Today we decided to stay on our island and not go on any trips to the other islands. In the beginning our local hosts were a bit confused with us not going, but we convinced them that we were staying on the beach all day and were perfectly ok with that - so we did just hang out at home. Sometimes in the sun, sometimes hiding in the shade.
Just a whole day watching the palm trees, counting coconuts, reading our books, looking at the waves and the pelicans. And of course a swim once in a while.
Having stayed on the island for some days it was also time to think a bit about it so here are our thoughts. We booked through ultimatesanblastour.com which is super easy. Once we got to our hostel we realised that it was just as easy to plan our trip with little or no notice. The prices for booking through our hostel was USD 70 for the land transportation to and from San Blas per person. On top of that you have to add around USD 40 for accommodation and food per day and USD 15 for each time you go with a boat if you want to do island-hopping. Taken as a guideline you can do the math about value for money booking through ultimatesanblastour.com,
Did we enjoy it? Definitely. Staying on the island was really nice. Was the food really basic? Yes, the breakfast consisted of the same bread roll and a small serving of scrambled eggs. Lunch and dinner was either a small serving of potato or rice and some kind of deep fried fish or chicken. It seemed a little on the cheap side. Going on trips to the other islands always involved our hosts bringing lots of nachos, some tomato dip, soft drinks and loud dance music which wasn't really our idea of relaxing on an island. Snorkeling gear was included in the price but it was often broken or looking really worn out. Tents, bathrooms and everything else on our island worked but were very basic. If you come straight from a western country you will probably find it primitive and rudimentary.
Having spoken to other travellers who have been to islands like Iguana we definitely went to a busy place which also meant a little more garbage on the island. The locals did the best they could to clean it up the island. We would love to go again but would never book through a travel agent. Their mark-up is too big compared to the island they offer and the service there and how easy it is to make a DIY-trip.
For stocking up on stuff and snacks before departure make sure you bring everything you need. There are no shops on the islands (obviously) and on the mainland the nearest shops are basically in Panama City. The small shop at the port has a very limited selection of basic necessities. Also bring a lot of water for drinking. We brought the 4 liter water bottles - 4 in total which was just about enough for the two of us for 5 days. Bottled water on the island is USD 2 for ½ liter and you can buy beer and soft drinks for similar prices.
And bring a small padlock or something else for your private belongings. We did "lock" our tent when we were not there which at least would enable us to see if somebody had been in there. A couple of other guests staying on the island both told us about finding their personal belongings had been messed with by somebody. One had her phone stolen, which really upset the local chief on the island but it was gone is some way or another - only to be returned to her after some days once she managed to block it.
San Blas is wonderful, no doubt about that.
Just a whole day watching the palm trees, counting coconuts, reading our books, looking at the waves and the pelicans. And of course a swim once in a while.
Having stayed on the island for some days it was also time to think a bit about it so here are our thoughts. We booked through ultimatesanblastour.com which is super easy. Once we got to our hostel we realised that it was just as easy to plan our trip with little or no notice. The prices for booking through our hostel was USD 70 for the land transportation to and from San Blas per person. On top of that you have to add around USD 40 for accommodation and food per day and USD 15 for each time you go with a boat if you want to do island-hopping. Taken as a guideline you can do the math about value for money booking through ultimatesanblastour.com,
Did we enjoy it? Definitely. Staying on the island was really nice. Was the food really basic? Yes, the breakfast consisted of the same bread roll and a small serving of scrambled eggs. Lunch and dinner was either a small serving of potato or rice and some kind of deep fried fish or chicken. It seemed a little on the cheap side. Going on trips to the other islands always involved our hosts bringing lots of nachos, some tomato dip, soft drinks and loud dance music which wasn't really our idea of relaxing on an island. Snorkeling gear was included in the price but it was often broken or looking really worn out. Tents, bathrooms and everything else on our island worked but were very basic. If you come straight from a western country you will probably find it primitive and rudimentary.
Having spoken to other travellers who have been to islands like Iguana we definitely went to a busy place which also meant a little more garbage on the island. The locals did the best they could to clean it up the island. We would love to go again but would never book through a travel agent. Their mark-up is too big compared to the island they offer and the service there and how easy it is to make a DIY-trip.
For stocking up on stuff and snacks before departure make sure you bring everything you need. There are no shops on the islands (obviously) and on the mainland the nearest shops are basically in Panama City. The small shop at the port has a very limited selection of basic necessities. Also bring a lot of water for drinking. We brought the 4 liter water bottles - 4 in total which was just about enough for the two of us for 5 days. Bottled water on the island is USD 2 for ½ liter and you can buy beer and soft drinks for similar prices.
And bring a small padlock or something else for your private belongings. We did "lock" our tent when we were not there which at least would enable us to see if somebody had been in there. A couple of other guests staying on the island both told us about finding their personal belongings had been messed with by somebody. One had her phone stolen, which really upset the local chief on the island but it was gone is some way or another - only to be returned to her after some days once she managed to block it.
San Blas is wonderful, no doubt about that.
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