I stayed at Iris Island in early March - this is a great time to visit as the weather is very good and mosquitoes negligible. I had a very hard 6 months at work, and in some senses several hard years really, and I was looking for a place that was off the beaten track and would allow me to get back in touch with my old self. The island really provided the perfect place to do this and I would highly recommend it to people who are looking for an authentic experience. Jana and Frank have invested much in this place and its spirit of contemplative renewal and unique character are "5 star" in nature even if the actual "physical" rating might be lower.... if you are after the 5-star air conditioned ultra-modern resort, this may not be for you, but for most people who actually appreciate an authentic and down to earth experience in a unique natural environment (with what I think is one of the best reefs in the area, perfect for snorkeling!) then this might be for you.…
My partner and I stayed at Iris Island Resort at the very end of our holiday in the Philippines and it was nothing short of perfect. At home, I am utterly hopeless at relaxing. On Iris Island, I completely unwound in a matter of hours to enjoy its peace and beauty for five unforgettable nights. The views of the open water and neighbouring islands are post card perfect from any point on the island. The coral reef is even more beautiful than other reviews had described. I have never seen a reef so pristine and full of life. It was incredible to hop in the water whenever I pleased, only to be surrounded by marine life. We enjoyed a half day trip and a scuba diving trip organised by the hotel, both of which were fantastic. We used the hotel's sea kayak to explore the surrounding area. The water was completely still, which made it possible for a novice like me to explore for hours with no one else on the water. I also indulged in a massage on the island, which was the best I have ever had. Jana, Frank and their team are fantastic. They manage to strike the balance between attentive whilst still giving their guests space to relax in peace. We were so well fed and cared for that I didn't want to leave. They are proud of what they have created, as they should be! I cannot thank them enough for sharing their little piece of paradise with us.…
Both me and my partner love nature and travelling and we both work as botanics with an interest in ecology and preserving our planet. We would recommend Iris Island Eco Resort for everyone who is looking for a peaceful vacation in harmony with nature, far away from busy city lifestyle or overcrowded hotels. There is minimal production of rubbish on the island, no plastic packaging, both drinking and non-drinking water originates from a neighbouring island. The energy is used from solar panels and they used them to heat water as well. Some of their food (eg bread or pastry) is actually baked in the sun. They have dry toilets in every island house, which worked very well with. The houses have rooftops from bamboo and local grass and they have a very romantic design with a beautiful ocean view. The owners Frank and Jana have build this resort with love and they have wonderful staff working on the island as well. The resort is quiet, small, you can take beach strolls and walk around the whole island. You can explore the underwater sea life or you can visit the neighbouring islands with a boat. You can practice yoga or other sport activities. Thank you Frank and Jana for this wonderful experience on this amazing hidden gem-of-an-island, Alena and Vitek from Czech Republic…
Before I start, I will quantify that I am a Travel Planner that traveled up to 3 months a year in search of the most authentic experience for my clients. I have no problem camping in tents in Bhutan and Nepal, and in fact am a nature lover. Budget is not an issue as long the service provides is of value. I am also pretty fit and do trekking in high altitudes. For instance, I paid USD$250 per night per person to camp in tent in Dagala Lakes in Bhutan in sub zero temperatures with no complaints. In fact, I do not usually leave a review unless they are extremely good in service or the complete opposite. I stayed one night in Iris resort and was very excited before my stay, to have a truly eco resort and doing my bit for the nature. However, the excitement was short-lived. Upon disembarkation from the private transfer, we had to climb through many steep steps which were not built to standards. At one point, I had to use both my hands to support myself. At the end of it, I was panting and even the manager mentioned it was a hard walk. Hardly welcoming. Next, I had to walk through an unpaved route full of pebbles and stones. The route was built at the edge of the cliff. I was in the wrong gear, strapped in my sandals. It was similar to a typical trekking route. If I missed a step, I would have fallen off the cliff. For USD$300 a night, they could not even provide a decent walking path. Only the path to the restaurant was paved. This was hardly being ecological friendly, it was plain lazy or trying to pull a fast one. The owners did not take into considerations the safety of the guests at all. What a let down. If you had kneel problem or had problem walking, it would be best to avoid this resort. It was interesting to note that most people commented food was good in the restaurant. However, I was terribly disappointed. The dinner was about 3 or 4 dishes and 1 soup. There was fish, but it was overcooked and very tough. Same go for the chicken. Amusingly, there was a dish of sweet corn (not in the whole corn), but sweet corns from canned. And finally the dessert that was a crepe with mango in between. The mango was good, but the crepe tasted like plastic. Being a Travel Planner, I knew that food was something my clients bond with the locals and I always had an interest in cooking. The resort was so proud of their solar oven baked bread. The way of cooking was truly admirable. However, the bread was yucky, not beacuse it was solar baked. Even if it was toasted, it would be yucky. It did not look appetising. If the source was bad, no matter how you cook it, miracles would not happen. For the cuisuine served in Irish, I only had the following comment: The cook was dead in his or her job. It was a job and there was no passion in cooking. I could not find any hint of love for cooking at all. Very disappointing. For a proud eco resort, it was suprised that there was no sustainable garden nor any plants/fruit/vegetables that were grown fresh from the garden. There was also no animals on the island. Food was all imported from the mainland. For the day trip, we paid Php3,750 per pax to visit 3 spots. There were 4 of us. It was another ripped off. There was a boatman and a guide. Unfortunately, the guide could not speak English, so most of the time, the 4 of us had no idea where we were and what we were expecting. Visiting 3 spots and taking 8 hours, we stopped at the lunch place for close to 2 hours chatting because the guide was sleeping, waiting for time to pass. In other reviews, the owner claimed that Coron island hopping was cheaper beacuse there were 15-20 paxes. We paid Php2,700 in total in Coron to hire a boat, that came with a boatman and guide (who could speak good English). You do the math and you would know the profit margin. Food was on own and you could get away with Php1,500 for a good lunch with prawns and fish. Food was bad for island hopping in Irish. I had no problem with the eco toilet if it helped to save the earth. However, I nearly fell off the steps on few occasions. It was just not viable for people with bad balancing skills or people with weak knees. If you were also overweight, good luck. There was definitely not enough space to land on the tiny steps. The room was open roof for ventilation, however that also meant all sort of insects would get in at night. The mosquito net was a joke. I could not tuck it in no matter how I tried. Being in Feb, so humid and warm, I had to on the fan. And the mosquito net kept flapping into the night, creating a mini orchestra. Worse, I had to quickly off the lights otherwise, you would have all the bees, and different insects as sleeping companions. I had slept in mosquito net that was well designed and allowance to tuck tightly so that there were no holes. This was clearly not well designed. If I put it blantantly, it was cheapskate. It was also not a safe resort. There was no form of communication in the room to the reception, no intercom nor phone line. If you had an emergency, the only alternative was to walk to the reception or to the restaurant. If you were unluckly and had the furthest room, it could mean a 10 to 15 minute walk. Eco friendly aside, basic safety had to be in place. In summary, the only thing that worked out was the reef. However, there were no proper channels to get in or out unlike the Maldives. The lady owner was really nice too, showing us around and very welcoming. However for the price we paid and the service and facilities rendered, it was not good value for money. With USD$300, it was more expensive than a 5 stars hotel. Totally not value for money. Give it a miss and look elsewhere.…
Our yoga retreat was spottless. One of the best holidays of our lives. Jana and Frank,the owners were so hospitable, all their team treated us like queens. We got used to the dry eco toilet and appreciated that their resort is so eco friedly but still very comfortable,all the hotel staff was available for us with a smile 24/7, pampering us and fullfilling any of our unique wishes. The coral garden around the island is stunning and Budha palace is a cherry on the cake...fascinating...thousands of fishes, shells, sea stars...very unique sea paradise. Food in the restaurant was so delicious that we did not loose a pound...that is my only complain. I have used their laundry service as well....massage treatment every day over the 9 days...Jannet had golden hands. There were no mosquitos during February and light wind made the climate of the island very pleasant. My only warning...take crocs with full finger cover...no flip flops, the narrow path around the island is uneven and with stones. You will also need shoes for the sea adventures...the water is clean,but corals and sea urchins everywhere. I would like to return one day with my whole family..so pay a visit as well. Jana…
We spent five nights at Iris Island Eco Resort over New Year - it was fabulous! The hosts Jana and Frank are wonderful, generous hosts who have crafted a piece of paradise whilst staying true to their values of sustainability and community. The reef around the island has some of the best snorkeling we have seen in the Philippines, and the staff, who mainly come from one of the nearby islands, are warm and welcoming. The reef is easy to access from the end of the pier. The new year celebrations that Frank and Jana organised were very special, a fabulous buffet to start, a brilliant band, and then the sending off of our New Year wishes. The cottage comfortably slept our family of three and was kept spotlessly clean by the staff everyday - the enviro-toilet worked well and due to the design of the cottage a fan was all that was needed to circulate the air on some of the warm nights. Frank and Jana also offer a complimentary meditation class every night which our family really enjoyed - they have inspired us to take up a regular practice when we return home. Thank you to everyone at Iris for a wonderful start to 2020 - we will return.…
We stayed at Iris Island for 7 days even though we only planed to stay for 3 or 4 nights. Everything on the island was perfect. The rooms are very clean, the food is really good and fresh, snorkeling is beautiful directly in front of the bay and the stuff is very kind too. We traveled with our little baby (10 months) who became really sick and the stuff brought us to the next doctor and really helped us in that situation. At last the owners are very kind polite too. Jana and Frank created a place of peace and harmony while taking care of nature. On top I proposed and the stuff really helped me with the whole organization to make that day special to us. Really appreciate that to everyone. Would love to come back to this island and hope it will stay like that a while.
A big part of my decision for choosing Iris Island Resort was their approach on sustainable design and living of which I had read a bit about. I really think Iris Island is an example that life and even luxury, if you want, can have zero impact onto the environment (from climate change impact, to resources use and disposal, to ocean pollution, etc). And that’s why I fully support this project, although still in development for some aspects, because it’s authentic to its missions and because of the kindness of both staff and the owner. It all makes a lot of sense. Enjoy!
This is resort best illustrates how the owner and the staff create an atmosphere and experience where one is sad to leave. The hard work, passion, dedication, humour, professionalism, and fun all shone throughout our 4 night stay here. The fact it is 110% all sustainable is just the icing on the cake. A colourful coral reef surrounds the resort, day trips to famous locations nearby, dolphins and no jelly fish! What more can you ask for. Once the pool is completed (currently being built) then this resort should officially be adding the stars is deserves.
I have visited Iris Island Eco Resort for 10 days yoga retreat. I had high expectations but even in my dreams I could not hope for a more beautiful place!!! Amazing nature all around, absolutely breathtaking views from each part of the island. I just love sea and here you can enjoy it to the max! We even have seen dolphin once :-) Lovely food (for our yoga group vegetarian - absolutely delicious), lovely and friendly staff. The fact that the resort is so ecological makes you even more connected to the nature there. I was a bit worried about the "eco toilet system" - but there was no problem at all with that, in some ways better than the standard one :-) So I have only tons of positives to say, it will be difficult to beat my experience from this holiday. Lifetime memories! I highly recommend to take few trips to nearby islands as well and massage in the resort was very pleasant too. Big thanks to Veronika for choosing this magical place for yoga retreat and amazing owners Jana&Frank who made us feel so welcome and treated us with such care. This place is really special.…
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