For Sara and Aaron Canary, their 20th wedding anniversary called for a vacation with a very specific goal: doing less.

After a difficult year that included medical issues with their youngest child, the couple wanted to get away together and truly relax. Rather than choosing a destination packed with sightseeing and a long list of things they needed to see and do, they wanted somewhere that would encourage them to slow down.

“We really wanted to find a place where there wasn't much to do, rather than a place where we felt we had to see and do everything,” Sara says. “We wanted to force ourselves to slow down and just relax.”

In April, Sara and Aaron spent 10 days at Sol Bungalows on Isla Solarte in Bocas del Toro, Panama, celebrating two decades of marriage with plenty of nature, delicious food, adventure, and, most importantly, time together.

The destination was actually a bit of a surprise. Sara had always dreamed of staying in one of those overwater bungalows like the ones in Bora Bora, but the couple wanted to stay closer to home so they could minimize their time away from their children. Her friend Jen of Jenny Jay's Journeys researched several possibilities and found Sol Bungalows, which immediately caught their attention.

The property checked plenty of boxes. The bungalows are powered by solar panels, collect and filter rainwater, and serve meals featuring vegetables, herbs, and fruits grown on their own organic permaculture farm.

Food was another important consideration for the Canarys, who eat mostly plant-based. They quickly discovered that they had made the right choice.

“And let me tell you, we had the best vegan food on this trip!” Sara says.

Sol Bungalows serves dinner every evening except Sunday, with each meal including an appetizer, main course, and dessert. The meals were also surprisingly affordable, costing around $25 per person when the couple skipped meat. They did try the local fish one evening. Breakfast was included with their bungalow, and even when they ventured to neighboring islands for lunch, they found plenty of delicious options.

“I don't remember anything not tasting amazing,” Sara says, although she admits that by the end of the trip they were getting a little tired of fresh tropical fruit.

While relaxing was the main goal, the Canarys did have two big adventures.

The first was the Pure Tree Experience, a chocolate farm and tour on neighboring Bastimentos Island. The “farm” is tucked into the jungle, requiring about a 20-minute hike up an island trail. The property is owned and operated by a woman from Scotland and her young sons, who led the Canarys through the experience.

Along the way, they saw parrots, monkeys, and tiny Strawberry Poison Dart Frogs. Sara admits she is actually afraid of frogs, so that was quite the experience!

They also tasted cacao and various plants before enjoying lunch made from ingredients grown on the farm. Their meal included hot chocolate, frozen jackfruit, coconut truffles, soup, yuca fries, and much more.

One of the most memorable experiences was trying miracle fruit. After licking a lime, they ate a miracle berry and then tried the lime again.

“It was sweet! No sour at all,” Sara says. “It was a cool experience.”

The excursion cost $40 per person, and Sara says she would “100%” do it again.

Their second adventure was a private island hopping and snorkeling trip with their guide, Eddy. They saw dolphins, cayman, and sloths in the mangroves, including a mother with a baby on her belly. They even watched a male three-toed sloth climb down the mangroves right in front of them.

After snorkeling among rainbow parrotfish and coral, they visited Cayo Zapatilla 2, a national park island, where they relaxed on the beach and explored the island.

Then came one of Sara's favorite discoveries: starfish.

“I've never seen a starfish before and there were more than we could count!” she says.

They spotted thick orange starfish in several shades, small red ones, and even a six-armed starfish. She also saw a cowfish.

And then there was the stingray.

While heading toward Cayo Zapatilla, Sara saw a stingray leap completely out of the water. They also saw stingrays and nurse sharks near their bungalow.

For Sara, though, the most memorable part of the entire vacation was not an excursion. It was being taken care of.

“I have NEVER felt so taken care of on a trip, at a hotel, etc.,” she says.

Jen handled their transportation, restaurant reservations, communication with Sol Bungalows, and even provided an app with their itinerary and ideas for additional activities.

“It was nice that someone else had taken care of the logistics, and it didn't have to live in my head!” Sara says.

Once they arrived, Kiki, the manager at Sol Bungalows, continued to make things easy by helping with restaurant reservations, excursions, beach cabanas, and anything else they needed.

“I could trust her! Which doesn't come easy for me,” Sara says. “If I could take her on all my vacations, I would! I was way overdue for someone to take care of me for once.”

Of course, there were a few challenges. The biggest one for Sara was the bugs.

“I'm a bug magnet!” she says.

The bungalows provided bug smoker disks, and Sara used a coconut oil mixture to keep the bugs from landing on her legs.

The boat taxis also took a little getting used to. Because the water is shallow, the boats have to be shallow too, which makes for a somewhat bumpy ride. Thankfully, the trips to neighboring islands only take about five to 10 minutes, and even with her tendency toward motion sickness, Sara did just fine.

Sol Bungalows also does not have air conditioning, relying on open windows, ocean breezes, and ceiling fans. Sara says it took some adjusting, but they quickly acclimated to the island's natural temperature.

Despite those small inconveniences, the Canarys would absolutely return.

Their advice for anyone considering Bocas del Toro is simple: Do it if you love an adventure.

Getting there takes three airplanes, but Sara says the friendly people, vibrant culture, incredible food, and unforgettable experiences make it worthwhile.

And then there is the chocolate.

“This was the 9th country I've visited, so I can say this for certain,” Sara says. “They have the BEST CHOCOLATE we've ever had!”

The couple visited chocolate shops in Panama City, including I Love Panama Chocolate and Museo Casa Coronel del Cacao y del Chocolate. They even discovered some of their favorite chocolate at the airport from Republica del Cacao.

Sara's final recommendation?

“If you go, get me a mango chocolate bar, please!!!!”

That sounds like a pretty good excuse for a return trip.