My family and I stayed at the beautiful Yandup island for 3 nights. The cabins are built in a way that resembles the traditional kuna style, with palm leaves and palm wood, which allows the cool ocean breeze to pass through. We booked 2 cabins by the water and were really happy with that choice because those are the ones facing the open ocean and receive a lot more breeze (this keeps the bugs away). The place has solar powered electricity, no TV and no cell phone or internet signal, which were big pros for us since we wanted to get disconnected from every day life. The little beach right on the island is a fairly decent spot for snorkeling with more variety of coral and fish than any of the other 3 islands we visited. Besides the beach trips in the mornings, they offer tours to the nearby mangroves, village and cemetery. They had an actual burial the day we were scheduled to visit the cemetery so I stayed behind since I didn't think witnessing other people mourning would be enjoyable. However, I later heard from those who attended that it was actually quite interesting so I guess it all depends on personal preference. The food at the lodge's restaurant was excellent, with fresh fruit and seafood served daily. There is a set menu each day so those who do not enjoy seafood might be in a bit of trouble but I am a seafood fan so I loved every meal. The staff was very friendly and helpful whenever we had a request. They even went through the trouble of learning the name of every guest. All in all, Yadup island lodge was a great place to stay in Kuna Yala and I would recommend it to anyone who wishes to visit this area of Panama.

I stayed with a friend for 3 nights at this gorgeous lodge. The service was impecable and the scenary magnificent. December is a perfect month in terms of no mosquitoes, cool breeze, warm water. The owners and their children are as beautifull as their property. Will not hesitate to reccomend it to family and virtual friends.

M

Absolutely FANTASTIC. The food was great, excursions were interesting, and the entire setting was beautiful and romantic. We spent two nights there, but wished we had stayed longer.

There weren't many bugs at ALL. Instead, we had tiny lizards in our room, which was very cute. If we left out snacks, or even empty beer cans, the little lizards would crawl inside.

The trip was fantastic. Can't rave enough about how nice everyone was, and how serene the island is.

NOTE: bring snacks, and liquor or beer if you want.
-They let you use snorkel gear for free (try it out first, some of the equipment isn't the best)
-Bring underwater cameras!
-They can catch and prepare lobster for you for an additional fee if you tell them the day before (we did that our last night)
-be prepared for the crazy flight there. It's a tiny airplane, and can get a bit scary if it's rough weather. It was an adventure!

This is my first review on Trip Advisor. I trusted the previous reviews and booked a 4 night stay at Yandup Lodge with my husband. Lucky us!
Most guests stayed for 2 or 3 nights and we were glad we stayed 4. The other guests were very friendly and we had great conversations.
The staff at Yandup is very attentive and I got to practice a lot of Spanish with them. They accommodated my food limitations and always offered beef or chicken instead of seafood. When we broke the front door of our hut, they fixed it in a few minutes.
The island is almost bug free! There are only little lizards in the huts, but they are scared of people.
When there was a repeated tour they offered to take us on a little hike and we saw beautiful red macaws. The island tours were also nice.
We loved it that the Kuna in the area are doing their own thing and we just get to visit them. We've seen tribes before that seemed to be just showcasing their traditions to make some money and the Playon Chico community seemed way more real.
We were a bit concerned with being so isolated since I'm 3 1/2 months pregnant, but I felt pretty safe and taken care of.
If you have a chance, GO! We would love to go back!