La Loma Jungle Lodge

La Loma is a working chocolate farm that accepts a small number of overnight guests. Relax in a handcrafted, hillside cabin overlooking a secluded bay and participate in a range of activities designed to bring you closer to the natural environment and communities of the spectacular island of Bastimentos.

La Loma’s three cabins have been designed in harmony with the forest that surrounds them, using indigenous Ngöbe architecture as an inspiration. They are designed for two, but can sleep up to four, and have spectacular views of the forest and across the sparkling bay.

We grow much of the food we serve and integrate a variety of exotic jungle fruits and vegetables into our dishes. Local guides will help you explore the jungle, reefs, beaches and communities of Bastimentos.

Lodge Amenities:

• Restaurant and bar
• Tour/Travel desk
• Library and reading Area, Souvenir shop
• Natural freshwater pool and hiking trails

Room Amenities: 

• Writing table and chairs
• Battery powered lanterns
• Kit box with binoculars, information book and candles
• Mosquito nets and hammocks
• En-suite bathroom with hot water
• Fresh coffee is brought to your room each morning!

Room Rates:

Rates Include:

Contact:

Henry Escudero and Margaret Ann, owners.

Phone: (507) 6619 5364, 6592 5162
Email:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Website: www.thejunglelodge.com

Activities:

Nature hikes with local guides:

• Ridge Hike - Approximately 2 hours through the jungle up to the highest point on the island - $10 per person ($20 minimum)
• Boat trip - Travel in a cayuco or motor boat up the beautiful Bahía Honda creek ending in a short hike to an incredible bat cave. this tour lasts approximately 5 hours. $20 per person ($50 minimum, price includes Bastimentos National Marine Park entry fee)
• Full day hike through Bastimentos National Park to deserted Long Beach: $20 per person ($40 minimum)

Beaches and snorkeling:

• Half day snorkeling trip to Coral Cay - colorful shallow reef and spooky mangrove sites- $20 per person ($50 minimum)
• Full day trip to spectacular Zapatillas Islands - Coral forests, ray and big fish snorkeling and idyllic beaches - $35 per person ($110 minimum - high gas prices!) Does not include National Park fee of up to $10 per person

*All trips include free use of our snorkeling equipment.

Surfing:

• Half day lesson (including board rental and transportation) - $60 per person

Rates vary for transportation to a range of surfing sites – please ask us for more details

Fishing trips:

Choose between fishing using traditional techniques or trolling in deeper waters - $10 per hour

Further afield:

Full day trip to the source of the coffee we serve at La Loma  - tour of Silico Creek organic coffee farm on the mainland and visit to the Ngobe community who manage it - $45 per person ($140 minimum)

We also offer:

• BastimentosTown (Old Bank) visit ($20 flat rate)
• Catamaran sailing trips
• Horse riding
• Turtle watching (in season)
• Smithsonian Institute visit
• Ngöbe art demonstrations
• PADI scuba diving courses with the Dutch Pirate at Old Bank, Bastimentos.

Sustainability:

All efforts are made to ensure that La Loma has a minimal ecological footprint. This was the case during construction as well as current operation. We built a very limited number of structures and used naturally fallen trees and sustainably harvested lumber to build our structures. Other building materials were sourced locally and we drastically limited our use of high carbon footprint materials such as concrete and steel.

La Loma's electricity is solar powered, water comes from rain catchment or from our springs. Approximately 80% of our waste is composted or recycled and we use only biodegradable soaps and detergents. Much of the food we serve is gown on our organic farm and all efforts are made to locally source other ingredients. We have a strict policy of not serving non-sustainably sourced foods such as fish from depleted stocks (i.e tuna, grouper), shrimp, lobster and red meats.

Community Tourism support:
La Loma has established a community development fund (Hooda Chi) through which we raise funds and initiate projects with the local indigenous community. Current projects include:

The Bahia Honda egg project - With grants from the World Veterinary Congress, we have provided 20 families in the bay with a flock of chickens each

Soulsong Ngöbe Dolls - with Hooda Chi as coordinator, a group of women in the community have formed a cottage industry creating fabric dolls.

Cultural Tourism support:
La Loma employs only local staff from the immediate area, and our tours are conducted by local Ngöbe and Creole guides who share their knowledge and traditions with the guests. We make great efforts to educate our guests about the local community and conduct visits to the local school and village centre where guests are introduced to community members who discuss the history, culture and traditions of the Ngöbe.

History promotion support:

All our meals are taken communally. This means we have considerable opportunity to talk directly to our guests about the history of the local area. Our library is also stocked with books that cover local history.

Human resource development support:

All staff have been involved in the development of La Loma from its initiation. We have a policy of supporting skills development and staff members have been sponsored to attend courses including wilderness first aid, teacher training and butterfly farming.