Pangulatan Beach Resort

The place is beautiful, but it isn't well maintained, and getting there was scary, especially arriving at night in such a remote area of trees and mountains. We went there to relax but ended up with more problems. We booked a package based on their recommendations, yet some of it wasn't provided, and we waited for hours at the airport. The rooms weren't comfortable or clean. When it rained, water came into the room, and the AC couldn't cool the whole space. There were only a limited number of electric fans. If you're thinking of booking this resort, think it over three times, not just twice.

The staff were friendly, but when we arrived they didn't know a guest was coming. The pictures on the site looked old, and the guest house or villa was dirty and poorly maintained, in need of renovation. I don't understand why the owner keeps accepting guests. We booked four nights but stayed only one before moving to El Nido. The place isn't really in the El Nido area and is far from everything. Transportation cost three times more, and I couldn't get my money back. I regret not reading reviews before booking, but what's done is done.

We came for the very cheap tent and would have stayed longer. It's a lovely location and the staff are friendly, but once you're there you're stuck buying their food. Each meal cost three times what we paid for the accommodation, which felt overpriced. When we left, we were also surprised that the pickup van cost 250 pesos.

The view by the beach was the one good thing. We booked five nights and six days, but left three hours after arriving. Seriously, book somewhere else. My dad, sister, and I reserved a family bungalow that could sleep up to ten because it was the only room available. We told them at booking that only three of us would come and kept reminding them before the trip. Still, they insisted they'd thought we were bringing ten people. We later found out that this had affected the transport price. The bungalow was shocking. It was outdated and short on furniture, with no sofa in the living room, so the dining area was the only place to hang out. There were no utensils or toiletries. The toilet wouldn't flush properly, so we had to use a pail. The tap water turned dirty after a few seconds, and there was no toilet seat. The AC had no cover, and dust was coming out of the machine. There was substantial mold on the bathroom ceiling. A lot of these issues weren't mentioned in the listing, and we wondered how a place in this condition could be approved for guests. It's about a 1 hour and 40 minute drive on very bumpy, gravelly roads. Transport cost P4000 each way, P8000 total, which could have gone toward accommodation near the airport, possibly a 4 or 5 star hotel. The website hadn't mentioned the transport price. When we raised this with Jake, the manager, he said it would have been cheaper with a shared van. But no one else was going there, and we'd repeatedly told them there would be just three of us. We also felt they made up that price when we arrived because they knew we weren't from the Philippines. The place is secluded and far from everything. Finding a tour nearby would be hard, since most are in El Nido town centre, 1 hour and 40 minutes away. There's no local grocery store, pharmacy, or restaurant close by. If you want to get your money's worth and actually enjoy El Nido, I'd stay somewhere else. Everyone has different expectations, but read the reviews on Google and Booking dot com. I confirmed some of what other guests had reported.