5* to the amazing crew who looked after us on the Amande 1 from Panama to Columbia. The islands were spectacular - like something off a postcard of how you’d imagine paradise. However two things somewhat affected our enjoyment of the trip. There were 14 guests onboard and 3 crew. The crew don’t have a cabin so slept in the common area which meant that we couldn’t socialise or hang out outside our cabins in the evenings so as not to wake the chef who was sleeping on the sofa in the main living area. This was frustrating especially on the first evenings when we had to go to bed at 9pm, as well as on the last two days when everyone (and I mean 10/14!) were all very sea sick but there literally wasn’t enough space for everyone to sit on deck to get some fresh air. I wasn’t expecting a party boat but having to be quiet and go to our cabins early each evening was a real mood kill. The girls sleeping in the 3 person cabins described their beds as like sleeping in a “coffin” so something to bare in mind if you’re tall or a bit broad and booking ones of those. The second thing was the insistence on paying in cash. I had to pay $720 for my spot in the private ensuite and another $60 for transport to El Porvenir. I felt very uncomfortable carrying that much cash, maxed out my ATM withdrawal allowance and racked up £40 in fees from my bank. Those issues aside I had great time and would recommend the trip to others if there were fewer people on board and everyone had a cabin!

We had an absolutely fantastic trip with Amande 1. Captain Humberto, his wife and mate Federico did everything they could to make our trip from Panama to Colombia go as it should. There was good food, the crew ensured a good atmosphere and not least that we all got safely through the Caribbean Sea. We couldn't recommend Amande 1, Humberto and Federico more!

Amazing trip on Amande 1 - really recommend. Highlight of our trip. San Blas islands are truly paradise. Great organisation from both the blue sailing team and crew onboard the sailing boat.