Al natural is a beautiful eco-resort with rustic bungalows on the beach. However, if it wasn't for martin, the onsite manager, it would have been extremely lacking in service. We met the owner, michel, who only seemed interested in making sure our credit card had been properly charged and the gourmet "chef" vincent, whom we had read so much about only showed up for one of the four nights we were there, and then we overheard him talking about how hung over he was before he left after only the second course. The food was mediocre at best at dinner (overcooked fish with mayonnaise on top) and particularly unimpressive at lunch (canned tuna salad with undercooked potato salad). We were very disappointed as we had read so many great things about the meals. The location is beautiful but in an all inclusive hotel, you need more than the location. The manager, martin, was wonderful, but, having worked myself in the service industry I understand that one person cannot be on call 24hrs per day. We expected more and were a little disappointed by the lack of interest from the two owners

Our room had a gorgeous view, but upon further inspection, there was mold growing all over the shower curtain and bathroom, an old moldy picture hanging in the bathroom and a cheap broken plastic trashcan - all very easy to fix if someone is paying attention. Great place but needs more quality control

We stayed here for two nights - a splurge for us. We loved it. Quite an experience to stay in a completely open thatched roof hut and go to sleep under a mosquito net to the sound of the gentle waves lapping on the shore in front and wake up to the wonderful bird calls in the jungle behind in the morning. Breakfasts were really good - eggs, fruit lots of jams and juices. Dinners were excellent. They were generous with the wine at dinner. Other drinks were also available for purchase. Lunches OK. All meals are served at one long table where all guests sit, so it was a good opportunity to get to know other people from all over the world. Staff was really warm, friendly and very competent - all of them spoke lots of languages. Having access to the kayaks was wonderful. Pretty good snorkeling out on the reef in front of the resort. We didn't do any of the boat trips because we had already done some of them from Bocas Town. We kayaked, snorkeled and spent a lot of time on the beautiful beach (have to wear water shoes due to sea urchins). Very relaxing and very quiet. Saw dolphins and and an eagle ray from our deck and monkeys near the dining room.

The staff is great, the food is great, the rooms are great. Martin is awesome and will do everything he can to make your stay comfortable and enjoyable. Vincent the chef put together some amazing dinners and lunches. Our only recomendation is to bring some snacks from town with you. Lunch was served at 1 pm and dinner was 8 pm, so having something to munch on in between was nice.

The activities on the island probably could be good, but the weather didn't fully cooperate for us on our trip. We did get to go on a jungle tour, do some kayaking through the mangrove, and a bit of swimming off the deck of the resort. The water around the resort was to cloudy for any good snorkling. Also, we could not find any reefs, but mostly just grass. We did see sting rays splashing around in the water on several occassions. Supposedly, the snorkling on the surrounding islands is really good, but it costs $25 for the boat ride there. Also, we tried on two days to do this and were told no both days because of the weather. The resort typically has their own resident dive master, but she was not there while we were there. We chose to skip diving on the trip rather than paying $80 for a boat ride back to Bocas Town just to dive. This is a great place if you are okay with just relaxing some days.

Our stay was four nights, which seemed about right. Other couples there said the same thing. One couple was there for eight nights and I think they were getting bored by the end of it because there isn't a ton of different stuff to do. Also, the tours are somewhat expensive and can add up fast. Free options are snorkling, hiking, and kayaking to the mangroves.

Al Natural consists of about 7 independent bungalows that look out to the water, with essentially no walls. The setting is beautiful, on a small beach. Breakfasts and lunches are simple, with more elaborate and delicious dinners. Trips are arranged each day to snorkeling and diving spots, nearby beaches, and to a nearby Indian village. The people running Al Natural are extremely nice. There is significant rain in Bocas, and the sun is intermittent, so this is really not the spot for a sun-filled beach holiday. The hotel is also fairly expensive, but given the lovely location it is really an individual decision whether the price balances with the setting. All in all, this was a great spot for our family vacation.