Chocolate Dreams – A Willy Wonka Jungle
It’s our last couple days in the Bocas Del Toro area and we’ve been bobbing about at anchor anxiously waiting on the chocolate farm to re-open (they were closed for an ‘off-season’ spruce up). There was no way we were leaving this region without first seeing how the world’s most delectable treat is born.
We didn’t have many expectations beyond seeing how cacao is grown and then turned into the chocolate bars we love to devour. But, our experience was so much more than a standard farm tour.
The jungle is a real-life Willy Wonka golden ticket experience. It seems everything around us is scratch, sniff, taste and savor…even edible bees!?!
Prepare your virtual senses, grab your favorite chocolate bar and hit the play button.
The only thing that could have made this day any better would’ve been if the sloths and monkeys stood up and started singing ♫ oompa loompa doompadee doo ♫ …now that would have been a surreal Wonka experience!
Jason wasn’t kidding about chocolate dreams coming true. We watched a TV show over 10 years ago called Eco Trip where they toured a chocolate farm for a bean-to-bar episode. Ever since then we’ve known as soon as the opportunity presented itself we’d be first in line to experience cacao in the flesh. Even after years of anticipation we had a blast and enjoyed every nib. YUM!
Cacao Farm Info
There are a couple of different chocolate farms in the Bocas Del Toro area, and everyone we talked to had nothing but good things to say about them all. Because we were anchored just off of Isla Bastimentos, La Loma Chocolate Farm was so incredibly close it was a no-brainer. It’s a short dinghy ride from Curiosity which saved us a few extra bucks by not having to take a water taxi to another island. The tour was $15 and lasted about an hour and a half. Adding lunch onto the cost of the tour was an additional $10, which we all highly recommend! We didn’t inquire about prices on the lodges, but all the booking info is on their website: thejunglelodge.com
Sailing Report
To see our full map with interactive pins, click here: gonewiththewynns.com/map
- Date: September 20, 2017
- Anchorage: Just outside Red Frog Resort on Isla Bastimentos
- Cell & WiFi: We have good +movil and sometimes claro cell phone service. Our booster comes in very handy here: gonewiththewynns.com/product/weboost-4g-booster-kit We still had an active internet coupon from Red Frog and we were easily able to connect our WiFi Ranger for free internet inside Curiosity: gonewiththewynns.com/product/wifi-booster-pack
Gear Used In This Video
- Portable Floating VHF w/GPS: http://amzn.to/2hwEoK7
- Waterproof & floating phone case/handbag: gonewiththewynns.com/product/productugo-waterproof-pack
- Adventure Shoes: http://amzn.to/2ArBvDK
Cameras Used to Capture This Video
Full Review Of All Our Camera Gear: gonewiththewynns.com/camera-gear-review-2017
- Main Camera
- Sony A7ii: gonewiththewynns.com/product/sony-a7ii
- Sony Zoom Mic: gonewiththewynns.com/product/sony-gun-zoom-microphone-black
- Sony 24 – 70mm f4 lens: gonewiththewynns.com/product/sony-24-70
- GorillaPod: gonewiththewynns.com/product/gorillapod-focus-x
- Pocket Camera, Sony RX: gonewiththewynns.com/product/productsony-dsc-rx100m-iii-cyber-shot-digital-still-camera
- Sony Action Stick: gonewiththewynns.com/product/sony-selfie-stick
- Drone
- DJI Mavic Pro: http://amzn.to/2vUFXa6
- Drone Filters: http://bit.ly/sandmarc-mavic
Thanks
Thank you for being a part of our journey! We’re able to share these adventures because of viewers like you. If you like what you see, check out our Say Thanks page to learn about different ways you can help keep the videos and posts flowing. You’ll notice most ways don’t cost you a penny but make a big difference to us. Thank You!
The Crew
Dale and Justin (aka DJDives on Instagram) are our first Patreon’s aboard and now we’ve welcomed Dan! We offer up crew opportunities to our Patreons as a way to say thanks for their support, and allow others to experience this unique traveling lifestyle with us for a short stint.
