Bugnaw Si-e Beach Resort

The rooms were comfortably fitted out with what we needed, and room service was fantastic. The front desk helped with room service and answered our questions. Everyone was great with us, from the security guards at the entrance to the waiters in the dining building who helped with all our needs. This is a special resort, and I hope it’s found only by people who are really looking for that magical Anda/Bohol experience ✨️

The private beach feels like heaven, a short walk from the neighboring public beach. The public beach gets very busy on Saturdays and Sundays, and the karaoke was surprisingly bad this trip. Usually the talent in the Philippines is amazing, but not this time! I’d come back on a weekday to relax and snorkel.

Our stay at Bugnaw Si-e Beach Resort was lovely at first. From October 31 to November 3, we enjoyed the peaceful setting, good food, accommodating staff, and the resort’s cleanliness and hospitality. The final night was harder: some noisy guests kept us from sleeping well before checkout. We know that wasn’t completely the resort’s fault, but it affected our rest. The tour we booked through the resort was the biggest disappointment. We paid ₱5,000 expecting a van, but a small car arrived, and nobody had told us. We wanted a van for comfort; if we’d known, we could have booked elsewhere ourselves. Beforehand, my mother had told reception we wanted to see the Chocolate Hills, maybe the Loboc River depending on the weather and the incoming typhoon, then Mirror of the World as the last stop before being dropped in Buenavista, where we were heading north. As soon as my mom spoke to the driver, he said Mirror of the World was too far south, almost dismissively, even though it was part of the plan discussed at reception. His attitude felt negative from then on. He didn’t explain the itinerary or tell us where we were going, just started driving toward Chocolate Hills. The weather got worse when we arrived, so we couldn’t go up to the viewing deck, which we understood. We hoped to find a nice lunch spot instead, but he didn’t know any local places or suggest one. He seemed lost, and we had to find a restaurant nearby ourselves. After lunch we had to keep asking what was next and what we could see nearby. He wasn’t proactive. We eventually went south to Bohol Enchanted, the only proper stop we actually enjoyed. Staff there said the tarsier sanctuary was closed because of the weather, so we figured we’d skip it and go to the Man-Made Forest. Instead, the driver headed back up toward Chocolate Hills, saying maybe the tarsier place might be open. I checked Google Maps and it wasn’t even in that direction. We drove around seeing Chocolate Hills again. It was still lovely, but we were tired and the day felt like it was going nowhere. Then he suddenly remembered the Man-Made Forest and drove south again. The route was messy and inefficient, with long drives back and forth and no clear plan. He never checked what we wanted to do next or asked whether we still wanted to continue. It felt like he wasn’t listening or didn’t care. With the weather worsening and the mood off, I started to feel unsafe. I texted my mother, who was in the back seat, that maybe we should end the tour because the driver didn’t seem to know what he was doing. We cut it short and asked to be dropped off at Buenavista. We got there safely, thankfully, but it was still a very poor experience. We called the resort afterward and were told they’d get back to us, but they never did. It’s a shame the tour left such a bad impression after a wonderful start to our stay. We hope the resort vets third-party tour operators better so other guests don’t go through the same thing. That was 5K down the drain for such an unpleasant experience. We still really appreciated the resort’s hospitality, food, and cleanliness.

We went in the non-peak season, so it felt especially peaceful and private. There’s fine white sand along both the private and public beach, a clean infinity pool, and a majestic view. The Filipino food was nice, a bit pricey but worth it. The access road is paved cement, and there’s parking, a conference room, a smoking area, and hot showers. They also take day visitors for trips with cottage rental. Highly recommend for a relaxing escape!