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El Nido Pangulasian Island Resort

El Nido Pangulasian Island Resort

El Nido, The Philippines

El Nido Pangulasian Island Resort is a beautiful property with fantastic modern facilities to enrich the desert island experience. The resort sits on an impossibly pretty white sand beach that is backed by tropical jungle, and the thatched buildings blend into the surroundings. The grounds are home to a plethora of interesting wildlife, from macaques and monitor lizards to hornbills.

Service is friendly and, with only 42 villas, very personal. A wide range of activities are offered to keep guests entertained, with water activities a focus here. Guests can explore the stunning marine setting and nearby attractions through non-motorized water sports such as snorkeling, kayaking, diving and wind surfing.

OUR OPINION:

This luxurious resort has been thoughtfully constructed in a paradise island location, making it a great choice in the Philippines. It's not the easiest resort to get to and is quite a long trip, but we think it's definitely worth it.

OUR RATING: Deluxe

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Rooms

The villas, while sharing the same tasteful decor, are situated at different locations throughout the resort's grounds and have contemporary Filipino architecture. Canopy villas are perched on stilts 15 to 18 meters above the forest, offering magnificent views of the foliage and the turquoise sea beyond. These villas may not be suitable for those with mobility issues due to the steps used to reach them. Beach villas are, unsurprisingly, situated right on the beach, as well as being close to the resort's central amenities, while pool villas each have a 22 square meter private pool connected to the balcony and are set in a more secluded, peaceful location, offering stunning views of Bacuit Bay. There are also a cluster of four kalaw villas set in a secluded cove, which between them share a 22 square meter pool and a sala that can be used for intimate dinners and social gatherings. Each one is able to accommodate three adults or two adults and one child. All villas are beautiful inside, featuring large king-size beds, sofas, spacious verandas with day beds and huge en suite bathrooms with rain showers.

Location

Pangulasian Island is set in Bacuit Bay, close to the El Nido Resorts' other stunning properties on Miniloc Island and Lagen Island. It has an impressive 750-meter stretch of white sandy beach overlooking crystal waters and sits against a beautiful backdrop of limestone forests.

This is a remote resort, but everything you need is on site. Access to El Nido is from Manila via chartered flights. The flight time is around one hour and luggage allowance is ten kilograms per person, including hand baggage. Excess luggage will be charged at approximately £1 per kilogram and loading of excess luggage is subject to space availability and aircraft load capacity. If the flight doesn't have capacity for excess luggage, it will be sent on to the resort via the next available flight. We recommend taking small, light luggage for your time at this resort; however, you can leave luggage in Manila — if you are interested in this, please speak to your specialist.

Upon arrival at the airport near El Nido town, guests are taken on the short transfer by the resort's own jeepney to the jetty, where they will board the boat for the 30-minute journey across to Pangulasian Island.

Food and drink

The resort has one restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, while light meals can be enjoyed at the pool bar. The resort has a number of sustainable menus and uses organically grown produce from the island's gardens in its gourmet dishes.

It is also possible to dine in a number of beautiful spots on the beach or nearby islands, including private dining on the sandbar or a picnic lunch at the beach club. There is also an option to have cocktails on a raft inside a stunning nearby lagoon.

Families

The resort certainly suits family vacations as there is such a vast array of things to keep family members of all ages occupied. However, due to the island location, most activities involve water or at least boarding boats to get to other locations, so it would best suit children who are happy around water.

Facilities and activities

The El Nido area is perfect for relaxation as well as admiring the natural environment. However, for anyone who gets bored with lying on a beach, El Nido has plenty of activities available.

In line with the resort's commitment to environmental preservation, all water sports are non-motorized and include diving and snorkeling, as well as sailing, wind surfing, kayaking and paddle boarding. Activities can be planned the night before with an activity coordinator, to ensure you get the most out of your time.

For those looking to stay closer to the resort, there is a well-equipped gym, a saltwater infinity pool and a spa offering a variety of Asian, European and tropical treatments.

The 45 islands and islets of El Nido and the surrounding sea present endless opportunities for adventure and nature appreciation.

Just minutes away are several natural attractions, including Cathedral Cave, Cudugnon Cave, Snake Island, and the Big and Small Lagoons. Guests can join any of the guided eco tours to explore these fascinating sites. A checklist is provided to all guests to monitor and record any wildlife seen.

You can also hike to a lookout point high up on the island to watch the sunrise or sunset — the resort is the only one on the island that offers this.

El Nido has more than 20 diving sites, all easily accessible from Pangulasian Island.

Environmental and social responsibility

The owners of the El Nido resorts, Ten Knots Development Corporation, are very concerned with ensuring that the natural beauty of the area is maintained both above and below the water. They have received awards for a raft of initiatives they are involved in, especially regarding the environmental and social sides of responsible tourism.

Local excursions

The 45 islands and islets of El Nido and the surrounding sea present endless opportunities for adventure and nature appreciation.

Just minutes away are several natural attractions, including Cathedral Cave, Cudugnon Cave, Snake Island, and the Big and Small Lagoons. Guests can join any of the guided eco-tours to explore these fascinating sites. An eco-checklist is provided to all guests to monitor and record any wildlife seen.

You can also hike to a lookout point high up on the island to watch the sunrise or sunset, with the resort being the only one on the island offering this. 

Diving

El Nido has more than 20 diving sites, all easily accessible from Pangulasian Island.

There is a PADI five-star dive center with a complete line of diving equipment which offers a variety of dive courses. Visibility is generally good, with an average of 10 to 30 meters in the summer months of March until May.

Spa Facilities

Signature massages are available at the spa center or in your guest room.

Location & places nearby

Places & hotels on the map

    Alternative places to stay nearby

    Where possible, we like to offer a range of accommodation for each stop of your trip, chosen by our specialists as some of their favorite places to stay. To help you make the right choice, we give each property a rating based on its facilities and service, but we also look for hotels with distinct character or a location that can't be bettered.

    El Nido and nearby places