La Loma Jungle Lodge and Chocolate Farm

For those of you looking for a unique experience, relaxation and/or a bit of an adventure, with excellent customer service, I recommend a visit to La Loma Jungle Lodge and chocolate farm on Isla Bastimientos, Bocas del Toro. You lodging is your own open private bungalow among the jungle listening to the sounds of nature. The price includes boat transportation to and from the main island (Isla Colon), three delicious, healthy and creative meals a day for 2 persons, fresh incredibly tasty juices, water, coffee and tea. Cocktails are extra but they are very fairly priced. It also includes a very interesting hands-on tour of the plants, fruits and fauna (including sloths!) in the area and a demonstration of how chocolate is made. You can relax and do nothing or you can hike or kayak or visit the bat cave or birdwatch or take one of the excursions that they offer to beaches where you can sunbathe or go snorkeling. Wi-Fi is only available in the reception/restaurant area. I would not recommend this place for anyone with mobility issues, as there are a lot of steps to get to the bungalows and to and from the restaurant/reception area. We stayed in the "Rockpool bungalow," which was the lower one with the least amount of climbing needed… and it was still 133 steps up to get from our room to the restaurant... and you are doing that three times a day if you are eating breakfast lunch and dinner! Luckily they have porters available to help you with your luggage! Early each morning, cacao tea a couple of muffins are left outside of your room. The beds have a net over them we had no issues with bugs. There is no a/c, but we were comfortable during the day and at night… I had my down comforter on me most of the time because it was cool enough to need it. The staff was most kind, friendly and accommodating. I would like to give special shout outs to the following people who did a great job...Nicolas, Maria Soledad, Catalina, Brook, Virgilio, Abdiel, Mr. Kelly and all the behind the scenes people such as the excellent chef(s), food preparers and housekeepers who did an amazing job! If you want your vacation to be memorable, I recommend without hesitation La Loma Jungle Lodge.

La Loma Review Ok let’s start with the good: - I love the sustainability aspect of this place. It’s truly admirable that la loma puts so much effort forth into that. - The lodging was beautiful. Absolutely picturesque and magical place to wake up in the morning. - The staff was very friendly and very easy to communicate with. - The view from the restaurant/lobby was amazing Now some constructive criticism: - while I understand that there are certain compromises that come with the sustainability mentioned above, being in the tourism industry also is going to include catering to a variety of individuals and especially at the price point and vibe of la loma, providing a luxury experience. - It should be stated and made abundantly clear that there isn’t really an easy way to leave the lodge outside of the tours offered by la loma. Once you get to the lodge you are more or less stuck there. - To that point there’s not a ton to be done at the lodge. I can appreciate that there is yoga offered although it was only at 8am and though I love yoga…8 am on vacation isn’t that appealing. There’s no pool or hot tub and as mentioned no beach so other than your room and the dining area there is not much variety within places to hang or things to do. - It should also be made much more clear that getting to your room is likely to be a trek up lots of stairs. It wasn’t a big deal for our purposes as we are both active and in good health, but if anyone who is older or has previous injuries etc is considering La loma, be very aware that getting places involves very steep and slick stairs with limited railings or support. - Some of the staff was not very accommodating or helpful. - There were multiple times we asked simple question about the local flora and fauna, food or other quite honestly simple questions that were met with “I don’t know.” Not “I’m not sure but I’ll check”. no response was forthcoming, or just flat out no answer. - We also had certain things we previously expressed be blatantly ignored by the staff. Upon our arrival we had had a very long day. Coming straight from a hiking trip and a 17 hr travel day with delays we pre communicated that we just wanted to go straight to the room and go to bed. Upon our arrival we reiterated that fact and were met with “yes after dinner” when we clarified that we didn’t even want dinner we just wanted to go to sleep they reluctantly agreed to let us take dinner to go only after giving us a rundown of all the tours offered. - There were also little things that just weren’t noticed ex. Taking a very long time to bring more water to the table when we were out or dragging on time between courses of meals which kept us in the restaurant longer than we wanted to be there. - Both boat drivers and the taxi driver they assigned us were standoffish, rude and untimely. - The food was high quality but had gaps. - While they do a good job of asking you for dietary restrictions, it’

So we travel a good bit but this was a little out of our comfort zone. Overall, we thought it was well worth it and a cool bucket list check mark. But given the natural beauty of the island this place has soooooo much more potential. A few minor tweaks that wouldn’t be very expensive and they could charge double honestly. Some pros and cons to help people go in with their eyes wide open: Cons/things to consider: -very inflexible on check in. We were coming from the south and they wouldn’t let our other resort drop us off at the La Loma dock even at 3pm. We HAD to go all the way back to Boca. Then their boat was half an hour late to pick us up. It was also so crowded and a super uncomfortable ride. Not a good start. -I’ve seen several other reviews here echo this but if you’re expecting this to be a super romantic stay, there are tons of families that surprisingly stay here. They used the main lodge as their living room and were running and screaming around the property the whole time. It certainly could be romantic but that makes it tough. They also seemed to cater to all the families and their various kids’ special meal needs. They even completely forgot our breakfast one day as the only couple there! Literally only 4 groups and seemingly forgot about us several times. -they have credit card capabilities and advertise the price as such, then you get there and up charge you 3% to make that payment if it’s not cash. Who carries thousands in cash around Bocas? Kind of ridiculous and not safe. -the hike to the lodge is more difficult than advertised. One older gentleman basically couldn’t do it. If you’re taking your parents here you may want to rethink. -pack some sealed snacks despite what they tell you. Very light Lunch is at 1230 and dinner not til 715ish. That would be fine during a workweek but not when you’re hiking 4+ hrs a day. We were starving by dinner and there’s no real way to get food in between. -this place really needs just one small plunge pool and maybe a small snack shed/bar near the bottom of the island. Pros: -the rooms were great. The anxiety we had about the bugs and such were unfounded. Nets worked great. Fan kept it cool. -the FOOD. So fresh and tasty. Well presented. Could have been Michelin star at dinners. This is one of the big reasons I think a management company could come in, ramp up the service, and make this an exceptional property. Overall, we were glad we went. But we paid roughly $1100 for a 40 hour stay and anytime you asked for a new cocktail, a slight accommodation of any kind outside of their very structured schedule it felt like you were being a burden. So I think they either need to charge less for that level of service or ramp it up (and we’d be willing to pay even more for that room/lodge/food but the service to go with it). I think people are too freely giving this one 5 stars just because it’s so different. But it’s probably a 3 if you’re being truly objective.

We had an outstanding visit to La Loma and highly recommend it for nature lovers. The location is incredible and the accommodations are uniquely beautiful and serene. The food is completely over-the-top delicious. We found the owner and staff to be wonderful people and very knowledgeable and helpful. Onsite yoga was an added plus! We highly recommend La Loma!

Absolutely incredible and beyond words. Exceeded all expectations. The island, excursions, food, drinks, people, accommodations were fantastic. Extremely reasonably priced. Truly cannot wait to book another trip here and was sad we had to leave. If you want a unique immersive experience and to see up close birds, monkeys, sloths, possums, dart frogs, bats, caves, tarantulas, national parks, and meet some of the friendliest locals and natives then this is truly a must stay. We did the bioilluminescence, night hike, bat cave, farm tour, kayaked and hiked the green and red paths in 3 nights and had ample time to rest, relax and enjoy the nature. It’s a sustainable glamping lodge that gives you an upscale experience while connecting with the surroundings. One concern I had prior to arrival was arriving early but it was no problem at all. Bocas town is very safe. You can taxi or walk freely with luggage and no one will bother you. The airport is extremely small and walkable to the docks, JJs. They were both wonderful and accommodating as we arrived to Bocas sleepy beach town on a Sunday mid morning when everything is closed and they let us stow our items. We went to Lighthouse for lunch, walked and had an Atlas (as recommended by a local) before heading back to the docks. At the lodge, they take care of all your luggage since there are stairs to get up to the main lodge/rainforest rooms but you can take your time and they have benches along the path. Sophia made our arrival wonderful and easy. There are bugs but they are not an issue near the lodges, I only was bit wearing shorts on red trail. We stayed in the king rainforest room which is absolutely amazing. The netting works fine at night, we just tightened it all down during the day. They provided fresh towels daily. The cacao tea and muffins each morning was such a unique and personal touch. It’s warm during the day but quick showers help cool down in the mid day and night. They have hot water tanks, too. And when it rains the temperature drops significantly and the down blankets are a must. I would recommend doing absolutely any tour with Roberto or Roger as they truly love the land and made our experience so incredibly special. The cultural input and their interpretation of the land was indispensable. The indigenous tribes appeared appreciated by La Loma and it really made the experience wonderful. The owner also made an appearance and also endorsed supporting the sunstainability, land, natives, and elevated experience. The largest threat to this lodge is the Karen americanus. But seriously this place is amazing and entirely worth the trip to Bocas if you’re looking for tropical vacation. If we had not had other engagements I would have begged them to let us stay longer!

From the moment you are picked up to the moment you are dropped off this place is an experience. The staff, the food, the drinks, the property are beyond words. The attention to detail is incredible. They have thought of everything. We were in the highest treehouse which had 2 queen beds. Super comfortable and spacious. The views were amazing and the hammocks!!! So fun! I mean you shower outside!!! They give you ear plugs, bug coils and binoculars too! We only stayed one night but packed everything we could in. We did the 2 hikes as well as the tour of the garden and cacao farm. Sergio was the sweetest and let us try so many different foods and taught us to make chocolate. I highly recommend this. We went kayaking in the evening and it was beautiful. There are bugs so be prepared with bug spray. The food! I can’t even! Probably the best meals I have ever eaten. Everything is sooo fresh and flavourful. They are super accommodating for any food issues you have as well. I can’t say enough positive things about La Loma. If you are lucky enough to stay here you won’t want to leave.