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I find myself agreeing with the first few posters. Princesa Bulakna Resort is indeed in the middle of nowhere! We had to pass by a foresty area before we could reach the place. It's more than an hour's drive from the Larena pier. Luckily, the P500 per way (per car) transportation service the resort offers is a welcome consolation.
SERVICE. The staff were friendly. However, the food service really needs improvement! I don't recommend staying in the resort unless you have your ready stash of finger food, snacks and medicines to boot (bring Kremil-S and Diatabs). Meals normally take 3 to 4 hours to prepare. We ordered ours at 6 p.m. and didn't get to eat dinner until 10 p.m. -- every time.
ROOM. Going to our room was yet another physical challenge. We stayed in nipa-hut cottages which the resort called "bayview cabins" and we had to ascend more than 100 steps to get there. Our room was spartan but cozy. We had a bed, an airconditioner and a hot-and-cold shower. If the windows are open, there's no need to turn on the A/C as there's a breeze that blows freely in the tops. I really like the resort's complimentary soap and shampoo (Safeguard and Vaseline -- something branded and familiar, yey).
AMENITIES. None of our rooms had TV, contrary to what the website stated. Anyway, the infinity pool looked good in the photos. In actuality, the pool is quite small and - as it seemed to me - looked like a treat for kids and teenagers. I'd really like to commend the management for investing in a power generator. Power outages are common in Siquijor but thanks to the generator, we were able to use the A/C whenever we liked.
LOCATION. Again, the place is hard to find. The road is narrow and winding, and first-time guests driving to the place are sure to get lost. For honeymooners, Princesa Bulakna Resort might just be paradise - granted you have the physical endurance to pass through the steps every single day. I got leg cramps from staying at the resort.
Overall, the resort may be a romantic hide-away for some, but for a city girl like me, I would prefer to stay elsewhere convenient and accessible.
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Date of stay: May 2010
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Trip type: Traveled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stayed here with a friend over a weekend in December 2008. The complimentary van was not at the ferry when we arrived as agreed (approx 10pm) Had to be bombared by tricycle drivers/touts while we waited. It turned up 20-25 minutes late. Then a 45-minute drive over terrible roads to its location in the middle of nowhere.
The cabins are quite old-looking although they are clean. There are lots of wildflowers in the resort which are pretty. The beach is pebbly although it looks like there are efforts for it to be terraformed into a sand beach. The restaurant is SLOW with its service and and the kalamansi juice was the worst I had tasted in the Philippines.
Nice swimming pool with lovely view, and a walk down the beach is relaxing.
Asked if there was any way to hire a scooter to explore the island. None available. Went on their guided tour (which is really the only thing you can do because it's in the middle of nowhere), which consists of a drive around the island stopping at about 4-5 places total. Wanted to see the healers etc. that is supposedly the main attraction of the island but was told that was inland and could not go.
Supper at the restaurant was okay for me, although my dining companion had blue marlin tinola which was delicious.
Overall, problems with the resort:
1. Location (middle of nowhere) 2. You imagine white sand beach but end up with pebbly beach 3. Old cabins 4. Poor service and some very average food at restaurant
Good points:
1. Great for romantic getaway (eg. if you plan on staying in the cabin most of the time!) 2. Really good pool 3. Peaceful and relaxing
Would I recommend it? Not at this stage. It needs some work before I'd go again, and some way for guests to explore the island without going on the boring, overpriced tour.
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Date of stay: December 2008
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
If you want an off the beaten path, far from the throngs of tourists kind of resort in Siquijor, this is probably one of the best the island has to offer. It is a half hectare property with a small forest of large trees which makes it great for communing with nature and surprisingly, bird watching! Food is ok and artfully presented. The beach fronting the resort isn't as pretty but very clean but a public beach with less coral is just near the resort. It also has an infinity pool which is well maintained. Best of all, the staff was friendly and accommodating,.
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Date of stay: June 2010
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We intended to stay for 2 nights but couldn't wait to leave after our first night. The rooms are very basic and very dated. Noisy air con, tv didn't work, cockroaches in our room. The meal we ordered took 3 hours and when it arrived it was cold. Swimming pool looked nice but on close inspection was very cloudy and I wouldn't let my daughter swim in it. The whole resort looked tired and needs a lot of money spent on it. The room rate is far too high for the level of comfort and the restaurant service diabolical.
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Date of stay: January 2012
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Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:Â Dont stay here
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We were at Bulakna the whole time we were in Siquijor approximately 3 weeks. Their service were more than adequate. Lovely place, lovely people. They were very friendly, dependable and considerate. If there were electricity failure they were very efficient in getting the electricity back on. We developed friendly bonds that will last forever! We look forward in returning. Our best vacation ever!!!
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Date of stay: May 2010
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Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We had a blast at princesa bulakna. It was truly a relaxation time for us. The review from the people who had been there was I should say a mistake, 2008 and today is extremely different from what they have mentioned. It was far than what we have experienced, it was a paradise, a serene moment and not to mention a superb service. No one told us what princesa bulakna was all about it was merely a click on the net and that’s just it! The price was reasonable. A reasonable price for such first class service, it was not a regret at all. Princesa Bulakna= full of surprises 1. The pick up at Siqujior was entertaining, Kenneth was a magnificent guide. We had a 20 minute history of Siquijor and it was free since it was part of their promo- this was a surprise for us. 2. The pool was enticing! We never thought it was an infinity pool in the middle of the island! The water was clean and what’s best is that its like you are with nature, birds chirping and fresh air. 3. The food delightful, it was sooooo good that you’ll keep asking for more! 4. The room was cozy, it’s like you own pad in the middle of the forest. Very relaxing and best of all very clean. 5. The superb service of the staff, when we arrive at the hotel it was like royalty having reservation from them. They have admirable initiative in which you don’t have to tell them what you needed. They will just surprise you on what you needed. Two thumbs up for the hospitable KENNETH, polite MERCY, handy NORMAN AND THE ever accommodating MANAGER PHIL. Our birthday wouldn’t be such splendorous if it wasn’t you who accommodate us. Your service was exceptional. This will definitely be a part of our best birthdays.
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Date of stay: May 2010
Value
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Our experienced with this resort is a huge mistakes. Siquijor is no doubt a very lovely Island. But I think this resort is not fit to served the tourists both local and international, why? i tell you why, March 30,2015 my Husband and I with my niece booked in the said resort for a a week stay which was eventually made into 2 weeks as an urgent business came up and there was no other place to stay. Anyway, I can say is everything was bad especially the management. We ordered our lunch on that very day we arrived in the Island, we Ordered lunch and waited for nearly 3 hours just to be informed that they run out of bacon, hams and some other ingredients of our order. They do not even give the guest water unless we have to asked them. Sinced we were so tired and hungry we opted to take our Snacks or Baon and ate it while waiting for the ordered food with less of the ingredients. This incident did not only happened once but the entire 2 weeks of our stay. Even during breakfast, I've seen so many guests eating biscuits and any other sorts just to fill the empty stomach before we were eventually served with the foods. My friends from the Island was left with no other option but to cooked and bring Us food otherwise we do not have something to eat. If you want to order lunch, from this resort you have to make a day before order. They do not clean the rooms daily, do not even put toilet papers. They need to be asked. They do not collect the plates, where cats and dogs can be seen licking on the plates scavenging for the left over foods.Even the Mananger of the resort is not reliable. On our last breakfast on that Hotel, I ordered Tocilog, Chorisolog and I think a ham and cheese sandwich for my hubby, again waited nearly 2 hours just to get tremendously mad of the food, Tapsilog and Chrorisolog but what we only saw on our plate was 2 sunnyside up eggs each plate, a pinky size tocino and a pinky size chorizo and half a plate of rice in each plate. I was mad, I even called the owner of the Resort. He just said sorry but what can a sorry do if for the whole 2 weeks we experienced total devastation. By the way, this place is located in Maria and the time we went there there were no other place to stay. All I can say, The resort is a total disgrace.... I will never recommend it to anyone and I will never set foot on that resort ever again. The pool was so filty. If you want to see Siquijor please do not stay in Princess Bulakna.... Siquijor is such a lovely Island its worth seeing but you need to stay somewhere else.the second time we went to siquijor for few days we decided to stay at Salagdoong beach, Its of no difference. Filty and the toilet set were broken. I even learned from one of their room boys that they do not even have a glass to give in case a guest will request.
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Date of stay: March 2015
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Trip type: Traveled on business
Room Tip:Â Just do not waste your money with the Princess bulakna and Salagdoong resort.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We had reservations-for the standard Polynesian rooms which are furthest from the pool and restaurant-and changed our minds after getting a good look at the place. Do not let the pictures fool you, it is a schlep to get down the hill to the eating/pool area from these rooms-not to mention coming back up the hill. I had a small child in tow as well as an older guest. For fit people who also don't mind climbing, no worries.
Having said this, I should comment on the rooms we had reserved. Frankly they were four walls and a bed, with zero charm and no amenities. All cabins looked as if they had not seen visitors in weeks and the exteriors showed signs of disrepair. Not good.
So we were expected to stay in a charmless room, schlep up and down steep stairs say three times a day-less if you were eating at their restaurant and/or swimming in the pool, playing on the beach. Since I specifically chose a resort with a pool, I was keen to see what the pool looked like. And it seemed fine but as the the owner had seen fit to contruct new cabins by the pool, there was a lot of noise and worker traffic to put up with. If you planned on using the pool, you would have had to have tolerated several men working next to you, at a slightly higher elevation; for most women, this is unacceptable. And the noise would certainly have bothered me. Was there not another time of year-or day-to work on the new cabins? At the very least, some effort should have been made to screen the work from the pool. No consideration at all.
We also had a look at another (family) room, at the foot of the hill, close to the restaurant, and found it as charmless as the others, only more expensive. By the time the manager was finally contacted-after an hour or so-and he offered the room at the same price as the others, we had long ago decided to leave. Since the resort is at the opposite side of the island from the ferry landing (and most of the other resorts), we waited some time for a ride back to another place.
Don't let the pictures fool you. Unless you really are happy with a completely barebones place and/or mostly plan on eating elsewhere and using the resort only as a base camp of sorts, find another place to do it. As we later found out, there are cheaper, more guest-friendly, more accessible places closer to the ferry.
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Date of stay: June 2015Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:Â choose another place
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed in the resort for 2 weeks as we had no other place to stay. As others have mentioned our stay was the same. Just as well my wife had friends in Siqujor who took us around the island. The worst was the food service as for a ordinary toasted sandwich we waited up to 2 hours and the toast was very hard like old bread and not toasted properly The pool had brown stains around it and looked like it had not been chlorinated for a long time. The resort had a swimming lesson for kids for 2 days and guest were not informed as we had made arrangements for friends to swim at the resort and had to cancel. Staff were very friendly and helpful but the whole resort is not managed by the owner although the manager tries to do his best. Staff needs training to accommodate tourist especially in the cooking side
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Date of stay: March 2015
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled on business
Room Tip:Â You should check the resort first before booking, the best room is the one in front of the pool
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We wanted to stay in this resort and decided to stop by and have a meal. It was completely deserted, overprised meals, rooms, almost nothing available from the menu. Green water in the swimmingpool... It looked like a place, that was nice and full of life 15yrs ago... There are much nicer places in Siquijor then this one. And after eating the lunch there, we were sick for the next two days....
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Date of stay: July 2012
Value
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
"You will get cheaper rates if you contact the resort directly or even better do walk-in booking. The contacts posted online are usually travel agents so you know how this will be. Also get the rooms nearer to the pool/beach. They have the best views."
There are more places to choose from in the Siquijor Island area.
ALSO KNOWN AS
princesa bulakna hotel siquijor island
LOCATION
PhilippinesVisayasSiquijor Island
NUMBER OF ROOMS
11
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