Packing list for Panama, travel insurance for Panama, and taking your belongings

To take or not to take to Panama, leave at home or arrange locally?

Sufficiently insured or not for your activities in Panama?

Sufficiently insured or not for your trip to Panama?

What to take with you to Panama: short

Featured items:

• Documents: passport valid for at least 6 months upon arrival and an online and offline copy.
• Money: forget the Balboa, the dollar is the unofficial and most widely used currency, so you don't have to fiddle with exchange rates (you just pay with those US dollars you have lying around somewhere!). You can use your debit card at the tourist hotspots.
• Care: sunscreen or sunscreen with a high factor.
• Outdoor and practical items: backpack rain cover, raincoat, travel cap or cap/hat and sunglasses. Then you are prepared for everything in Panama.
• Clothing: light, quick-drying and breathable clothing for showers and sweating. Learn more about clothing for when it is warm.
• Shoes: sturdy hiking boots for the rainforest and practical slippers for the beach.
• Medicines and travel kit: a basic first aid kit with plasters, painkillers and ORS (dehydration is a thing). Mosquito repellent.
• Technique and equipment: world plug with type A & B. Power bank in case of a power outage!

What are some other options for packing as well?

• Reusable water bottle - possibly with filter.
• Quick-drying travel towel and swimwear for the beach or pool. In terms of swimwear, what people wear varies - from bikini to burkini.
• A dry bag for your water adventures and for the rainy season to keep your stuff dry.
• Headlamp or flashlight if you are going on a jungle hike.
• An extra wallet to spread your cards and money in multiple places.
• The season - a stronger jacket in the rainy season (May - November) and a lighter jacket in the dry season (December - April). 

Are there mosquitoes in Panama?

• There are mosquitoes, but they won't eat you en masse.
• There are more mosquitoes in Panamas rural areas, especially along the Caribbean coast. You'll have fewer problems in the city.
• There are also more mosquitoes during the rainy season.
• Mosquitoes in Panama can transmit multiple diseases.

Are there sandflies in Panama?

• Sand flies are also locally called "chitra" and are well-known disruptors of holidays.
• They are mainly found in beach areas and wetlands. For example, at the San Blas Islands, Bocas del Toro and the mangroves.
• Sandflies are also not uncommon on jungle trips - especially close to water and in swampy areas.
• The sandflies are especially active around sunrise and sunset.
• Leishmaniasis is rare, so it's mainly just annoying if you get bitten.

Can you buy DEET, or other mosquito repellents, in Panama?

• Yes, DEET and other mosquito repellents are available in the local pharmacies or supermarkets (El Rey, Super 99 and Riba Smith).
• When you are a fan of strong DEET (30%+), then bring it from home.

Can you buy a joint or weed in Panama, or take it with you to Panama?

• Cannabis is illegal and if you try it anyway, it can result in an unpleasant trip to a Panamanian jail, or your entire holiday budget out the window.
• Also, leave cannabis at home, because smuggling it into Panama will get you into even more trouble!