a robinson crusoe boutique

‘Ze frok iez called Gertrude….joe wantz more vin?’ Vicente fills another glass to the rim. Meanwhile dusk has become pitch dark and the jungle awakens. The Caribbean waves that accompanied us during our 90 minutes boat trip through Parque Nacional Marino Isla Bastimentos earlier this day, gradually intertwine with Vincente’s Chardonnay, ‘Vin?’

Suddenly a breathtaking roar drowns the conversation at the dinner table. ‘Ah!’ Vincente’s hand freezes above another glass to be filled, ‘Thatz ze frog. Ze name isz Gertrude.’ Impressed by the power of Gertrude’s voice and fantasizing about the size that must come with, everyone stays quiet a bit longer, giving Vincente the chance to bring another animal to the table: ‘In ze creek behind ze kitchen alzo lives un alligatorrrr. More vin?’

After some more Chardonnay and pleasant conversations with the occupants of the other 2 cabins, Vincente invites us to come and take a walk to the dock. ‘Look!’ It takes a few seconds before the brain has processed what the eyes are witnessing, but then it immediately files what we see in the ‘memories from a fairytale department’. In sink with the rhythm of the waves, the ocean lights up. When a blue illuminated wave rolls underneath the dock we stand on, Vincent wishers ‘Iz algies!’. The magic light has turned the water into the Milky Way. With stars looming overhead and at our feet, we feel like Ziggy, floating through stardust.

A little while later a small path through the jungle takes us to our stilted cabin. With it’s back in the jungle and front on the beach, the open cabin offers the best of both worlds. Before we know it the sounds of the jungle (and Gertrude) are carried away on the soothing sound of waves rolling on the beach. Through the night we drift towards another beautiful day in paradise.

Paradise is called Al Natural and is found on the island of Bastimentos in the Panama archipelago Bocas del Torro. The small boutique resort is tucked away in an uninhabited corner of Parque Nacional Marino Isla Bastimentos and can only be reached by boat. With nothing but nature (hospitality, wine and good company) around, you’ll feel like Robinson Crusoe luxury style. ‘Vin?’

Al Natural Resort
Isla Bastimentos, Panama
T: +507 757-9004
W: www.alnaturalresort.com

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