There are different opinions on relocation tours. Some think it’s better to visit the country on your own, targeting places that match your preferences. Others prefer a planned tour where all arrangements are taken care of.
We did not take a tour but we were very clear that we wanted city life. We visited Panama City (too much city!). Then we visited the next biggest city, David, and thought it was just right. Over five years later we are still here and very happy with our choice.
But, that is just us. I have talked with others who took the relocation tour and were very happy they did so. The main reasons sited –
- seeing various areas and options for living in Panama
- meeting other expats
- meeting the other potential expats who were sharing the tour
- tons of information about all aspects of moving to and living in Panama
Panama Relocation Tours is the only reputable company I know who provides this service. You want someone knowledgeable about Panama, and what moving to another country entails. You want someone who isn’t trying to sell you something! Those people may pose as sources of information but are more interested in selling you something than helping you find what’s best for you. You want someone who will give you a realistic picture of daily life in Panama without rainbows and unicorns and rose colored glasses so you can make informed decisions.
The friends I talked with were very happy with their decision to take this tour so I wanted to present this option here on my blog. If you think this is something that would work for you, visit the website HERE. You will find it full of information and answers to your questions about these tours.
(The header photo above is the banner photo from their website. This post was written with permission from the business. I have become an affiliate so it’s helpful to me if you use the link above. Happy Travels!)
The Panama Adventure 
I took the Panama Relocation Tour in June 2017, but I started corresponding via email with Jackie Lange and Melissa many months earlier. Each time I sent them a question they responded promptly with practical, useful information. From my first contact, it was clear they understand the value of customer service.
At meal stops along the way, we met and had time to talk with expats who lived in the area. Many, if not all of them, had taken the Tour themselves. Jackie instructed them to give “the good, the bad and the ugly.” No one spent a lot of time on “the ugly” because they hadn’t experienced much of it. But they were open about the minor irritations they had experienced and the adjustments they had made. I was impressed with their honesty and openness as we asked them questions. Several of them gave me their email addresses and we corresponded several times after I returned to the U.S.
I started planning my move to Panama immediately upon returning to Atlanta, and I moved here in September. There’s no way I could have planned my own trip as well as Jackie planned it, or packed as much information, scenery and human contact into a week. I had done plenty of my own research before discovering the Tour, so I had some basis for evaluating the information Jackie and Melissa provided. Their observations and assessments were accurate, well thought out and valuable.
Although we visited some awesome properties, there was ZERO sales pitch or pressure. In many ways, Jackie just let Panama speak for itself. Occasionally, through an optional Yahoo group, Jackie shares opoortunities for house-sitting or rental properties. None of her emails ever end up in my Spam folder!
Another valuable resource for my research was your blog, Kris. In fact, it still is. You write about real life in Panama. Your fondness for this place comes through with each posting. I have no regrets about taking the tour or subscribing to your blog.
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Kris, I’m so happy you wrote about Panama Relocation Tours, because I’m going on the tour next month! I went back and read your blog from the beginning — your “snapshots” of life in Panama are wonderful.
And Ken, your evaluation of the tour is exactly what I’m expecting from Jackie — lots of information and boots-on-the-ground conversations with residents. Very reassuring to read your positive experience with them. I can hardly wait to get there, and if I like what I find (which I’m pretty sure I will), I’m planning to move there by the end of this year.
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Oh my, that’s a lot of reading! Thanks so much for your kind words. Have a great tour and if you move here, I hope you are as happy as we are
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You are one of the people who changed my mind about the tours. When I saw how well it worked for you and some other friends, I started thinking it’s a very good option for many people.
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Hola Kris,
I read your past blog entries on relocation tours and I share the same views. Of all the tour companies, I think Jackie and Melissa’s operation is the best run.
Whether it is worth the money is a decision of someone who has taken the tour. If time is limited, tours can be the only way that some folks would be able to get exposure to a new country. And tour companies do not have to sell anything, the customer already bought their product: the tour. The problems begin when the tour operators start getting compensated for bringing folks to people who do have something to sell.
Panama has been riding a real estate boom similar to the first Florida boom in 1925. Kenneth Ballinger’s book, Miami Millions, would be recommended reading for anyone thinking of relocating to “paradise” (one of MY favorite hot buttons). It is good to remember that Eden had no hot water, no electricity, no internet, or good roads!
PS, I have no need of a tour, but I clicked your link anyway. 😉
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From what I have heard, this tour neither sells you something or takes you to someone who is. Paradise…. yeah, makes my red flags go up immediately too.
Thanks for clicking the link. If you use it to book a tour I’ll get a bit of the $ 😁
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We brought my younger sister down a few years ago to show her around. Since then, other family members have talked about visiting. I’ll send them the link as we are hip-deep in grandkids at the moment! haha
My older sister came on her own. She had contracted with a driver to take her around Panama City then flew to David and contracted another driver to show her Chiriqui. She enjoyed the visit but remarked that she was stuffing dinner rolls in her purse at every meal since she did not speak much Spanish and didn’t know when her next meal might be!
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That would be cool, thanks. I think they would be well taken care of and fed, and maybe see more of the country too.
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