Tropical Island Jungle Retreat

We love this place! Leo (the caretaker) and his wife Estelle are warm and friendly, the land is beautiful, and the panaramic views from the Hill House are incredible.

The house is well equipped and we have everything we need for a comfortable stay in paradise (including reliable wifi!). We really enjoy getting to know the other guests down at the reef cabins and grilling loads of freshly caught fish (thanks Richard!). Surprisingly, there are also a couple of great restaurants on the neighbouring islands, which make for a fun change of pace from time to time.

The reef has an abundance of wildlife and we've spent hours snorkelling amongst the coral. Plus, a big highlight for me was paddle boarding with a pod of dolphins :)

As mentioned in many other posts, the place is most definitely rustic, and not for those who are squeamish about bugs or a lack of hot water. But for those looking for a little corner of paradise, as it was meant to be, this is the spot to be.

Thank you Ulrich, Lazare, Leo and Estelle for an incredible experience!

We stayed in both this Jungle Retreat and also in the Reef Cabin on the water (the other rental). We loved it!! Lazure is a very welcoming host, and we had fun spending time with him. There is also a very friendly dog and two cats. Oh, and can't forget the school of fish under the dock that like to be fed.

It's so beautiful here - a true paradise! You can swim right off the dock, kayak, SUPboard, visit nearby Dolphin Bay...lots to do. There is equipment available to snorkel, but the water is so crystal clear we viewed the beautiful coral right from the kayaks. Or, you can relax and nap in the lounge chairs on the dock. There is a restaurant across the bay (only open Friday night and Sunday) where we spent a fun Sunday afternoon.

It is rustic (meaning bugs and spiders!) but you are in the jungle so that's to be expected. However, if you're used to camping, this is "luxury": a very well stocked full kitchen, bath with flush toilet and (cold) shower, electricity, and internet. (And there was no lack of outlets to charge your devices.) The beds were comfortable and no "city" noise when you slept - just the sounds of nature. You are renting the entire cabin (it was just two of us) but this would be ideal for a large group - a private "master" bedroom is on the first floor, and the second floor has multiple beds to accommodate many. It's set up the hill, so it's very private, yet you have full access to the dock (where two other rentals are located).

Unfortunately, Jodi (the cook) had to be away during our stay due to a family emergency, but Lazure was able notify us in advance and we came prepared with groceries bought in Bocas.

Our only regret is that we didn't stay longer!! This was our favorite place of our vacation. Hope to make a return visit someday. Thanks Lazure!

PS. While Ulrich officially owns the property, Lazure and Jodi are the property managers and who you will be dealing with.

I work in tech in San Francisco and decided to vacation/work remote somewhere rustic for a month and get away from city life. Chose this place because of the beautiful pictures and they mentioned they hosted work remote retreats before. The internet speed was around 1Mbps and that was perfect for my work and streaming music. Spotify works here without having to go in offline mode. The internet never went down while I was there even with some of the massive storms that came through.

This trip was one of my most memorable vacations for me not just because of the beautiful location, but because the hosts, Lazare and Jody, were awesome people. They took care of anything I needed and are just really cool people to hang out with. I already miss this place, Lazare, and Jody. Hopefully one day I will be back.

This is without a doubt the most amazing, adventurous yet luxurious listing on Airbnb. Highly recommended. We had an unforgettable stay with our large group. Lazare and Jody (the actual hosts) are really helpful and know how to cook. Would love to go back.

Great host and great place to stay! This place is not a resort, but a cosy, close to nature, jungle & island experience. Way better than any package holiday or boutique hotel.
The host(s) were really friendly and had great cooking skillls.
The hillhouse had plenty of space and the overwater dock was a great place to chill.
Higly recommended!

Lazare has been a very nice and incredibly helpful host throughout the whole duration of our stay (8 days). He is knowledgeable of the local flora and fauna, as well as the places to visit around Cristobal Island. He's resourceful and always willing to help, crossing the boundary of the typical exchange you'd expect in a professional setting, it felt more like spending the week with a friend.
The island itself is quite magical, with the temperature of the water about the same as the surrounding atmosphere. As Cristobal is located in a bay, the stillness of the water reflects like glass and allows you to see right to the bottom of the exotic reef. At night, the water on the reef glows with bioluminescence (when excited via movement) and feels a bit like swimming through the night sky. It rained daily, as it was the rainy season — but the rain was mostly concentrated from 3am-9am and lowered the temperature nicely.

Pro tip: washing clothes. The air is so humid that they'll never dry off completely if you just hang them somewhere, make sure you expose them to the sun whenever it's shining.

Lazare took us on a rigorous hike of the island where we ate from the land guanabana fruit (a gigantic one, we quite literally stuffed our faces in it), cocoa, fresh limes and cilantro with a machete clearing our path. We kayaked across the bay for $1 beers and $2 chicken, where the local children found us terribly amusing. Ulrich has constructed an impressive off the grid paradise, which really led us to be conscious of our water and electricity use.

It's a rustic experience, but a unique oasis for the adventurous and sustainability minded.

Keep in mind: you're in the jungle. Expect jungle fauna. Beatles, cockroaches, dragon moths, and yes, even tarantulas (we found one in the house crawling just beside out feet), opossums, and parrots will be part of your daily routine. If you're freaked out by one of them, look for something else. If you don't mind having an authentic tropical jungle experience, then this is definitely the place for you.

Incredibly beautiful. Honestly felt like I was going to get scammed before going because the pictures were just too pretty. Nope, they are accurate.

We were a group of 7 and the Hill House treated us just fine. Lazar and crew helped us set up tours as well. Great time!