilingual staff. The market to all of Latin America, Canada, US and Europe. Upon checking in you are banded with a color coded wrist band indicating what day you are leaving.
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The rooms are not bad, spacious, good showers, refrigerated and the beds are neither the best nor the worst of hotel fare.

Now comes what my Daughter Ashley would call the important part, your daily payment includes all food, drinks including intoxicants and even cigarettes as well as all non motorized beach and surf play. There is no scarcity of food or restaurants.
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Here Jennifer is checking for only the crispest, lowest calorie salad offerings. The variety is excellent and includes both standard fare such as greens and Panama specialties like Mango salad.
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Breakfast and lunch are served buffet style in two huge facilities the Atlantic and Pacific buffets.

In addition to salads there are multiple entrees, at lunch they seem to always have at least one fish, one chicken and on meat dish as well as a variety of vegetables. The staff is rotating trays based on time not consumption so the food is always hot and not over cooked. Buffets never produce gourmet quality but you can always find something you can eat and will never starve.
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There are also fresh preparation stations with hospital clad cooks. What is available varies with the meal but breakfasts have eggs, waffles, pancakes etc; lunches pasta, grilled chicken, fish etc.

In addition to the buffets there are snack bars open when the buffets are closed between meals until midnight and many restaurants to choose from for dinner.

Ashley, the Decameron was built with you in mind. No cooking, no cleaning, lot’s of quality food from dawn to midnight. Oh one more thing Deserts, they all looked much better than they tasted but that’s a good thing at beach resort.
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Filed Under: Lodging, Resorts, Travel in Panama

Coiba Day One

January 22, 2007 by 1 Comment

When Bob Wolfe first told us about Coiba we were excited. A huge island, a remote National park with unique wildlife and crystal clear oceans. When he created Coibatours and organized a trip we jumped onto the list.

We found ourselves as part of a group of nineteen people, mostly Boquetenos who made the trip. Although Coiba is about 100 miles from Boquete getting there is not trivial. The half day drive to Santiago is best done during daylight. Next an early morning departure to the marine departure point at Playa Banco.

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We rode the Angel Blanco to Playa Banco, not a long distance but two and a half hours of paved road, unpaved road,  non road, one wonderful bridge and dirt track.

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Robert Boyd, going to inspect the seaworthyness of the Panagas.

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No that is not Coiba but Jennifer was so excited about getting into a Panaga she rode to the other shore with some locals while the rest of us waved.

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A Panaga full of our group. Yes Penny you do have 5 fingers on your hand!

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And we were off for our Boat ride. Combined the Bus and Boat ride from Santiago was five hours.

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Upon arrival Jennifer went crocodrilo hunting; Tito was upstream, downstream or DOA we never saw him.

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The lodging at the Park is barracks style, six people per room, two rooms per barrack with no cohabitation. Truly girls and boys housing. The cots are ok, there was air conditioning, they do provide clean sheets, some pillows and really cold showers with no shower head. Be Prepared!

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Lunch travelled with us in it’s own bucket.

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Bob brought an excellent cook who turned the pargo (red snapper) into an excellent lunch. The excellent food continued  throughout the trip.

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Sarah a very over weight miniature White Tail Deer is a lovable addition to the resort area. (how do those feet hold her up?)

Tomorrow more…


Filed Under: Outdoor Activities, Resorts, Travel in Panama

Quickie Comments

January 9, 2007 by 1 Comment

Over the past three weeks we had our minds and hands full with holiday visitors. It was wonderful but the blog was a very low priority. Still there are a few things we want add, all without photos and most based on single experiences.

When we do a review we usually visit a restaurant multiple times before we write. When traveling around the country that is not always possible so these are mostly one time observations.

Lung Fung Restaurant in Panama City

Loretta from the Bistro Boquete recommended Lung Fung for Dim Sum. We were in Panama for a Sunday, we lust Dim Sum and Loretta was right on the money. The Dim Sum was wonderful, we suspect we were a little late arriving near noon and the selection was limited but hands down better than anything we ever had in San Francisco.

We will return. Thank you Loretta!

The Decameron Resort at Farrallon Beach.

Our friend Bob Boyd recommended we try the Decameron as a stop between Boquete and Panama. We did and it was simply wonderful, not inexpensive but using a travel agent to book saved some money and our children discovered the beaches, the pool and the food wonderful. Our gourmand daughter discover that she could be a hobbit with 1st and 2nd Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner each followed with a snack.

Thanks Bob!

Napoli Restaurant in Panama City near Via Brasil

We have eaten a Napolis multiple times but never seem to have a camera. It is one of the nicest world class Italian restaurants we have been in. Great Pizza, great clams, great lobster, great steak a great place.

Prices are very reasonable, rest rooms are clean and we will continue to return.

My thanks to our friends Victor and Irina for steering us to Napoli.


Filed Under: Boquete, Lodging, Panama City, quickies, Resorts, Travel in Panama