Panama is safe: While you still need to remember that you're in a Latin American city and take care accordingly, Panama City is not known for crimes against tourist. Petty theft does happen but is in no way as common as in more popular destinations such as Costa Rica. You won't be scared to walk the streets here. Panama is tourist friendly: Even after "hosting" the American military for so long, tourism is relatively new here in Panama. Panamanians are warm and welcoming and always happy to help. Customer service levels can leave something to be desired in shops and restaurants, but if you were working for $300 a month you wouldn't be happy either!! Don't expect too much english to be spoken but there are plenty of buses and it's easy to travel here. Panama is world class for adventure: Canopy, trekking, rappelling, sea kayaking, kitesurfing, windsurfing and surfing are world-class experiences for the hard and soft adventure seeker. International experts rave about river running in Panama, including rafting and kayaking. There are rivers where you can ride 20 sets of rapids in one afternoon. Panama is the best place for ecotourism: Panama has the most accesible pristine rainforests on the world. As a narrow land bridge connecting two continents it has some of the world’s most biodiverse rainforests. National parks cover five million acres. And a key indicator of its bio-diversity is that Panama has 1,000 recorded bird species-more than the US and Canada combined. Panama has a wide selection of beaches and islands: With two coasts and more than a thousand islands, there is much to choose from. For beach vacations ranging from full service resorts to exotic island retreats. Don't forget the amazing San Blas islands. Bocas Del Toro is known as a party town with a number of beautiful beaches a short boat ride away. Panama has a great variety of attractions all in close proximity: Easy-to-get-to exotic tropical rainforests, beautiful mountain refuges, caribbean style beaches, seven living indian cultures, a Miami-style capital city, historical sites, diving, rafting, golf, sportfishing not to mention that 8th wonder of the world and engineering marvel, the Panama Canal.