The Coconut Lodge Blog

Now available at Coconut Lodge: Melissa Pop art prints!

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 18:20:37 GMT

Did you know that you can purchase "melipop" art prints at Coconut Lodge? A piece of the tropical dream can be yours for only $15! It's the perfect souvenir and the perfect way to encourage a young artist!

Each print is individually wrapped and hand-signed by Melissa Pop. Ask about the prints upon your check-in. Special rates are available when purchasing two or more prints.

For more information about the artist, check out Melissa's website and her facebook page .

A great start to 2013: Coconut Lodge wins TripAdvisor's "Travelers' Choice Award 2013"

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 21:15:10 GMT

Last week, we received excellent news from TripAdvisor. Only 14 months after opening, we found out that not only were we awarded the prestigious "Travelers' Choice Award 2013" by the Trip Advisor community... We have also ranked as the No. 1 B&B in all of Panama (out of 260 B&Bs) and the No. 6 B&B in all of Central America (Out of 1900)!

Words cannot begin to describe how happy we feel right now. As always, we owe it to our guests who honor us by choosing Coconut Lodge Panama during their stay in Panama. If someone had predicted these awards sometime last year, we would have laughed ourselves silly!

A Bed & Breakfast is nothing without its guests... Past, present & future guests: we consider you family. This award is for you.

Happy Holidays from Coconut Lodge

Tue, 25 Dec 2012 16:41:37 GMT

To each and every one of our past guests, and to all those that are yet to come, the team at Coconut Lodge wishes you the very best for this Holiday Season. May the following weeks and the New Year bring you Joy, Love and Vacation to Panama (ha ha)!

All the best,
Nancy, Mike, Melissa, Caroline
and the team at Coconut Lodge.

Coconut Lodge's 1st Year Anniversary

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 20:44:34 GMT

Times flies! It seems like just yesterday that we where greeting our first guests... Next thing we know, exactly a year has gone by, making today our 1st year anniversary.

We would like to thank our first guests, Russell & Gabriela, and every other guest who has followed and entrusted us with their vacations. Your generous support and overwhelming kindness is much appreciated. You truly make running a B&B an absolute pleasure.

To those guests we haven't met yet but who are considering booking Coconut Lodge for their vacation, we hope to meet you soon and celebrate many more anniversaries with you.

Mike, Nancy, Melissa, Caroline,

and the team at Coconut Lodge

"We Love Coconut Lodge"

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 20:47:39 GMT

The best thing about running a Panama Bed & Breakfast is definitely meeting new people. Over the last few months, we have made many new friends, all around the world. The Coconut Lodge family just keeps growing with every passing week and we couldn't be more pleased.

We've asked some of our past guests to participate in our little video and let us know what they think! In German, English & Spanish, the answer seems to be the same... They love Coconut Lodge!

And we love them.

Number 1 Bed & Breakfast in Panama

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 20:29:52 GMT

We are humbled and incredibly grateful to announce that, as of yesterday, we are the Number 1 Bed and Breakfast in Panama, according to Trip Advisor.

A heartfelt thanks to every single guest who has made this possible. You make it all worth it.

Sincerely;

Nancy, Mike, Melissa and Caroline.

A Day on Lake Gatun with Captain Carl Davis

Sun, 08 Jul 2012 02:16:15 GMT

It is a glorious, sunny day in Panama City. We depart from Coconut Lodge around 8h20. Direction: Gamboa Lake (around 35 minutes away) for an adventure-filled day in Panama’s Exuberant Rainforest and breathtaking Gatun Lake.

On the menu for today:

Navigation of the Panama Canal
Discovery of Gatun Lake and Monkey Island
Typical Panamanian Lunch at Jungle Land Explorer
Kayaking through the Mangroves

Captain Carl Davis greets us and his characteristic humor sets the pace for the day. In Spanish and English, he starts the tour by explain the history of the Gatun Lake, a man-made lake built to harness the force of the mighty Chagres River during the construction of the Panama Canal.

As we cross under a bridge and into the Canal, evidence of the Canal Expansion is all around us. It is a humbling experience, to witness such an engineering feat in action. A brief history of the Canal ensues, as we head towards Monkey Island.

First, a pit stop. Captain Carl, well acquainted with the area after 8 years of living on the Lake, introduces us to two of his friends: a Capuchin and Howler Monkey who seem to live alone on their island. They are the first but certainly not the last monkeys we will see today.

Monkey Island, as you would expect, is filled with monkeys, mostly Capuchins. Extremely friendly, they seem to enjoy impressing us and delighting us with their every stunt. The meaning of the expression “monkeying around” becomes quite clear as we watch the playful primates jump from one branch to the other, occasionally hopping on our boat to steal a few of the nuts that Captain Carl has provided.

It is around 10h30 and we head slowly towards the Jungle Land Explorer, situated in its own little oasis of lush calm. The way there is peppered with interesting things to see. Many a pit stop is required to capture the tropical exuberance and impressive animals: crocodiles, turtles, birds all become the stars of our vacation photos.

Vines and palm trees caress the boat as we glide through the lake and head into the mangroves. The mangrove is but the glorious entrance to the bay that nests Jungle Land Explorer houseboat (both a Lodge and center for Day Excursions).

Lunch is typical Panamanian and quickly devoured. (Adventures do tend to leave you quite famished). Next, we couple up for the next part of our adventure: kayaking through the mangroves. As the sun caresses us, we head out to discover the surroundings. The mangroves are plentiful and navigating them is a welcome challenge. Water Lilies and tropical birds complete the lush scenario, as Captain Carl continues to entertain us with his vast knowledge of the area.

25 minutes later, the spectacular sight of a hidden waterfall greets us. We dive in, relishing the cool water. The more adventurous travelers tempt their fate and dive from the top of the waterfall. All around us, our fellow travelers are all smiles.

After a while, we head back towards the Jungle Land Explorer for a last bit of Jungle indulgence. Around 3h20, it is time to say goodbye to the Captain and head back towards the dock.

Tired but happy, we depart around 4h00 for Coconut Lodge. The day has ended but the memories will live on, thanks to our multiple pictures and the incredible moments that Captain Carl has facilitated in his jungle home.

For the complete picture album, please visit our Facebook Page .

Jungle Land | Panama Lodge & Panama Tours

Coconut Lodge, winner of the Certificate of Excellence Award

Sat, 30 Jun 2012 21:13:07 GMT

We are pleased to announce that Coconut Lodge has been awared the prestigious "Certificate of Excellence" for the year 2012 by the Trip Advisor Community.

This would not have been possible without the help of our fabulous guests who make running a Bed & Breakfast more fun than work.

We thank you all from the bottom of our heart.

Mike, Nancy, Melissa and Caroline,

Your hosts at Coconut Lodge

PS: Click here to see our reviews on Trip Advisor

WHY CHOOSE A BED & BREAKFAST OVER A HOTEL

Wed, 23 May 2012 15:59:51 GMT

When planning your vacation, many people hesitate between choosing a Bed & Breakfast or a hotel. When prices for both options are similar, it can be a hard choice. We might be a little biased but here is why we think you should choose a B&B rather than a hotel:

INTIMATE GROUNDS

Bed & Breakfasts tend to be smaller in size when compared to a hotel. These smaller grounds inevitably have a more intimate feel that often reminds guests of home, or their vacation version of home.

PERSONALIZED SERVICE

Because of their smaller size, hosts usually get to know their guests pretty well. Imagine waking up at your choice B&B in the morning and having your ideal breakfast served for you… This would be harder at a Hotel where the massive amount of guests translates into a standard service.

TAP INTO YOUR HOSTS’ INSIDER KNOWLEDGE

Often, Bed & Breakfast owners are foreigners just like yourself who have decided to share their personal life experience and happened upon the hospitality industry. Staying at a B&B is much like staying at a friend’s house. Apart from the usual services, you are bound to learn a lot of information about the country from your Bed & Breakfast host.

GET TO KNOW LIKE-MINDED GUESTS

It is our personal experience that guests who choose Bed & Breakfasts tend to have a lot in common. We have several examples where guests have stayed at our Bed & Breakfast and become friends with other guests, only to catch up with them again (on purpose or not) in other parts of the country. The smaller nature of a B&B means that you have the option of mingling with other guests and making new lifelong friends.

We hope that this short list of why you should choose a Bed & Breakfast rather than a Hotel has given you insight and helped you make your traveling decision.

If you are in Panama City, Panama and this sounds like something you would enjoy, please do not hesitate to contact the team at COCONUT LODGE PANAMA. We will do our best to make your vacation as great as possible.

PANAMA METRO

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 16:27:23 GMT

In the last few weeks, we have received many questions about the current METRO construction in Panama City. The following video (although in Spanish) has a good visual description of what the 1st metro line will look like when it is finished!

Worth checking out.