Guidebook for the Jungle House

Susan
Guidebook for the Jungle House

Parks & Nature

Red Frog: Visit the lovely white sand beach, walk along the beach, hike the trails, & swim in the surf. Enjoy a beverage or lunch at one of the local restaurants - fish taco on the beach for a reasonable cost. Don’t miss the scenic lookout just past the Punta Lava café. Or perhaps you will try the Zip-line ropes course? Access to Red Frog is via a pathway (camino) constructed by local Indians, where you may see sloths, caimans, and monkeys. Duration: 1 hour to all day. Cost: The locals charge $5 per person entry fee to use the camino. Water Taxis charge $? per person, one way. They can pick you up for the same amount if you give them a pre-arranged pick up time before 5pm.
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Red Frog Beach
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Red Frog: Visit the lovely white sand beach, walk along the beach, hike the trails, & swim in the surf. Enjoy a beverage or lunch at one of the local restaurants - fish taco on the beach for a reasonable cost. Don’t miss the scenic lookout just past the Punta Lava café. Or perhaps you will try the Zip-line ropes course? Access to Red Frog is via a pathway (camino) constructed by local Indians, where you may see sloths, caimans, and monkeys. Duration: 1 hour to all day. Cost: The locals charge $5 per person entry fee to use the camino. Water Taxis charge $? per person, one way. They can pick you up for the same amount if you give them a pre-arranged pick up time before 5pm.
Snorkeling trip; See spectacular coral, sponges, and the fish that inhabit the reef. Start with a swim near the dock to see fish that live near the dock. Take a break, dry off & warm up over lunch or a beverage at the restaurant. Then swim out to the reef and drift with the current. Depths are shallow enough to see cone sponges, sea cucumbers, staghorn coral, anemones, sergeant majors, parrotfish and much more from the surface, or dive down just a few feet for a closer look. Duration: 20 minute boat ride there, 1-3 hours snorkeling and lunch at restaurant (lunch not included) Cost: Water Taxis charge $? per person round trip.
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Cayo Coral
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Snorkeling trip; See spectacular coral, sponges, and the fish that inhabit the reef. Start with a swim near the dock to see fish that live near the dock. Take a break, dry off & warm up over lunch or a beverage at the restaurant. Then swim out to the reef and drift with the current. Depths are shallow enough to see cone sponges, sea cucumbers, staghorn coral, anemones, sergeant majors, parrotfish and much more from the surface, or dive down just a few feet for a closer look. Duration: 20 minute boat ride there, 1-3 hours snorkeling and lunch at restaurant (lunch not included) Cost: Water Taxis charge $? per person round trip.
Zapatillas Islands: (Shoe Islands): A longer trip to the offshore Zapatillas Islands. Lovely beaches & snorkeling. Plan on spending the better part of the day exploring. Bring a packed lunch & sunscreen! Duration: 30+ minute boat ride one way. 1-4 hours snorkeling and beach walking. Cost: Water Taxis charge $? per person round trip. The Zapatillas are in a national park; The park service will collect a $10 per person entrance fee, which is in addition to the water taxi charges.
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Zapatilla Island
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Zapatillas Islands: (Shoe Islands): A longer trip to the offshore Zapatillas Islands. Lovely beaches & snorkeling. Plan on spending the better part of the day exploring. Bring a packed lunch & sunscreen! Duration: 30+ minute boat ride one way. 1-4 hours snorkeling and beach walking. Cost: Water Taxis charge $? per person round trip. The Zapatillas are in a national park; The park service will collect a $10 per person entrance fee, which is in addition to the water taxi charges.
Hospital Point Snorkeling: A nice coral garden with lots of tropical fish to see. We pick up a mooring in the protected bay, and you enter the water from the boat. There is a small beach which is public, but the land is private, so no hiking ashore please. Duration: 10 minute boat ride and then 30 minutes to 1 hour in the water. Cost: Water Taxis charge $? per person round trip. They will wait in the boat while you snorkel.
Isla Solarte
Hospital Point Snorkeling: A nice coral garden with lots of tropical fish to see. We pick up a mooring in the protected bay, and you enter the water from the boat. There is a small beach which is public, but the land is private, so no hiking ashore please. Duration: 10 minute boat ride and then 30 minutes to 1 hour in the water. Cost: Water Taxis charge $? per person round trip. They will wait in the boat while you snorkel.

Sightseeing

La Loma Chocolate Tours They are local, just around the corner in Bahia Honda and very involved in the local Ngobe community. We highly recommend this tour and lunch to guests. Their tour and a great lunch costs $35 plus water taxi charges. Closed Tuesdays. Phone (507) 6619-5364. E-mail: info@theJungleLodge.com
La Loma Jungle Lodge & Chocolate Farm
La Loma Chocolate Tours They are local, just around the corner in Bahia Honda and very involved in the local Ngobe community. We highly recommend this tour and lunch to guests. Their tour and a great lunch costs $35 plus water taxi charges. Closed Tuesdays. Phone (507) 6619-5364. E-mail: info@theJungleLodge.com
Green Acres Chocolate Plantation. The Farm owners charge a $15 entrance fee, which is in addition to the water taxi charges. Closed on Wednesdays. (507) 671-64422
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Green Acres Chocolate Farm
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Green Acres Chocolate Plantation. The Farm owners charge a $15 entrance fee, which is in addition to the water taxi charges. Closed on Wednesdays. (507) 671-64422
The Bat Cave: Visit the Bat Cave & help support the local Indian community. Albaro, our handyman, gives tours of the cave on his property. He’ll pick you up from Peaceful Bay in his cayuko & take you up the river. A hike through the jungle to the cave follows. Wear water shoes! He provides lights. If you have a waterproof camera, this is the time to bring it. If you return after dark, you may see caimans on the riverbanks. Duration: 2-3 hours Cost: via Albaro’s dugout canoe (cayuko) is $20 per person round trip phone (507) 6557-3661
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Isla Bastimentos National Marine Park
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The Bat Cave: Visit the Bat Cave & help support the local Indian community. Albaro, our handyman, gives tours of the cave on his property. He’ll pick you up from Peaceful Bay in his cayuko & take you up the river. A hike through the jungle to the cave follows. Wear water shoes! He provides lights. If you have a waterproof camera, this is the time to bring it. If you return after dark, you may see caimans on the riverbanks. Duration: 2-3 hours Cost: via Albaro’s dugout canoe (cayuko) is $20 per person round trip phone (507) 6557-3661
Native Indian Village. Ask to stop off at Isla Peresozo (Sloth Island)on your way back. A fun ride through the mangroves at high speed to Sloth Island. Best if done in the afternoon, when the sloths descend from the trees. Viewing of sloths is from the boat, as the island has no trails, but we can often get quite close to them. Sloth sighting not guaranteed, but likely! Duration: to Sloth Island it is just a 15 minute boat ride each way, and 30 minutes to 1 hour viewing time. To Salt Creek, allow an hour each way. Cost: Water Taxis charges $? per person round trip.
Salt Creek
Native Indian Village. Ask to stop off at Isla Peresozo (Sloth Island)on your way back. A fun ride through the mangroves at high speed to Sloth Island. Best if done in the afternoon, when the sloths descend from the trees. Viewing of sloths is from the boat, as the island has no trails, but we can often get quite close to them. Sloth sighting not guaranteed, but likely! Duration: to Sloth Island it is just a 15 minute boat ride each way, and 30 minutes to 1 hour viewing time. To Salt Creek, allow an hour each way. Cost: Water Taxis charges $? per person round trip.

Food Scene

BocasTown: Duration: 20 minutes each way Cost: Water Taxis usually charge $20 per person each way Lots of restaurants to choose from! We like the Buena Vista!
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Hotel Bocas del Toro
10-123 C. 1a
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BocasTown: Duration: 20 minutes each way Cost: Water Taxis usually charge $20 per person each way Lots of restaurants to choose from! We like the Buena Vista!

Everything Else

Cayuko Rental Rent an authentic native “Cayuko”. Proceeds benefit the local Ngobe Indian population. Approximate paddling time to: Magic Island: 5 minutes each way. Red Frog – approximately 45-60 minutes up wind, maybe a bit less coming back The Bat Cave: 1 hour each way Duration: as long as you want! Cost: $10 for a week. Contact Albaro: (507) 6557-3661
Bahía Honda
Cayuko Rental Rent an authentic native “Cayuko”. Proceeds benefit the local Ngobe Indian population. Approximate paddling time to: Magic Island: 5 minutes each way. Red Frog – approximately 45-60 minutes up wind, maybe a bit less coming back The Bat Cave: 1 hour each way Duration: as long as you want! Cost: $10 for a week. Contact Albaro: (507) 6557-3661

Shopping

Downtown Bocas Shopping (not the airport): You can get everything at the Toto store- veggies, meat, pasta, cereal, clothing, batteries, you name it! SuperCentro Christina has a nice selection and better vegetables. Also Isla Colon has some Gluten Free products. Bocas Pharmacy has Mas Movil SIM & top up cards. For the best veggie stand, walk towards the airport and look for Jose's Legumberia on the left.
Bocas del Toro Isla Colón International Airport
Downtown Bocas Shopping (not the airport): You can get everything at the Toto store- veggies, meat, pasta, cereal, clothing, batteries, you name it! SuperCentro Christina has a nice selection and better vegetables. Also Isla Colon has some Gluten Free products. Bocas Pharmacy has Mas Movil SIM & top up cards. For the best veggie stand, walk towards the airport and look for Jose's Legumberia on the left.
Super Gourmet Grocery Store – (507) 7579-357 They have very nice items. The cater to north American and European tastes. They have a deli section with prepared foods.
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Super Gourmet Minimarket
Calle 3a
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Super Gourmet Grocery Store – (507) 7579-357 They have very nice items. The cater to north American and European tastes. They have a deli section with prepared foods.

Getting Around

This is one of two water taxi stands. The other one is farther along towards the center of town, next to the blue painted hardware store known locally as "Chow Kai". They both charge the same rates. Water taxis phone numbers: Rudy: (507) 6512-6214 Miguel’s Water Taxi. (507) 6533-7044 Pante: Very pretty boat, speaks good English: (507) 6479-8754 Capt Ricky: Well known tour operator. Speaks some English: (507) 6667-0143
Taxi 25
This is one of two water taxi stands. The other one is farther along towards the center of town, next to the blue painted hardware store known locally as "Chow Kai". They both charge the same rates. Water taxis phone numbers: Rudy: (507) 6512-6214 Miguel’s Water Taxi. (507) 6533-7044 Pante: Very pretty boat, speaks good English: (507) 6479-8754 Capt Ricky: Well known tour operator. Speaks some English: (507) 6667-0143