Looking to get away from it all? No, I mean REALLY get away from it all.
I’m talking about an island that is off of an island in Northwest Panama.
I’m talking about the Red Frog Beach Resort in the Bocas Del Toro region of Panama.
Here’s the deal: From Panama City you’ll take either a 1 hour plane ride on Air Panama, a private plane arranged by the resort, or around a 12 hour drive. Opt for a plane. Once you arrive in Bocas Del Toro, the resort will have a driver waiting to take you to the dock. There, a boat will take you the remaining 15 minutes to Bastimentos Island where the Red Frog Resort sits.
This is no conventional resort, First of all, you are in a rainforest. Really. Expect lots of sun but also some rain here and there. Again, it’s a rainforest And it’s beautiful.
The food here is not fine dining. You don’t come here for the food. At all.
But when you check in you WILL get your own golf cart. Which you will need to drive through the jungle. Again, totally serious. Our “commute” from the main area (restaurants/reception/beach) to our villa was 17 minutes. On a jungle dirt road.
But, see, that’s part of what this is. It’s a retreat. And wait until you get to your villa.
We had a 3br villa way up the hill. #33. A wonderfully appointed 3 bedroom (really 4 if you could the spare downstairs) villa with two floors, a full kitchen, living room, and an amazing pool / whirlpool combo overlooking the world. Check out the photo gallery to really get it.
This is where you go to be with your significant other or family and leave the world behind.
Red Frog is hardly activity-central, after all. There’s a wonderful (really, really wonderful) beach on the Caribbean Sea with amazing warm water (but also strong riptides – not for kids!). The main restaurant closes by 9 (really, you need to be eating at 8). And aside from the bar at the youth hostel a short cart ride away, that’s about it.
You can take a water take ($5) to Bocas Town, but it’s hardly crazy times there either. Red Frog is all about Red Frog. Not the town, not the excursions (and the snorkeling one we did wasn’t very memorable), but the experience of having a villa in the rainforest, by the beach, in seclusion.
If you have the time, Boquette is 3 hours away and is supposed to have the most amazing coffee plantations along with one of the most expensive beans in the world. We
Please note: There are rooms that are not villas. When booking, you MUST choose at least a 2BR villa to get your own private villa. Prices vary wildly by season. All pictures shown are from a 3BR villa and each villa is unique. I wouldn’t bother unless you have a villa….
Have you been? Please leave your comments below…
Booking tip: While reservations directly with Red Frog Beach Resort for a 3BR villa top $1,000 a night, some room inventory comes from private owners meaning rates can be 1/3 to 1/2 of that and also sometimes come without the standard 4 night minimum. We stayed 3 nights which was perfect. Try sites like Travelocity and Orbitz before you confirm.
