Before You Go
- Confirm passport validity and entry requirements.
- Check whether a tourist visa is required.
- Keep digital copies of important documents.
- Consider purchasing travel insurance.
Panama City
Balboa (PAB), US Dollar (USD)
Spanish
Dec–Apr
EST (UTC−5)
Welcome to Panama, a Central American country famous for its historic canal and remarkably rich biodiversity. The Panama Canal remains an engineering marvel, offering fascinating tours of ships passing between two oceans. Panama City's modern skyline rises dramatically beside a beautifully restored colonial old town, Casco Viejo. The San Blas Islands offer pristine white-sand beaches managed by the Indigenous Guna people. Panama's rainforests shelter sloths, toucans, and extraordinary biodiversity accessible just outside the capital. Boquete's cool highlands produce excellent coffee amid volcanic mountain scenery. Traditional Emberá and Guna communities offer a rich cultural connection alongside the country's natural wonders. Panama invites travelers to experience a country where two oceans and incredible biodiversity meet.
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Helpful information to consider before and during your visit.
Discover some of Panama's most popular flavors, traditional dishes and memorable local treats during your visit.
Sancocho is a signature Panama specialty known for its distinctive local ingredients, seasoning and traditional preparation.
This popular Panama dish brings together familiar regional flavors and is commonly enjoyed in homes, markets or local restaurants.
A well-loved part of Panama cuisine, Arroz con Pollo reflects the country's culinary traditions and locally available ingredients.
Carimañolas is a comforting regional favorite, prepared in styles that may vary between families, cities and different parts of Panama.
Visitors often seek out Ceviche for an authentic taste of Panama's everyday cooking and food culture.
This traditional favorite highlights the bold, savory or gently spiced flavors associated with cooking in Panama.
Patacones is widely recognized in Panama and is often served at casual meals, celebrations or community gatherings.
A memorable choice for travelers, Hojaldres offers a flavorful introduction to the ingredients and techniques used across Panama.
This classic food is an important part of Panama's culinary identity and is best sampled freshly prepared.
Papua New Guinea is considered one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world, with over 800 distinct languages spoken among its population, more than any other single nation, a result of its extremely rugged terrain that historically isolated communities from one another. The country makes up the eastern half of the island of New Guinea, the second-largest island in the world, and its interior remains so remote and mountainous that some communities had little to no contact with the outside world until well into the 20th century.
Papua New Guinea is home to the bird-of-paradise, a family of strikingly colorful birds famous for elaborate mating displays, and the birds hold such deep cultural significance that one appears on the country's national flag. The country also sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire and experiences frequent volcanic activity and earthquakes, and its Sepik River region is known for elaborate traditional wood carving and ceremonial architecture found in few other parts of the world.
Despite gaining independence from Australia only in 1975, Papua New Guinea's highland regions preserve some of the oldest continuous agricultural traditions on Earth, with archaeological evidence of farming in the area dating back nearly 10,000 years, among the earliest known anywhere in the world.
Another little-known fact is that Albanians have a unique cultural tradition called "Besa," meaning "to keep one's promise." This centuries-old code of honor became internationally recognized during World War II when Albania was one of the few European countries where the Jewish population actually increased because local families risked their lives to shelter refugees. Albania also boasts the stunning Blue Eye (Syri i Kaltër), a natural spring with crystal-clear turquoise water whose exact depth remains unknown despite multiple explorations.
Finally, Albania enjoys more than 300 sunny days each year, rivaling many Mediterranean destinations. The country is also famous for its "sworn virgins"—a centuries-old tradition in remote mountain villages where women could legally assume male social roles by taking a lifelong vow of celibacy, preserving family inheritance and leadership in the absence of male heirs.
