What was supposed to be an idyllic getaway in a tropical paradise turned into an urban nightmare for Claudia Tavani, an Italian travel expert. Loud tourists, dirty beaches and the lack of proper infrastructure made the experience in Bocas del Toro far from the expectations created.
Claudia Tavani, tourism expert and founder of the platform “My Adventures Across The World”went with high expectations to Bocas del Toro, Panama, which Lonely Planet wrote it was “one of the last tropical paradises in Central America”. But the reality was completely different.
“I was eager to visit Bocas del Toro after reading the guidebook, but maybe that was the problem: my expectations were way too high. Where the guidebook talked about wild and isolated beaches, I found piles of trash hard to ignore. While others talked about a hidden gem, I found crowds of loud and disrespectful tourists.”Claudia told Express.
Tourists and locals face the lack of a regular waste collection service. Claudia described the situation in the city.
“There is no regular garbage collection service, so the streets are full of garbage bags. Locals are desperate; they are running for the garbage truck because they don’t know when it will come back.” she said.
In addition to the garbage problem, Claudia also encountered difficulties related to safety and infrastructure.
According to the source cited, the UK Foreign Office is warning tourists of high levels of gang violence, dangerous roads and pickpockets. Recent protests have led to temporary roadblocks and traffic restrictions.
So, after ten days of unsuccessful attempts to find a corner of paradise, Claudia decided to leave Panama and take refuge in Costa Rica.
“It exceeded all my expectations. I explored forests, climbed volcanoes, rafted and snorkelled and met incredibly generous people“, she declared.
