A travel expert booked a trip to a destination she thought would be paradise, only for it to be holiday hell.

Claudia Tavani, who runs My Adventures Across The World, decided to spend two weeks in Bocas del Toro, which sits at the southern tip of Isla Colón, in Panama.

“I was keen on visiting Bocas del Toro after reading about it in the Lonely Planet, which described it as one of the last tropical paradises of Central America. Perhaps this was the issue: had I not read the guide, I wouldn’t have had such high expectations when I visited,” Claudia told the Express.

“Where the guide talked about wild, secluded beaches, I found mounds of garbage that were hard to ignore. While others talked about a hidden gem, I found crowds of loud, disrespectful tourists that made me feel like I had landed in hell rather than a tropical paradise. I’d have put up with this if the place had been amazing, with amazing beaches. But it wasn’t. The only beach I liked was Red Frog Beach. But the rest were dirty (yes, garbage dumps kind of dirty). Of course, it doesn’t help that I am from Sardinia and we have incredible beaches!”

The destination, and Panama more broadly, is a complicated place with a number of deep-seated issues that make life, and holidays, there a challenge. The UK Foreign Office warns of high levels of gang violence, dangerous roads and pickpockets. On 29 June, the Panamanian government lifted the ‘state of urgency’ in Bocas del Toro that had been in place in response to violent protests in May and June. However, a curfew for unaccompanied minors remains in place between 8pm and 5am.

“Protests often involve informal roadblocks and can affect access to the border crossing into Costa Rica at Paso Canoas and international airports. Check your route and alternatives before travelling. If you are unable to reach an airport for a planned flight, contact your airline to make alternative arrangements,” the Foreign Office website warns.

“There have been incidents of targeted gang assassinations, some in tourist areas. Most of these crimes are between members of rival drug gangs.”

A major issue across the country is rubbish. There is no publicly funded waste collection in Bocas del Toro, meaning people living there are left to dump their rubbish into rivers or burn it.

Sarah White, of environmental blog Read the Impact, explains: “It is a tropical paradise, yet trash has polluted the area for decades. The root of the problem is that the majority of what is consumed on the island is imported, and those who have a proportionally-larger responsibility for waste generation are visitors. 100,000 tourists flock to the islands each year to soak in the Caribbean sun and blue waters, leaving noticeable impacts in their wake.” 

Local communities have taken responsibility for the issue, introducing a forward-thinking plastic bag ban in 2017 and launching a recycling plant. One man has pioneered an even more innovative solution.

Canadian entrepreneur Robert Bezeau has been building a village out of plastic bottles since 2012, after realising they made up most of the rubbish tossed away in Bocas del Toro. As well as dozens of homes, Robert has built a castle made out of plastic. It has four levels measuring 14 meters high and contains 40,000 PET bottles. It can be hired out and accommodates ten people, who can enjoy a dungeon and rooftop views. Despite such ingenuity, major waste problems persist.

Claudia did not mince her words. “It was gross. Simple as that. Bocas Town is the only place where you find a minimum of services (restaurants, hotels, and hostels). But the town is FILTHY. There is no regular garbage collection service, so the streets are lined with bags of trash. Locals are desperate; they literally run after the garbage collection truck when they see it because they don’t know when it will be back,” she continued.

“Water isn’t safe to drink. I remember being extra careful and avoiding anything that may create issues and still catching some food poisoning or bug of sorts. The town is SO TOURISTY. Picture hordes of wanna-be hippies that go around barefoot in the filthy streets. With so many tourists, drug dealers have a ripe business. I remember checking into my hostel, and the receptionist handed me the keys and asked me if I wanted the ‘blanca’ (the white one). I speak Spanish, so there was no misunderstanding.”

In total, Claudia spent ten days in the city, “trying to find a slice of that paradise that others described”. She eventually gave up and decided to cross the border into Costa Rica.

“The country of Pura Vida (the Costa Rican term for ‘everything is great’), instead, exceeded all my expectations. I spent a month traveling there and met incredibly generous and welcoming people, explored forests, hiked up volcano craters, went rafting, zip lining, and snorkeling,” Claudia said.

“My fondest memory of Costa Rica is a trip to Corcovado National Park. I decided to hike there from Puerto Jimenez, and it was an exhilarating experience that involved crossing rivers, walking along endless sandy beaches, observing anteaters and various species of monkeys, listening to the sound of pouring rain, and bonding with other travelers in search of nature and peace.”