Eden Jungle Lodge

We spent five days completely immersed in this wonderful paradise. Eden Jungle Lodge is stunning in terms of its surroundings, and it’s a place where you can truly unwind. That was exactly our plan: halfway through our journey across Panama, to pause for a moment, enjoy the beautiful views, listen to the sounds of monkeys, and finally have time to read a book. That we would also be so incredibly well taken care of was a real surprise! Susan and Ivan are exceptionally hospitable, and we truly felt welcome in their home. Their dog Sailor regularly kept us company, which added to the warm and cozy atmosphere. What makes this location special is waking up in the morning to the sounds of monkeys, spotting many birds, and even seeing sloths. There is also plenty of equipment available to stay active. You can go paddleboarding or kayaking, or—like we did—enjoy a workout on the terrace using our own resistance bands. What we especially appreciated were Susan’s cooking skills. Every dish is prepared with so much love, care, and flavor that the plate is emptied every single time. Everything was absolutely yummy 😋

Nothing

La gentillesse des hôtes, les repas étaient délicieux. Le domaine est magnifique.

Rien

Es war eine wunderschöne und entspannte Zeit im Eden Jungle Lodge. Die Unterkunft ist perfekt für Naturliebhaber. Nur Natur und Tiere (Affen, Faultiere, Papagei etc). Die Gastgeber waren super lieb und hilfsbereit. Wir haben uns sehr wohl fühlen. Das Essen war köstlich. Sehr empfehlenswert, wenn man Ruhe liebt.

We booked the place primarily due to the rating and reviews, and were surprised to find out it is no longer run by the much referred to French couple, but by Ivan&Susan (find their self-introduction somewhere on here). The setting is still lovely, but the experience not at all the same, unfortunately. We spotted the resident howler monkeys and sloths.

We got a basic idea of the place that continues to grow cocoa and vanilla based as built by the previous hosts, but no tour of the property or explanations on functioning, wildlife or anything else. The kayaks were just about in working order, with no guidance on where or what to see. Both power and water was out a few times during our stay. The food was still very good, but for one thing pricey, and for the other thing based on a hired chef that has since left (purportedly due to unfair treatment by the owners). The double room also does not feature a 'private entrance' as claimed. The worst thing though is the completely unprofessional intransparency of prices and additional fees - breakfast is not included, again as claimed, but charged at 20 USD. The boat transport is charged at USD 150 return, and is basically obligatory. They also apply a fee for credit card payments - fair enough, but that was not made clear even after we inquired. On the whole, under this management the experience is just not commensurate with the considerable cost.