Melo Villareal
Bacau Bay Resort Coron Review
If you have been to Coron, then you would know that there’s something about the island that makes you want to stay longer. With the enthralling beauty of Northern Palawan’s Coron Island, it’s no wonder why it is called the Philippines’ “last ecological frontier.” Its white-sand beaches and crystal-clear waters never fail to attract travelers from around the world to savor this paradise.
During my recent Coron Trip, I was fortunate enough to experience distinct ecotourism at the Bacau Bay Resort (hotel info), a luxurious property located 35 minutes away from the Busuanga Airport, and five minutes away from the town proper.
Along with fellow travel writers, we recently visited Bacau Bay Resort for a 3D2N staycation to experience Coron’s newest resort.
Arrival Experience
Upon arrival at the airport, a resort staff holding a placard welcomed us and lead us to our respective vans. They were genial enough to have assisted us with our luggage. After a 30-minute swift ride, we finally reached the resort.
The lobby has a very welcoming ambiance – bringing a feeling of like entering a family vacation house. The amazing view of the swimming pool and vast mangrove from afar made it even more relaxing.
We were also offered a lemon ginger welcome drink which was perfect for the humid weather. We also felt the warm welcome as we met and exchanged pleasantries with GM Gilbert.
As we get our room key cards, other staff are preparing our luggage to be delivered to our rooms. Overall, the check-in process was seamless – a great start for our 3-day getaway.
Rooms
The 4-star resort is filled with many surprises, recreational activities, and luxurious rooms which I and the rest of the group get to experience. I stayed in Room 322, and the overall appeal was very much impressive.
I just want you to know that there’s no elevator but I’m completely OK with it.
As per my room, it has a perfectly working air-condition with individual room temperature control, an LED television set, and a digital alarm clock with Bluetooth speaker (which is a need in case I wanted to get some work done and listen to new song releases at the same time).
They also provide complimentary drinking water, but instead of providing bottled water, the hotel has made use of refillable glass containers to reduce plastic waste. I also enjoyed the mini bar, the espresso machine, and tea making facility.
My room has a spacious bathroom with a rain shower, a shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel in refillable ceramic containers, which is admirable to think of an eco-friendly substitute to help the environment. Slippers and bathrobes are also provided.
To ensure security, they also provide a Safety deposit box in each room. What I loved about the room is the balcony extension where I was able to experience a fantastic view of the pool, the jetty port, mangrove, and other islands. It’s also a perfect place to watch the sunset.
Overall, the Bacau Bay Resort Coron features 64 Deluxe Rooms, 15 Premier Suites, and a Presidential Suite. All these rooms are designed with a hybrid of modern luxury and a combination of local crafts from classical rattan and a wooden headboard.
Food
No vacation is ever complete without food, of course. Here at Bacau, guests can enjoy daily continental breakfast while the on-site restaurant, Amihan, also serves international specialties. In-room dining may also be arranged.
Both the in-house restaurants; Amihan Restaurant and Pugon Café are known not only for distinct dining but is also loved because of their amazing regional dishes that put a spotlight on locally-sourced ingredients. I highly suggest you try their Chef’s menu – one of the best experiences on the island, and then some Italian fare at Pugon Café.
For breakfast, don’t miss out on their local delicacies like Danggit Lamayo, If you like Cebu’s Danggit, you should try Lamayo first and thank me later.
For appetizers, I highly recommend for you to try their Baked Kibao, salt and pepper crispy samaral, sisig cups, and tanigue ceviche duet and their selection of Pizza and pasta.
For the main course, some of the food worth sampling is their Hainanese Chicken rice, Sinigang na Bagnet, Grilled Tanigue with Garlic Calamansi and butter sauce, Lechong Tyan ng Baboy sa Kamias and Tanglad, Pinais na Tanigue sa Malunggay at Gata.
And finally, for dessert, everything is actually good but don’t you miss out on their Mango Surprise.
There’s also the Isla Pool Bar or at the Serena Pier Bar if you want to sip some unique wines and spirits while having a fantastic view of the while pleasant conversations and merrymaking fill the air.
Resort Facilities
There’s something with sustainably-minded hotels and resorts that is truly captivating and inspiring. Bacau Bay, boasting 1.5 hectares of open green space and majestic mangrove plantation, also offers its guests a number of recreational pursuits for land and water lovers. So, whether you’re traveling alone, with a friend, or with the whole family, you will surely find an activity you can enjoy.
After an exhilarating day of recreation, you can visit the Alon Spa – rejuvenate and revitalize your tired bodies with tranquilizing massages, and choose from their wide array of nature-based services using organic earth-to-spa elements. Take note that they’re open from 11:00am until 12:00mn. You can also head over to one of their huge swimming pools, open from 6 AM to 10 PM, all with varying depths. The round children’s swimming pool has a 2 ft. depth ideal for kids.
And speaking of kids, if you’re traveling with your special ones, they also have a Palaruan – an activity center for kids.
If you feel that you had too much food and want to burn out those calories, Bacau Bay Resort Coron also has a mini gym completed with only quality equipment.
However, if you’re planning on a special event, the resort also has the perfect venue to cater to all types of events. The Culion ballroom and Malcapuya meeting room are perfect for seminars and conferences.
Island Hopping and Land Tours
Adventure awaits here at Bacau Bay Resort Coron. Aside from the admirable hospitality and services they offer inside the resort, they also provide visitors tour packages around Coron as part of economic and socio-cultural programs.
If you are a diver who wants to discover the underwater wonders of Coron, you can easily book your dive trips at the resort.
Other options would be riding from the Bacau Bay Resort Coron’s exclusive jetty port en route to Kayangan Lake, dubbed the ‘cleanest lake in the Philippines.’ It’s also one of the most photographed spots in Coron, is made up of both salt and fresh water, and is home to different marine species.
Guests can also visit the Twin Lagoon, one of Coron Island’s must-see destinations – which offers two breathtaking shallow saltwater bays for great swimming opportunities. Visitors can snorkel 10-15 feet deep to see the Skeleton Wreck – which is believed to be an ancient shipwreck now encrusted by corals – or spend time in the Coral Gardens where they can marvel at some of the most beautiful natural coral reef systems in the world.
Tourists can also explore Coron’s Paca Island through Bacau Bay Resort Coron’s jetty port. But of course, no island hopping is ever complete without having to enjoy some seafood lunch at the cabanas.
Departure
Just like the check-in process, departure is equally seamless. They assisted us on our luggage and brought us to the airport providing enough time to check-in our bags and relax while waiting for an early afternoon flight.
With the available time, we were still available to check out some pasalubong and take pictures. It felt like the staff makes everything as breezy as possible for their guests, which I loved most.
Overall Review
Traveling gives us the experience of freedom we’ve never felt before. This is exactly the feeling every time I visit Coron. With the abundance of recreational activities and the picturesque views of the sea and the limestone cliffs – being here is the reward itself.
It’s pretty amazing how involved the resort is when it comes to environmental conservation and sustainable tourism, which hopefully some resorts would practice as well.
Add the warm service of Bacau Bay Resort’s staff, and the top-notch facilities perfect for the whole family, there’s no place you’d rather be than here at Bacau Bay Resort in Coron.
For more information about Bacau Bay Resort Coron (check rates), visit www.bacaubayresortcoron.com or email at [email protected].
Searching for best hotels and affordable flights? Check out our complete list of affordable hotels and resorts via Agoda or you may also see available Airbnb properties in the city.
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