If you haven’t been to Panama yet, you really should put it on your list of places to visit soon. A construction boom rivaling Miami’s is evident throughout the city, and has moved out to areas on the Pacific coastline as well. What’s more, Panama City ’s cosmopolitan atmosphere – complete with excellent restaurants and sophisticated boutiques – hasn’t come about at the price of authenticity, as in Cancun and other Mexican resort areas.

Now there are those who will tell you you must see the canal. We are not one of them. We have admittedly been to Panama and had an excellent time and the closest we came to the canal was viewing it in the twilight as we sped along the Amador Causeway. But if you feel you must see the Canal – and drag your children along to ooh and aah at it with you – then there’s a book you might want to drop on your 9 to 12 year old before arriving, aptly named The Panama Canal by Rachel Lynette. It does have a textbook feel to it, but will give your youngster – and perhaps you – the lowdown on how that task of gargantuan proportions actually got completed.

The Canal has actually been slated, for a massive renovation: the locks, which were impressively wide at the time of building, are now not big enough to hold some of the enormous cargo ships on the seas today, and the Canal faced becoming obsolete, something no one involved in building it ever envisioned. Regardless, even as it is today, the Canal is one of the world’s modern feats of industrialism – and while you don’t have to visit it to enjoy a trip to Panama (nor should it be the only reason to visit Panama), if you do get to Panama, don’t follow our example – go. Sure, the tween set may roll an eye or two, but they’ll be duly amazed – even if they don’t admit it or realize it for years to come.

Oh – where to stay? For the rainforest feel (and to learn more about the Panamanian ecosystem), try the Gamboa Rainforest Resort, which is located right on the Canal on the edge of the Soberania National Park. The park is actually a rainforest and the resort has a variety of exhibits, including an aquarium, a butterfly nursery and botanical gardens, that are presided over or contributed to by The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.

Gamboa Rainforest Resort, copyright Bern Hotels & Resorts Panama

If you want to stay in the midst of bustling Panama City, we love The Bristol but it is admittedly small if you’re traveling with children, particularly those between toddler and tween age. Instead, aim for the Radisson Decapolis, a less expensive option with a decidedly South Beach feel to it: the bar scene attracts Panama’s young elite. Unlike South Beach however, you can find spacious accommodations here for less than $200 a night, meaning more money to spend elsewhere (we’d skip the adjacent Multicentro Mall – it’s vast but there’s nothing exciting or unique about the wares within.)

Sushi Bar, Radisson Decapolis Panama City Panama; copyright Radisson Hotels