Bird Island Bungalows

The staff was super nice and the location is beautiful.

I think they need to give a bit more maintenance to the place.

Beautiful.

The shuttle schedule wasn’t as convenient as we would have liked.

We stayed for five nights in the "Kingfisher" bungalow. During our time here there was a storm going on, making it very windy, and at times also very rainy. Despite the weather we really enjoyed our stay. The Bungalow was spacious and cozy and the view from the terrace windows was beautiful even when it was blowing and raining. The accomadation more or less looks like the photos, but of course all the pictures are captured on days with perfect weather. There is nothing else around, making the stay very peacefull and relaxing. The food was generally very good - the tacos were especially good, probabely the best we had during our time in Panama. The view of the Bird Island is amazing. Perfect place to unwind.

Be warned, the car ride from Villa Drago is a bumpy one. The road might have been worse then it usually is because of the storm, but im guessing it is allways quite rough. The accomadation is very remote and secluded, and is not an ideal place to stay for daily excursions in my opininion. You will end up using a lot of time and money. The place is very prone to wind and rain being this close to the sea, and some of the outdoor furniture might need some love at some point. There are no common areas that are actually inside, which became a minor problem during the more heavy weather - but is probabely just nice if the weather is good.

The location is GORGEOUS but as others mentioned, difficult to get to, especially if it's been raining. It was a BUMPY ride to get there but we had a great driver, who was recommended by Bird Is. Bungalows. If it's been raining you definitely will need a car with 4 wheel drive. It's hilly, muddy, the surf was covering the road with washed up coconuts and other debris. It was $35 for both of us and worth it. Once you arrive you are in the jungle and overlooking a beautiful sea and Bird Island. The grounds are amazing. The pool was gorgeous. The weather didn't cooperate for us to enjoy it except for a bit on the last day. There are nice loungers to sit and relax. Meals were generally good. I understand that with the location it's not feasible to have a lot of options. The menu is not extensive but it had enough to not have the same thing every night...if you aren't staying too long. We stayed 4 nights and the dinner special, Tuna Tataki, never changed. At least it was good!! The salads were huge. The Greek and the house salad were big enough that we shared. Breakfasts were delicious. The farm fresh eggs and fruit were great. They provide nice toiletries. The bed linens were nice. Since it was so chilly, we got blankets. You have to ask for them though. Towels were soft. The weather was AWFUL during our trip (locals say worst in 12 years) so we didn't get to do a lot of exploring and a lot of the animals had retreated further into the jungle. Mostly, we saw birds. It cleared up enough for us to walk to the fresh water lagoon. I highly recommend it! It's easy to find, follow the coast West, at the big bamboo, stay to the right, keep going. You have to pass a private house that has a no trespassing sign but you are allowed to stay close to the beach, cross their dock and keep going. The lagoon was so blue and surprisingly warm! I wish I had brought a towel and bathing suit!

There are some things, like the weather, that Bird Island Bungalows can't control, but others things they can. First, there was a shower curtain holder but no shower curtain. While the shower was large, it still left water all over the floor. There also wasn't anyplace to hang the hand towel for the sink. Not deal breakers, just an inconvenience. When checking out, you review all your purchases (meals, drinks, etc) on a list on an iPad. Thankfully, my husband noticed that they double charged us for our dinners on the last night. Truly, I don't believe it was intentional, an honest mistake. However, it makes us question if there were other charges that were wrong. So, I suggest you keep your own tally, just to be sure. If you are a light sleeper, I recommend booking a standalone bungalow. We had a room in the main building and I could clearly hear our neighbors talking. The walls were thin. We had really awful weather when we were there. Nobody can change that, but PLEASE come prepared for rain and cool weather. At times it was blowing nearly 30mph and raining. This made meals challenging. All of the dining areas are open. Even with some cloth barriers in place it's not enough to block the wind and the rain totally. They did the best they could it was pretty uncomfortable. On our last night it was too rainy to eat in the main dining area upstairs so everyone was huddled by the bar, as far back as possible, waiting on dinner and trying to stay out of the rain. Dinner arrived an hour and a half late and we took it to our room, the only dry place we had. When you book they email you and ask that you not bring your own alcohol or snacks. The alcohol, I can understand, however, the only snacks they have are small bags of chips (I think I saw plantain chips and another couple options) and peanuts. Not substantial enough if you've been active.