The drive (with Mr. Manuel, booked via Hostal Mamallena) up to the "port" was fairly good. Our driver was on time, drove safe and we just picked up one more group. No long wait.
We got some good seats in the car, though I feel really sorry for those sitting in the last row, which was me on the way back.
3 People squeezed in some kind of emergency seats which are usually just for two, is a no go!
At least they shouldn't be charged the same price as the others.
In means of safety this is a no go aswell, because in last row there are just two Seat belts.
Once arrived at the "port" things seemed to be pretty organized, just had to wait 30 minutes until the boat picked us up.
After an approximately one hour ride with a gas stop we reached the Island naranjal and the Cabañas Eneida.
The Island seemed nice on the first look, though our group of 8 on the boat expected it less populated.
They are 4 Families, living on the Island, which is walked around in 5 minutes, each of them offering around 10 Cabañas.
Besides of the nice clean beach you find trash all around the Island.
If your looking for a nice beach you are right, if you are looking for loneliness you are wrong.
Iron, the manager of Eneida Cabañas, already accompanied us on the boat explained everthing very well, showed us around and tried to be very nice.
This unfortunately only lasted until we paid our room.
Just to mention: Toilet flush was unaivailable, in order to flush you had to pour water into the toilet from a big basin next to it. No means to wash your hands. Door was not lockable.
Same with the shower, there was a big basin with water from a river nearby, which you could pour over yourself.
Our cabaña was located behind the kitchen in front of the toilet.
No beach view, just the smell of deep fried fat und some human excrement.
Which was fine for me though, the beach was just 20m away.
Cabañas were as described basic,
with sand, a chair, and a bed with a significantly bad mattres that gave you a strong backpain in the morning.
Food was decent all lunch and dinners were all the same during the two days:
An awfully deep fried fish, some small portion of rice and "salad".
Non fish eaters just got rice and salad.
Breakfast didn't vary either, two awfully bad deep fried sausages and two small cookies with instant coffee no juice. Last day we got a cold scrambled eggs.
Complaints were ignored.
The day, tour to Pelican Island was planned, was catastrophic.
Iron the manager, was gone for two days to Panama City.
We were offered a longer tour to isla del perro and some two other small islands instead of Pelican for an additional pay off 10$/Person, just to find out that some others who already did the Pelican tour paid the same.
Tour was supposed to start 11:30am, no boat was there, we started to complain at 1:30pm, to get to know that they will cancel the tour now.
After heavy complain of us 8, the boat was ready around 2:30pm to start the then pretty nice tour.
Meanwhile I complained to Iron on the phone and that we will change cabañas because of the rude behavior of his family/workers towards us.
He yelled at me on the phone, but welcomed me to change.
Though if I do, threatened me, I am not allowed to go on the tour, although this was paid and included with the first night expenses.
This finally made my first impression right, we were there to bring them money, to take things as they are and leave as quick as we can.
San Blas is wonderful, the treatment of Iron and his family was awful!
On the same Island are the San Blas Kuna Yala Cabañas, their guests were really satisfied what they told us and they looked overall really nice.