Casa Manana Smuk Beachfront, Tropical Garden

Dave was waiting for us when our plane landed at the airport and then he took us shopping for groceries, drove us out to the property and gave us a quick tour of the house. It wasn't until the sun came up the next morning that we got to fully appreciate the view! The property is incredibly well manicured and is planted with so many different flowers, palms and tropical plants. We spent an awesome week lounging on the beach, taking in the view of bird island, walking around barefoot and photographing flowers. Dave was good company (but also respectful of our privacy). He answered all our questions and was great about giving us a lift to town for fresh fish or to the bus stop when we wanted an adventure. One time we walked the 2 miles down the private drive to the nearest restaurant and saw capuchin monkeys in the trees on our way. In the evenings or early mornings we heard howler monkeys and there was always a lot of bird song from the humming birds, green parrotts, tucans and oropendola. The TOP highlight was spending an entire afternoon watching a mama sloth and her baby munching away on leaves in the tree tops behind the house - don't forget your binoculars! The kitchen was better equipped than any other VRBO or AirBnB we've ever been to and it has everything you'll need, but the place to be was in a lounge chair on the covered patio. The house is solar powered with rainwater catchment (and filtered drinking water in the kitchen) but the systems all functioned seamlessly so you wouldn't really know. The WiFi worked well too. We could easily have stayed a LONG time...

We were looking forward to experiencing the Caribbean coast of Panama and Casa Manana certainly exceeded our expectations. The lodging was clean, well furnished and equipped, and located adjacent to a section of beautiful beach with that wonderfully clear and warm Caribbean. We were impressed with the extensive and well maintained grounds supporting an abundance of tropical plants which the host readily described to us. A veritable personal botanical garden! Wildlife that was viewed included sloths, howler and capuchin monkeys. We also spotted lots of different birds species, toucans, parrots, oropendollas, hummingbirds, etc. The owner was easy to communicate with prior to arrival and once we arrived was attentive and informative. Overall, a very informative and enjoyable experience.

Upon arrival, host met us with shirt unbuttoned and fly unzipped. Not a great 1st impression. Problems with house were: roof leak making tile slippery; kitchen sink leaked underneath when faucet was turned on and water was all over kitchen floor; ants all over kitchen counter due to sink strainer having papaya seeds left in it by prior tenant; only coffee maker was French press, which was dirty when we got there, and no tea kettle to heat water, had to use boiler which is not very safe pouring; listing said there was a washer, but host told us we couldn't use it till morning due to solar, when we opened it, it was full of someone else's clothing; no hair dryer; sheets were pilled and felt like sandpaper; ceiling fans made so much noise thought they would fall; could only get 1 burner of propane range to light; flame lighters were empty and we were left with a small Bic lighter; road to home was washed out - we used a taxi, but would not have driven the rental car on it. We left after 1 night of a planned 3 night stay. Description of home implies host will help with booking boat rides and/or tours. None of that was mentioned. Walked to beach, but it was just about non-existent, should not be advertised as accessible. Grounds are lovely.

The grounds of this place are lovely and besides the owner and gardener, we hardly saw anyone else around. It's a great spot to get away from the hustle and bustle and explore secluded beaches. Due to the remote location, you will need to buy groceries in town and mostly cook on your own. For a fee, the owner may have availability to pick you up from the airport and take you grocery shopping before bringing you back to the rental. We loved the large porch and view down to the ocean. We saw capuchin monkeys while having breakfast on the porch and could hear howler monkeys nearby. There will be sounds of nature and there is a gardener who you may hear some times. There is a lot of interaction with the owner and they are responsive as needed. Due to this being a green home on solar power, air conditioning is not an option. For some, the breeze will be enough. For others, you may get too hot.