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Reviewed 11 November 2016

This place is magical! We were 4 friends travelling around Panama and Al Natural was definitely the highlight of our trip! The best sunset I have seen in my life was there :) We were also very lucky to be basically the only guests as the resort had opened for the season just a week before we were there.

The staff is awsome! They went far and beyond to make our stay unforgettable. The food is also amazing - there is a Belgian chef and he makes sure his guests have a great gastronomical experience. He prepares all dishes with fresh ingredients - such as lobster caught by the local fisherman during that same day, or fish that he caught himself :)

Beds in the boungalows are big and comfortable. There are mosquito nets around the beds which is very handy :)

There is planty to do there too - There is a certified diving insturctor on site so for those that would like to do some diving - it will be no problem. We only did a snorcheling trip around the coral reefs which was also great!

Date of stay: November 2016
  • Trip type: Travelled with friends
    • Value
    • Rooms
    • Service
Thank Ivanina B
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 8 November 2016

Our family (parents and 2 daughters, 4 and 6) rented the owner's house for 8 unforgettable days.

THE HOUSE
We had chosen to rent the house because we were a little worried that the huts would be a little too rustic and that we would feel unsafe with our little ones able to run in the wild. But we ended up letting them run free (with a few rules), thanks to the friendliness of nature and most importantly the staff and the guests, there was always someone happy to play with them, or watch them when on the dock.
The house was incredibly comfortable and beautiful, it comfortably hosts 2 couples and 2 children or 3 couples. The showers are super spacious we were all showering together to save water! Watching the pelicans fish in front of the house is better than TV.
The beach in front of the house has pretty much disappeared which was a disappointment at first, but we quickly got over it because of our perfect everything else was.

NATURE
First, it's in a maritime reserve, underwater is unbelievable right in front of the house, the jungle on the other side of the house is so dense and beautiful, you can spot monkeys (sloths, or others), there are amazing looking lizards, bats at night...
The water is unbelievable, warm, pristine, and in quick boat ride, you can either go to Zapatillas island, or the "Garden" or to a bar/restaurant on stilts and feed the fish... etc. Also, we took a boat ride to go to the Indian village next door, doing a loop in the mangrove to spot sloths, how cool? But wait, in the Indian village, one artisan showed us a kitten, a puppy and a 1 day old pigglet... Heaven for 2 little city girls!!
Our "big one" learned to snorkel and fish with a line and a hook with the resort's children who took them under their wings.
Also we had 3 days of heavy heavy rain, with spectacular thunder storms at night, unforgettable... and it didn't refrain us from swimming during the day. It was the end of the rainy season, so we knew it could happen, and it was interesting to see the water change colors and see the thunder over the ocean!
Another unforgettable moment, was to see the luminous plancton on the dock, sitting with our little ones and moving the water with our feet to light up the water, under the sky lit up with stars... come on...
We didn't get to scuba dive since we had the kids, and didn't want to make 2 groups but this will definitely be on our list for next time.

THE PEOPLE
if all of the above wasn't enough, what we think makes this place incredible is the people. We didn't get to meet Michel, the owner, but he seemed great over emails and from all the stories we heard... But we fell in love with his partner and chef extraordinaire Vincent, and his family. The food he served was just exquisite, simple yet sophisticated, there's nothing we didn't love, and he always adjusted the meals so our little ones were happy as well. Also Frederico and Abdner, who take care of all the everyday operations, the diving center, and the cocktails at night... 2 great guys all around. We just can't wait to see them again. The rest of the staff was extremely friendly, and you can tell everyone is treated with respect and consideration, it shows in the overall atmosphere. It's simply GOOD PEOPLE ALL AROUND.
Also most of the other guests were super nice and interesting - since this isn't the typical "resort", it does filter the kind of tourists you will find there, in a good way (in our opinion).

BOTTOM LINE
We've been back in New York for 2 months, and we already have our plane tickets to go again in February. And this time, we'll go in a hut with our girls. We want the full pension experience, and we can't wait to spend time with our new Al Natural Family.

Date of stay: August 2016
  • Trip type: Travelled with family
    • Value
    • Location
    • Service
Thank newyorkparisetc
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 8 November 2016

We're a pretty well traveled family and Al Natural is hands-down one of our absolute favorite places to stay. The location is spectacular and has been smartly and sensitively designed to allow guests to experience the fabulous natural environment. It's near impossible to describe the wonder of sleeping in a beautifully handmade cabin hovering over the calm waters of Punta Vieja. Unhindered by walls, there is an entirely unobstructed view of a sky full of stars and and the sea brimming with nighttime luminescence. The sandy beach and calm water is perfect for children (and adults too) and our 8 year old son spent the entire day playing in the sea and fishing from the dock in front of the main lodge.
Federico and Abner were wonderfully warm hosts, charming, informative, fun and always on hand to help with any requests. We're not divers but other guests raved about the onsite Zapatillas Dive Center. The cocktails were sublime, the food simply magnificent and the communal meals left us feeling like we were members of exclusive global supper club.
Staying at Al Natural is a truly exceptional experience. Don't miss it.

Room tip: We loved the Superior Bungalow
Date of stay: October 2016
  • Trip type: Travelled with family
    • Sleep Quality
    • Rooms
    • Service
Thank chinacatrider23
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 23 October 2016

We spent 3 nights at Al Natural in between stays in Panama City. We wished we had spent most of our time at Al Natural and are so glad we chose this resort! It was the perfect balance of luxury and nature. If you are only into luxury and do not want to be in the outdoors, this may not be the place for you. Yes, there are mosquitos, but we used repellent and wore light long pants/sleeves in the evening and were comfortable with virtually no bites. If you hike in the rainforest in a bathing suit, yes, you will be bitten by many mosquitos, but this should not be a surprise!

ACTIVITIES: We had some concerns about being bored on a remote island, but that is not possible here if you are an active person. We spent our days paddleboarding, kayaking, taking hikes around the island looking for wildlife (sloths!), swimming, snorkeling, hanging out in hammocks, and talking with other couples (many honeymooners). Even though the weather was a little rainy and hot, it did not get in the way of activities at all. We didn't do any excursions except for diving and there was still so much to do. We saw bright orange starfish while snorkeling right off the beach and there are some bright colored sponges and small fish right off the dock.

ZAPATILLAS DIVE CENTER: I am a certified diver, but had not been in a long time, and my boyfriend had never tried diving before. We were able to do dives together because I did an update course and he did a discovery dive and bought a second dive. We had a brief equipment overview from Abner in the morning, then Federico took us out in the afternoon. It was just the two of us and Federico, so we had plenty of attention and felt very safe and comfortable. Federico was very attentive and addressed any issues (like helping my boyfriend adjust buoyancy) promptly. He pointed out sea life and took us to areas with colorful sponges where the water was clear even though it had been raining. He took wonderful photos and video, professional quality. It was such a great experience for both of us, even though we were nervous in the beginning.

BUNGALOW: At the end of every day, we talked about how we wished there was more time to spend in our gorgeous bungalow right on the water. The lightning over the water was beautiful to watch at night. I haven't slept so well in a long time. It was neat to have an open air shower and a three walled hut with a gorgeous water view. The photos on Al Natural's website were very accurate.

FOOD: Oh, and the food? So great, and I can be critical. We had a couple food intolerances and preferences and Victor's meals had so many options that we could enjoy meals with everyone else without feeling like "special cases" or having something totally different for meals than everyone else. The food was excellent and I wish I could eat such fresh and flavorful food every day. We were never hungry with breakfast, lunch, coffee time snack, cocktail hour, and dinner. We were here for my birthday and Victor made a chocolate cake at my boyfriend's request. It was one of the best I have ever had. You are in the islands, so plan for tropical fruit and fresh fish. This was exactly what we wanted and we loved it.

GETTING THERE: This was the worst part of the trip. A total stressful disaster which made us feel like idiots. Arriving in Bocas town, you are approached by a lot of taxi drivers. In our emails with Al Natural, we were told that a specific person would meet us with a sign, so we insisted on waiting and created a ton of confusion and bad feelings with the taxi drivers who knew better and were trying to help us through a language barrier. Without having a local phone, I had to ask a local airport employee to use hers and make calls on our behalf. As it turns out, we could have taken any taxi or walked the 10 minutes from the airport to the Al Natural water taxi office. To avoid confusion in the future, I think the instruction for people arriving at the airport in Bocas Town should just be to catch any taxi to the Al Natural water taxi. The water taxi ride to Al Natural was pleasant and the fantastic service at the resort helped us shake it off.

Room tip: Anything on the water is beautiful, quiet, private, and offering similar amenities.
Date of stay: September 2016
  • Trip type: Travelled as a couple
    • Location
    • Rooms
    • Service
Thank Msemenec
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 28 September 2016

My husband and I stayed at the Al Natural resort for our honeymoon this September, and it was amazing. We stayed during the low season for tourism, so there were not nearly as many people on the island as I would have guessed, which we loved. At Al Natural the meals are served at a family table, creating a nice opportunity to meet the other guests. The employees at the resort are welcoming and accommodating in every possible way. They are incredibly knowledgeable about the area and all of the best places to take excursions to. The location of the resort is absolutely stunning, will all of the huts right on the beach, just next to the jungle. We had no problems with transportation, even though our plane arrived two hours behind schedule. The setting is beautiful, with lots of natural beauty surrounding you at all times. If you love camping and the outdoors, this is the place to go. The service that the Al Natural staff provides is second to none. The meals are delicious, too. Every night that we stayed we had something different and wonderful. Breakfast is more than enough, lunch is even more, and dinner is a spectacular three course meal. The main course is typically seafood, although we had Indian-style curried chicken one night and it was delicious. They also make sure that they provide meals that you will like, asking right away if you have any allergies or if there is anything you don't like. The owner, Vincent, is a trained European chef and his wife owns an Indian restaurant on Isla Colon. We chose to add on the honeymoon dinner one night, and it was well worth the money. The seven FULL courses (with champagne and wine) were all delicious and the setting for the dinner is beyond comparison. Staying at Al Natural was probably the most romantic thing we will ever experience in our lives. There was never a moment that we felt unappreciated as customers. After our four nights at Al Natural we moved to the Red Frog Resort on a different part of the island and were let down. The resort was pretty and well-kept but very built up and the service was lacking. After experiencing the absolute best that Bastimentos has to offer it was extremely hard to go any where else. Red Frog was nice, but nothing compared to Al Natural. Al Natural focuses on the beauty of the island, and Red Frog destroys it. Al Natural makes your stay one of a kind, and Red Frog simply gives you a beautiful villa to stay in. We did end up with lots of mosquito bites, but they were not any worse at Al Natural than they were at Red Frog where we could go indoors. We are the type of people who spend a lot of time outside though, so maybe that's why. I would not recommend going to Bocas del Toro if you do not enjoy the outdoors. Everything fun to do pretty much requires you to be outside. Thank you so much Vincent, Abner, and Frederico for making our honeymoon the trip of a life time. Hopefully some day we will make it back to see you again.

Room tip: If you are not used to hot, humid nights, make sure to get a room with a fan.
Date of stay: September 2016
  • Trip type: Travelled as a couple
    • Rooms
    • Cleanliness
    • Service
Thank Diana V
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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