The Orchids Resort Boracay

We’ve been here for four months. There are four separate two-storey villas of about 60 square metres each, with two balconies, a furnished kitchen, air conditioning, and hot water. They also have individual native air-conditioned cottages. The resort needs to improve several things. Towels need attention, the bed mat should be replaced because it’s full of bedbugs, and the kitchen needs better utensils, especially casseroles. The aluminium is coming away into the food while cooking, which is dangerous. Staff training and organisation are lacking, and the four villas need many repairs and investment. Faucets leak, the ceiling leaks, the very old, worn refrigerator doesn’t work properly, garbage isn’t collected regularly, water supply is a problem twice a day, and the surroundings aren’t very clean.

Location note: near Station 3, before Angol Rd., next to Moreno's Cottages. This is a lovely quiet nook, with a pathway to a basil garden among bamboo cottages and rooms. The staff are helpful and the owner is nice, and the kitchen is good to use. There’s no cable TV, but you probably shouldn’t stay here if you want HBO :) I stayed in a cottage and spent mornings lounging in the hammocks on our modest balcony, looking over the garden. If swinging makes you seasick, you can read on the bamboo sofas and chair instead.

I loved the privacy and quiet here, so I’d still give it a 10 out of 10. I’m in my 30s, a bit introverted, and hate crowded, noisy places. The villa has a really comfy bed, a safe lock, a hot and cold shower, a 24/7 generator, and a full kitchen for cooking. It’s two floors, with the bedroom on the first floor. There are sari sari stores nearby, friendly and helpful staff, and white beach is less than five minutes away. The main drawback is the walk uphill from reception. It’s more than 20 wide steps to the villa, which was hard for my grandma every time we returned. She had to stop every five steps to catch her breath, though going down was easy. I wouldn’t recommend it for elderly guests. It should be fine for kids, teens, and adults 40 and under. It’s also quite dark at night, with only a few lights on the stairs to the villa, which felt a little scary when alone.

The villa was lovely and comfortable, and the beach was only a few minutes away on foot. We could use the kitchen to save money, though we usually chose to try different restaurants. We spent our days exploring Bora, which was amazing. I’d definitely come back.