Pangulasian, El Nido

We were a family of 4 adults (parents and daughters) and we stayed in 2 separate beach villas. ||At the check in we have been told that the two villas are not going to be next to each other. They are actually going to be far from one another. After complaining we got the two rooms next to each other. ||Also, we have been told by the dive master that we will not be able to dive for at least the first 2-3 days because they don’t have enough staff. I have been in touch with the hotel reservations for almost 8 months and in none of the correspondence I have been told to book the dives in advance. Luckily the resort go us an excellent dive master from El Nido. He (Larry Tonia) saved our trip and made it unforgettable. ||Re the dive boats, they were not built for diving. The boats are actually extremely unsafe for divers. If you need more information and details about this matter, please free to contact me. ||The villas were excellent, very spacious, lots of complimentary toiletry, 2 A/C’s, ample closet space, etc. Housekeeping and ground keeping were beyond excellent. ||The bar on the ground level and the restaurant in the upper level were amazing. The food was excellent and fresh. They accommodate our dietary restrictions every time. The service was in both places was beyond outstanding. Special thanks to Joy, Max, Nors, and everyone else.

At the end of December, I spent three wonderful nights at Pangulasian, and I can honestly say it was an incredible experience from start to finish. From the moment you arrive at the small El Nido airport, the resort team takes complete care of you: you are escorted to the speedboat boarding area via the comfortable lounge at Lio Beach, and in no time you arrive at the small, magical private island of Pangulasian.|The staff welcomes you with a heartfelt “welcome home,” and at that very moment you truly wish it could become your home. The resort is intimate and elegant, yet it retains a “wild” vibe thanks to its location, surrounded by the lush tropical nature that only the Philippines can offer, complete with small monkeys and harmless monitor lizards. The villas are enormous, spread between the beach and the forest, spotlessly clean and equipped with everything one could possibly want, including a Dyson hair dryer. Filtered drinking water in bottles is always readily available.|Make sure not to miss the activities included in your stay at Pangulasian, from the hike to the top of the island (the views over the surrounding landscape are absolutely breathtaking and well worth the effort) to the boat excursions. We visited the Big Lagoon before the arrival of other tourists, and it was wonderful to enjoy such places without noisy crowds. The resort offers excursions to all the main attractions in the area, and I highly recommend taking advantage of them. Even at the Secret Lagoon we were completely alone, truly incredible.|The main pool is beautiful, and its bar serves excellent cocktails and snacks; it’s also the perfect spot to enjoy stunning sunsets. We stayed on a full-board basis and always ate very well at the main restaurant. If I may offer just one small note regarding the food (together with the booking process, which was not the easiest - these are truly the only minor points, as everything else was perfect): I would have appreciated a wider selection of fresh fruit at breakfast and a bit more variety on the restaurant menu, perhaps with daily specials to keep things from becoming repetitive over time. That said, everything was delicious and of excellent quality.|Finally, a special mention goes to the staff: they are all exceptional! Professional, helpful, always smiling, and genuinely attentive to guests’ needs. I must admit I was quite emotional at the time of departure, when some of the staff bid us farewell with music.|I would wholeheartedly recommend Pangulasian to anyone. Not cheap but so worth it. Not even the December rain managed to dampen my mood, and I loved every single minute spent on this island. |Thank you for everything, I’d be back in a heartbeat!

Pangulasian Island Resort exceeded our expectations 100%. We truly have no words to describe how wonderful everything was. We had the honeymoon of our dreams, and it honestly could not have been more perfect. The island where the resort is located is absolutely breathtaking and feels like a dream. All the activities were very well organized, and the staff was incredibly kind, attentive, and always ready to help. Our villa was beautiful and extremely comfortable, and the food was simply exquisite. Everything was a 10 out of 10. We truly hope to come back one day.

We had a wonderful time at this island. The staff were all very friendly and made sure we were well taken care of. The quality and the taste of the food offered is top-notch. The beauty of the islands, the beach, the lagoons, the people, you can't find it anywhere else in the world!

beautiful resort, which felt like a dream island. It's highly recommended for couples, with professional and friendly staff and great tours. However, it's best for shorter stays due to limited nighttime activities and the isolated island location. Be cautious of jellyfish season in the hot summer months. I would definitely go there again if the prices are reasonable.

I stayed at Pangulasian Island Resort in March 2025 following a private four-day catamaran cruise. Given the price point of over PHP 60,000 per night, expectations were naturally very high. Unfortunately, we were profoundly disappointed. While many of the staff members were polite, it was evident that a large portion lacked the level of training and experience one would expect at a property in this price category. Courtesy and friendliness alone are not sufficient to compensate for significant operational shortcomings. At the pool, guests were required to walk to the bar each time they wished to order something, as staff stationed there appeared more engaged in conversation among themselves than attentive to guests. In addition, the pool was consistently filled with leaves due to the surrounding vegetation. Cleaning appeared sporadic at best, and it was common to find leaves, insects, and other natural debris in the water while swimming. The activities offered were acceptable, though significantly overpriced. At the same time, we heard repeated concerns regarding the very low compensation of the guides responsible for these experiences. It raises a legitimate question as to why a resort at this price level cannot ensure appropriate remuneration for its staff. One cannot help but wonder whether shareholder value is prioritized over employee welfare. Most concerning, however, was the food and beverage experience. As the resort is located on a private island, guests have no alternative dining options. Despite this, numerous items on the dinner menu were unavailable for several consecutive days. The overall quality of the food served was simply not up to the expected standard. Breakfast was the only meal that met acceptable expectations and was nicely presented. Considering that multiple daily flights arrive from Luzon to El Nido, with guests subsequently transferred by speedboat to the resort, it is difficult to understand why missing fresh ingredients cannot be flown in regularly. After paying a substantial nightly rate, being told “sorry, not available today” repeatedly over several days becomes increasingly frustrating and unacceptable. Additionally, I had to inform the hotel about visible trash on the property, including empty paint buckets and similar debris left lying around. The underwater world directly in front of the resort is undeniably beautiful. However, comparable marine experiences can be found elsewhere in the Philippines at a significantly lower cost. Overall, this stay did not justify the premium pricing and fell far short of the standards one would reasonably expect. In conclusion, I would not recommend booking this property, as the price–value ratio is simply not justified. Particularly for international travelers who have access to outstanding five-star beach resorts in other countries (ID, TH, VN etc), there are far better options offering significantly higher standards of service, dining, and overall experience for a similar or even lower budget. Unfortunately, this stay reinforced the impression that there is a broader issue with price-to-performance ratios at luxury beach resorts in the Philippines.

Unbelievable place. We stayed here instead for 4 nights after our Miniloc booking was cancelled due to the typhoon damage. We couldn’t have asked for anything more!! The service, food, tours, snorkelling, beach, villa and everything else on the island far exceeded our expectations. We loved our stay in paradise!

We loved this resort so much it felt like home. When we docked at first we were given leaf necklaces and cold towels followed by drinks. The views were incredible and unbelievable as they were super pretty. For dinner the restaurant had a table especially for us that we would sit at for all the meals that we were there for. The tours were also very informative and pretty, our guide, Ryan, gave us good details to every stop and lugged us around during kayaking. The meals were amazing and the service there was amazing as well. On the beach there was paddle boards, kayaks, and snorkeling gear that were able to be borrowed which we did on the last day. All of the staff who helped along the way were 5 starred people, our waitresses and waiters, such as Wendell, the housekeeping who left little notes each day, and the drivers of the buggies that helped us get to our villas at the end of the road. When we left to go to our next hotel we loved Pangulasian so much some of us teared up at the sight of the lobby that we somehow knew so well in such short time.

The first time I saw a picture of El Nido, Pawalan was when I was a kid and I remember thinking, "What a magical place." Definitely lived up to my hopes and expectations. Exceeded it tremendously. El Nido is a sleepy town in Palawan. El Nido Resorts is a company that owns 4 islands - Lagen, Miniloc, Pangulasian and Apulit - off the coast. Filipino designs with a modern twist resorts, wonderful people, and just beautiful, beautiful surroundings. There are several flights going in and out of El Nido from Manila. Then you have a 30 - 45 min travel by speedboat to the islands. You are greeted and handed leis and refreshing drinks after disembarking. Then they give an orientation to make sure the guests are aware of the do's and dont's when out and about since there are several parts of the island and surrounding area that are under marine life protection. There are a lot of animals you'll encounter on the island - monkeys, monitor lizards, etc - that guests are not allowed to feed so as not to disrupt their natural diet. Accommodations The island we stayed in is Pangulasian. It has a total of 40 villas. * Beach villa where your door leads straight to the beach * Canopy villa, where you have the gorgeous view of the ocean over the treetops * Pool villa; you have a pool outside your door, right before the beach Activities * The resort offers a lot of activities for free - snorkeling, kayaking, guided tours and hikes. * Dives are PHP6000 per person which is around $120 right now. * Gym is overlooking the beautiful canopy. But seriously, who works out whileon vacation? -crickets- I guess I'm the only one who doesn't. * Massages and spa services are available with a 24 hour request notification Food * Breakfast is from 6 AM - 9 AM; buffet style and mostly filipino dishes. Hint: you'll never go wrong with garlic rice, eggs, and tocino. So yums. * The pool bar offers more Western food if traditional Filipino dishes aren't your thing. Service * Zero complaints. Special shoutout to Martin who was so helpful. Also to Pau, Garcia, Glen (dive guide) and Eugene (dive guide). The pictures don't give this place justice. It's just a place you need to see for yourself. Perfect for wedding destinations, honeymoons, babymoons, whatever excuse you want to use just to see this slice of paradise.

El Nido resorts is a representation of all that is good about the Philippines and Filipinos. When we say 'It's more fun in the Philippines,' this is exactly what we mean. Our collective imagination is a reality here. Pristine, isolated beaches, teeming protected wildlife, smiling people. In short--Paradise. In all my years of growing up in the heart of Manila, I never knew these places really existed. We stayed at Miniloc Island, in an overwater bungalow. We had a two story hut for a family of 4. Our two girls stayed upstairs in twin beds, and we had a comfortable king sized bed downstairs. We were welcomed by song and dance. Activities were planned, no fuss and relaxed. We were taken to all the different sights, island resorts during our 3 night stay. Food was buffet style for breakfast, lunch, dinner. They made sure you ate like a royal even while you were in their other islands. I could not believe that they served us an entire buffet lunch in one of the little islands, even if there was just 10 of us total. We also had a private dinner at one of the lagoons, to celebrate my daughter's birthday. Overall, this experience was what my youngest termed 'legendary.' One I will dream of coming back to, until my return.

This is the worst hotel that I've ever stayed in. My cell phone was taken from my villa and sold on the black market. I tracked it to a high school in Manila near the marina port. When you spend over a $1,000 a night on a 5 star room, you expect to not get your shit stolen. The room also didn't have running water in the shower, the air conditioner didn't work, the wifi didn't work and the room telephone broke. And every time I talked to the staff or manager all they said was YES, MAM! Very, very, underwhelmed. Do not stay here.