Travel Channel 

Overview
Yes, it's home to the legendary Panama Canal. However, Panama offers much more for visitors, including the Gamboa rainforest, beautiful beaches, a vibrant nightlife, restaurants and art.

Instituto Panameno de Turismo (IPAT): As the official tourism Web site for Panama, IPAT is chock-full of valuable information about visiting this Central American country. Check out the site before your trip to get the most out of your stay in Panama.
Web: www.visitpanama.com/eng/index.php

Hotels

Gamboa Rainforest Resort at the Panama Canal: Located just 20 miles outside Panama City, where the Chagras River meets the Panama Canal, the Gamboa Rainforest Resort is a perfect blend of nature and comfort, not to mention history. The hotel offers a pool and spa, and guests can choose to stay in either the main hotel or an authentic 1920s villa built to house Panama Canal workers. During her visit, Samantha took in the full scope of nature, from listening to birds singing from her balcony to venturing into the Gamboa rainforest with a guide from the hotel.
Web: www.gamboaresort.com

Food/Restaurants/Bars

Chiva Fiestas Panama: Sam's jaw dropped when she stepped aboard this mobile form of nightlife. Think of any school bus. Now replace the seats with a dance floor, add a full brass band, a DJ and a bartender. The result is a highly mobile form of nightlife, and an incredible way to dance through the streets of Panama City.

Café Coca Cola: A Panama City institution, the Coca Cola opened in 1875, making it the oldest café in the city. During her visit, Samantha learned that it is also the only café in the world to be named "Coca Cola," a namesake endorsed by the Coca-Cola corporation.

La Papa: Sam stopped here for a bite to eat, before venturing out into the city for some nightlife. She also sampled the national drink "seco," a sugarcane liquor, which many drink with orange juice as a modified Tequila Sunrise. The restaurant has an international palate, so it isn't hard to find a steak or lobster dish, as well as music and dancing.

Sights/Landmarks/To Do

Autoridad del Canal de Panama: Often called the greatest engineering feat of mankind, the Panama Canal is nothing short of remarkable. Sam visited the Mira Flores Locks, which features tours, stadium seating and an observation tower. The latter is a great place to take in the action on the canal. Construction of the canal took 33 years, and by the time it was finished in 1914, 22,000 workers had died, mostly from malaria or yellow fever. These days, it takes a ship 11-12 hours to navigate the canal, and it isn't exactly cheap, often costing in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. The benefit, though, is the time saved - thanks to the canal, a journey by boat from New York to San Francisco is only 6,000 miles, not the 14,000 it would take to sail around the tip of South America.
Web: www.pancanal.com

Gamboa Tours: As part of her stay at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort, Sam toured the Gamboa rainforest with Patricio Roca. In the course of several hours, she cruised by an island of monkeys, explored a native village of the Embera people, and took a boat through a portion of the Panama Canal.
Web: www.gamboatours.com

Embera Indian Village in Gamboa: Sam visited this village during her tour of the Gamboa rainforest. The Embera are one of seven peoples indigenous to Panama. Today, many in the tribe maintain their culture's traditional way of life as gatherers of wild fruit. Some of the women performed a native dance for Sam to honor the eagle, one of several animals the Embera hold sacred.
Web: www.gamboaresort.com

Old Town - Casco Viejo: Across the harbor from the forest of skyscrapers is a neighborhood full of old architecture and vibrant culture. Sam found a relaxed New Orleans-style flavor in the plazas and narrow streets leading to the Pacific, and she even stopped for a delicious shaved ice cone from a street vendor. New life is beginning to filter into Casco Viejo, and it is not hard to find a new café or shop amidst the traditional architecture.

Aventuras 2000: Sam used the services of this tour company while in Panama. You don't want to risk not seeing all that Panama City has to offer, so take advantage of this company while traveling here.