Monkey Lodge Panama — Hotel in Chilibre

Difficult to find, to get in. You have to ring a doorbell - we had to find a neighbour to even find the location to advise if we were in the right location plus how to get in.

They were not answering their phone when we called many times.

Once you are in, you are locked in.

They said they have five monkeys, one which is being treated by a Vet. They said they rescue monkeys yet the confinement that we saw for two monkeys was very limited in setup//space. Poor enrichment area for them.

They said across from them was a dog rescue, and that there were about 35 dogs, and we checked it out the next day. No signs, no registration nor able to find the name in searching the web.

We heard several bad dog fights the morning of our stay, and were literally on our way to check things out when the fights stopped.

We did talk to a man outside the home and he said yes it was a rescue yet for 35 dogs, so small. We did make a nominal donation as we saw one of the dogs in a wheelchair, and being a federally registered NPO ourselves that focuses on the special needs, we did wish to help.

Monkeys are highly intelligent, need stimulation and the body language of them were ones of stress.

We were told they had five dogs themselves and we met four and they were lovely. The youngest is super bossy - 8/9 month old Dutch Shepherd, and we hope that the behaviour is appropriately managed for they are already pushing/growling out/at the weaker more submissive ones. Two had allergies, which we hope are being treated as one of them has really bad skin. So itchy, swollen eyes plus feet.

The beds are what my husband aptly described as laying on plywood. I went to lay on the cot in the small room yet it kept moving away from the wall.

I ended up taking one of the mattresses from the cot and putting it on the bed.

No hot water and finding parking to get into the lodge is a nightmare.

The vegetation is amazing! The food and the hospitality was lovely!

The views were truly amazing. Our dinner was delicious! For dinner/drinks plus tip, it came to $109+ USD.

In talking to our wonderful friendly hosts, they moved here 15 years ago and built this place from scratch.

Not sure we would stay here again yet grateful to have had the...

This was a little hard to review for me. If it were based on the owners and food alone, I would have given it a 5 star review. If it were based on the grounds, it would have been a 3 star, therefore the 4 stars you see.

Speaking of the food, I have food allergies and Sabrina was a doll and made sure I was taken care of. Everything we ate was homemade and wonderful. When you are on vacation, and eating at restaurants, her meals were a welcome taste of home cooking.

I didn't see any mention of the dogs that they have on site. I think they have about 5, they are super sweet animals & I loved their personalities! However, if you're not a dog person, that could be really off putting. Between the smell of the monkeys, dogs and their poo left one the grounds, not everywhere, but when you walk by and smell it, it it's not pleasant.

The pool area is nice, but the deck boards need to be screwed down, I tripped, coming up the stars on a board that was popped up.

The sounds are not the middle of the jungle, quiet, peaceful sounds you might expect to hear. The compound is situated between two main roads. You hear the road noise, Jake-breaks, sirens, etc.

We took one trip with Frabrice, he was great! We went to swim at the base of a waterfall. It wasn't a tall grand waterfall, but it was beautiful and the water was warm and we swam for a bit before heading out and stopping at a village for lunch with a local indigenous tribe. Somehow, we always seems to end up on the funnest tours with the best guides, and this was no exception. If you are looking for someone who gives you a recorded/rehearsed speech and have everything pinned down to the schedule, keep looking. If you are a go with the flow, drink some beers, and have some fun, kinda person, you can't go wrong with...

We recently spent 8 days at Monkey Lodge, and it was nothing short of amazing! From the moment we arrived, the team made us feel so welcome with their kindness and helpfulness. The lodge arranged several incredible guided tours for us, including visits to Gatun Lake, the Caribbean islands, jungle treks, and even the Discovery Center. We upgraded each tour to be private and the team was happy to customize each to our group's activity levels and interests, which made the experience even more special.

The staff at Monkey Lodge made our stay even more memorable. We often saw the owners personally tending to the garden or working in the office, and it was clear they pour their hearts into the place. Max and Mia were absolute gems, always providing exceptional customer service and ensuring every detail of our stay was perfect. Clemente was also fantastic, guiding us on our lake tour with great care and knowledge. The whole team’s attentiveness made us feel right at home.

The food, all cooked on-site, was absolutely delicious and always felt fresh and homemade. We also loved spending some relaxing days at the lodge between tours—there were plenty of hammocks, poolside lounges, yoga sessions, and opportunities for bird watching to keep us entertained. It was the perfect mix of adventure and relaxation.

Monkey Lodge exceeded our expectations in every way, and we can't recommend it enough to anyone looking for a unique, immersive, and relaxing...