Fodor's Expert Review La Loma Jungle Lodge

A boat ride through mangroves and a walk across wooden planks will lead you to the tastefully rustic bungalows at this eco-lodge, part of a 60-acre working cacao farm. (The cacao ends up in the sumptuous dinners served here.) Oropendolas sing in the treetops, hummingbirds flit about, and sloths cling to the branches overhead. The idealistic owners designed the lodge to limit negative environmental impact and to maximize the benefit to their Ngöbe neighbors using wood from fallen trees and solar power and kerosene lamps. Perched along a hillside in the rain forest, the wall-less bungalows offer 180-degree views of tropical nature. (Canvas curtains can be drawn when weather turns rainy or windy.) Bungalows have good beds with mosquito nets, handmade furniture, hammocks, and bathrooms inspired by Ngöbe architecture. Meals, farm tours, kayaks, and transport to Red Frog Beach are included in the rates, plus you can arrange other inexpensive day tours.