Holiday Escapes

Trade Dallas winter chills for the sights and thrills of sunny Panama

Pool and canal views from the Westin Playa Bonita.
Photo by Jody Diamond
View from the Westin Playa Bonita of the cruise ships lining up to enter thePanama Canal.
Photo by Jody Diamond
Dug-out canoe ride to the Embera Indian Village.
Photo by Kristy Alpert
Cascada Bonita
Photo by Kristy Alpert
Peaceful day on the Chagres River on the way to the Embera Indian Village.
Photo by Kristy Alpert
View from the MiraFlores Locks at the Panama Canal.
Photo by Kristy Alpert
Lobby to the new Sensory Spa by Clarins at the Westin Playa Bonita.
Photo by Jody Diamond

From dimly lit midnight wine tastings through the romantic Casco Viejo district to venturing out in a hollowed-out canoe to an authentic Indian village, Panama has plenty to keep you warm this winter.

When it comes to traveling south of the border, Panama tends to get passed over like the red-headed step child of Central America for more mainstream destinations such as Costa Rica and Guatemala. But this idyllic isthmus offers a similar sense of exotic exploration with a unique cosmopolitan opulence that has remained refreshingly unscathed by tourists and crowds.

Unlike other Central American hot spots, Panama remains refreshingly unscathed by tourists and crowds.

With a year-round temperature averaging around 84 degrees, this time of year is the country’s prime travel season to escape the unknown winters of Dallas-Fort Worth. (Will it snow or is it time to pull out those shorts again?)

While a certain amount of mystery is what draws many of us to travel. Allow me to take out a bit of the logistical guesswork for your trip to Panama. Here is where you should stay, eat and play in Panama’s capital city:

Stay
Westin Playa Bonitais less than a year old and already it’s become one of the best spots to stay while exploring Panama City. Because it’s located 20 minutes from the city center, this beachfront hotel feels like a retreat, with gorgeous views of the rainforest on one side and that of ships preparing to enter the Panama Canal on the other. Plus, the onsite restaurants are amazing, and the beds are truly heavenly.

Bonus feature: the hotel just opened up a new Sensory Spa by Clarins with a hydrothermal wellness circuit that claims to stimulate circulation, cleanse the skin and relax sore muscles.

Eat
Not only does Miraflores Restaurant at the Panama Canal provide a decadent buffet including local Panamanian favorites and a lust-worthy dessert station, but it also offers arguably the best way to view the ships passing through the canal from its expansive patio overlooking the Miraflores Locks.

DiVino Enoteca is a charming hole-in-the wall located in the heart of Casco Viejo, Panama City’s old town. If walking the dimly lit cobblestone streets amidst stunning architecture in this romantic quarter doesn’t warm your spirits, sipping on one of the exquisite wines from the restaurant’s expansive wine menu while watching old movies on the original brick-walled interior will surely do the trick.

Play
While the Panama Canal is a must-see, a trip to Panama City would not be complete without a visit to the Embera Indian Village, where a loin-cloth-wearing tribesman guides you along the Chagres River in a dug-out canoe to an island of friendly Indians eager to share their culture and cuisine, which includes tilapia and plantains.

If you get the chance, request a trip to the Cascada Bonita (Beautiful Waterfall), where a short hike through the rainforest will lead you to a pristine pool where you can swim beneath a crystal clear waterfall. To commemorate the day, allow the tribesman to apply a temporary tattoo made with vegetable dyes.

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Holiday News

American Airlines expects record-setting travel on Thanksgiving 2024

Photo courtesy of American Airlines

American Airlines ready for takeoff.

The holidays are looming and American Airlines is ramping up. Over the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend, the Fort Worth-based airline expects to process nearly 8.3 million customers across more than 77,000 flights.

According to a statement from American's COO David Seymour, the airline is having a good fall season and canceled fewer flights than its peers during October.

“Thanks to the hard work of our 130,000 team members, we canceled fewer flights than any of our major competitors this October and beat our own records for on-time departures and arrivals,” Seymour says.

That's surely good news. One hates to rain on their parade, but in June 2024, the only flight I booked this year, my flight was canceled less than 24 hours before take-off. I had made hotel reservations, scheduled a pet sitter, planned events, and arranged for a friend to pick me up at the destination airport. One employee speculated that it may have been "insufficient crew." Their only solution offered was: Feel free to reschedule your flight.

Thanksgiving facts and figures
The travel window runs from November 21 to December 3, and the airline expects to carry more than 500,000 more customers than it did last year.

The most-traveled day will be Sunday, December 1. The second most-traveled day will be Monday, December 2.

The peak of peak: 1,035 mainline and regional aircraft will be enroute at 10:45 am on Sunday, December 1 — the highest number of flights handled at any given time during American’s travel period.

The airline expects to serve more than 6.8 million Biscoff cookies on board from November 21 to December 3.

Travel tips
Download the American Airlines app and check in for your flight, noting added any bags to your trip. This will save you time at the airport.

If traveling internationally, download the Mobile Passport Control app, which can speed up your entry into the U.S. Global Entry members can download the Global Entry app, which allows you to submit your entry and go straight to the officer.

Upon arrival at the airport lobby, scan your mobile boarding pass to print bag tags quickly at a kiosk. If you’re not checking bags, go straight to TSA security with your mobile boarding pass.

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