Nalusuan Island Resort & Marine Sanctuary
Olango Reef Philippines
Lock in the lowest price from these sites
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
Full view
View all photos (643)643
360
Panoramas (46) 
Room & Suite (188)
About
#16 of 94 hotels in Mactan Island
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Suggest edits to improve what we show.Improve this listing
Property amenities
Free internet
Bar / lounge
Beach
Children Activities (Kid / Family Friendly)
Airport transportation
Massage
Non-smoking hotel
Dry cleaning
Wifi
Restaurant
Poolside bar
Show more
Room features
Air conditioning
Private beach
Desk
Room service
Seating area
Bath / shower
Room types
Ocean view
Family rooms
Smoking rooms available
Good to know
HOTEL STYLE
Great View
Ocean View
Languages Spoken
English, Filipino
Location
117Reviews7Q+A11Room tips
Reviews
Traveler rating
- 46
- 43
- 20
- 3
- 5
Time of year
Traveler type
Language
More
Selected filters
- Filter
- English
Popular mentions
Sort by:
Most Recent
This island resort is a dream--amazing diving and snorkeling opportunities all around the resort and other options minutes away by boat. Gorgeous location, fantastic staff--attentive but not overbearing. Resort has a great restaurant, perfect little eco friendly bungalows that sit out on stilts over the water--and amazing views in every direction. Air con or fan if needed, nice showers, and all the comforts of a modern hotel on a splendid tiny island. Highly recommended as a bucket list destination!
Read more
Date of stay: October 2022Trip type: Traveled solo
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip: day trippers hit the island just before lunch for photo ops, but are gone after an hour or...
See more room tips
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
I discovered this marine sanctuary in 2010 and has been coming back ever so often when Im in Cebu and actually stay overnight but I wouldn't be able to review it now since it's been so long and there's been a lot of changes - it was least crowded then though. I would say that the amount of fish and the sea richness of this sanctuary is a must see. There's a ton of fishes in the bottom of that pier, the schools of fish are just sitting there hanging out. I've gone snorkeling in a lot of places all over the world, including Coron shipwreck, Hawaii, Carribean, etc...but hands down, this is the place I have seen the most amount of fishes.
Read more
Date of stay: August 2019
Rooms
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
We took a GRAB from cebu city to Tonggo/Nalusuan wharf. Journey took about 45 mins and cost about 450p. The last leg of journey was a bit bumpy going through potholes.There were Nalusuan staff seated at the wharf and they promptly attended to us. We had notified the resort earlier of the time we expected to arrive at the wharf. Journey by bangka took about 45 minutes and we were greeted warmly with welcome drinks and presented with shell necklaces. We stayed 3 nights. My 12 year old loved snorkelling in the crystal clear waters. Every morning he'd have breakfast at the balcony and just enjoy looking at the marine creatures from our balcony. Throughout our stay, we'd drop off our room key at reception prior to snorkelling. Some reception staff were happy to see us, some looked annoyed whenever we did that. Other staff around the resort e.g housekeeping, F&B were pleasant though. They serenaded us when we had dinner. Room wise, it was comfortable even without electricity from 8am - 6pm. It was breezy, however fan made a lot of noise when it was turned on, so we kept the aircon on. The myriad of underwater life and crystal clear water is simply amazing and it is the major attraction of staying here. …
Read more
Date of stay: December 2018Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
We quickly forgot about our awful journey to the wharf (even local taxi drivers struggle to find it) when we were finally greeted by the staff at Nalusuan Island with an ice cold drink and a necklace. The island is paradise, with natural marine life surrounding the island, although you can only snorkel in a small area, not the whole island. Snorkelling was a once in a lifetime experience, being able to stand in low tide or swim in high tide. The staff were amazing, especially Yen and Jonny who serenaded us over dinner. We opted for the a la carte menu rather than the buffet as we feared it would be sparse after the regular day trippers, which tend to visit between 10am - 4pm. The menu was good and food was freshly cooked. Breakfast was basic but at least it was free Though this place is paradise, it could improve on a few areas: 1) The place is a marine sanctuary, yet you wouldn't have necessarily known. It would have been good to have someone tell us about the specific marine life to look out for and the effect Nalusuan has had. 2) The place is very expensive (relatively speaking) but we felt good knowing we were keeping circa 50 staff members employed for what seemed a good cause. We don't mind paying extra, but it would have been good to know what they did with the money and how it helped conserve the marine life. 3) There are three resident dogs at the island which are very friendly and sweet, but their constant barking at 3am was very annoying. 4) The Aircon was loud and proud would randomly thud so loud that it sounded like someone was kicking the door in. The second night we used the fan instead, which was really squeaky. If you want to wake up to the water crashing against the rocks, you'll have to do it in a hot room and hope the dogs are asleep. …
Read more
Date of stay: November 2018Trip 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.
Helpful
My partner and I booked a two night stay at the island. Initially, my partner was concerned after learning that there was no electricity between 8am to 6pm everyday. But we decided to go anyway, since it was our first long vacation for a very long time. We booked our transfers through the Resort front desk since we did not want to DIY that part as we were not familiar with Cebu City. The down side is that this will set you back P4,050 for boat, taxi/ van rentals. When we arrived at the airport, we were picked up by the car rental from the Resort. It's a 45 minute to one hour drive from the airport to the wharf depending on traffic conditions. From the wharf, we took a boat (we were the only ones on it) to the island. This will take about 45 minutes. Our two night stay was enjoyable to say the least. The anxiety over not having electricity was not founded. It actually became a plus. The rooms were naturally cross ventilated during the day by the cool sea breeze. At night, there was air conditioning. Our first afternoon was spent snorkeling along the wharf. We went there at around 4pm when most of the day tourists would be gone. All the fish seem to congregate at this spot since there was the shade provided by the dock. After snorkeling, we went to the sand bar. This was a feature that comes out every low tide. They placed a hammock right there where lie lazily about and watch the sky turn orange as the sun sinks over the horizon. After a quick change, we had dinner. Food was okay but not spectacular. Expect that the prices would be higher than usual since you can't go anywhere else. Day two began with a breakfast buffet. We noticed that the tide came in. Mornings were high tide. The restaurant was actually over the clear waters. We were lucky to have witnessed four very large jacks swimming near the wharf, each probably 2-3 feet in length each. The waiters tossed raw meet into the water starting a feeding frenzy from all the fish big and small. After breakfast, we went kayaking around. We wanted to kayak with the big jacks but we did not have the same luck that morning. we went around the island which will take you 30 minutes or so. But since we were not experienced kayakers, it took us more time than that. We headed for lunch at around 11:30am. We wanted to be early since we wanted to have first dibs on the buffet. Our target were the crabs they served. We had our fill of the sweet tasting crabs. Being a few minutes late might be the difference between getting your fill or not having any food at all. The day trippers will take no time in consuming what food there is on the dishes. Unfortunately, the resort kitchen does not seem capable to keep up with the demand. In the afternoon, we snorkeled again, but this time we had the opportunity to hitch a ride to where the corals were. This was thanks to Ms. Myra, manager of the company who owns the resort. It was an area a little farther away from the usual area under the wharf. The corals were breath taking. It was like a myriad of different colors under the sea. You can also see scuba divers in the depths waiting for sea turtles and manta rays to pass by. After 5pm, the front desk informed us that we had the island to ourselves. We were the only guests the resort had. We enjoyed the peace and quiet while walking around the resort. After dinner, we tucked in since we depart at 10:00 am the next day. Our special thanks to Ms. Myra and Ms. Linda and the courteous staff for making our stay memorable. We will surely be back.…
Read more
Date of stay: June 2018Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Rooms
Location
Service
Room Tip: choose room 9 or 10. fish are right under the room
See more room tips
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
We started our holiday in Philippines at Nalusuan Island Resort as a stopover on our way to Malapascua Island. It is a small, picturesque island, built on a sandbank. A great advantage - it's pretty close to the airport. There are only a few rooms to rent on the island and the view is delightful. A less pleasant thing - From 10 am to 4 pm, the island becames very crowded because of tourists who come in so-called day trips. During this crowded hours we rented a boat and went to snorkeling a few hundred meters offshore. Nalusuan is a great place for diving and snorkeling lovers - an area with many healthy corals and charming fishes. Sea stars in different sizes, colors and shapes are wonderful. During the low tide behind the island appears a huge white sandy beach that disappears gradually in the second part of the day. The restaurant does not have a rich offer but the food is good and the prices are decent. Overall, Nalusuan is a good place to stay for 2-3 days at the beginning or at the end of the holiday.…
Read more
Date of stay: February 2018Trip type: Traveled with family
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
You get to this island through a short boat trip from Mactan. We went there for a day trip. The island has an extended shallow beach allowing you to walk through water for quite a distance from the island. When you want to get-away from the city but don't want to venture far, this is the perfect place.
Read more
Date of stay: November 2017Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
This property is located close to Cebu. From the airport there is about 45 minutes car ride to the Nalusuan Pier. Then there is half hour boat ride from there. The adventure begins from the boat ride itself. The boat docks on the pier on the resort which is a fair bit of walk to the island. The staff is very courteous and friendly. The reception is in front of the dinning area. Take a stilt hut further from the reception. The food is average with made to order. Some times they run out of some choices, other wise the food is ok. The view from the huts is excellent. This place is value for money.
Read more
Date of stay: December 2017Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip: Snorkel either in the morning or evening, not throughout the day. Look for sunny days. Amazing
See more room tips
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
We stayed two nights at Nalusuan Island, and it was a good experience. The snorkeling is good, but not great; it is limited to a relatively small area. The rooms are small but comfortable, with electricity at night. The staff was friendly and attentive; they moved us to rooms far from the holiday party, and checked in on us as needed. The food was ok but not great, with breakfasts being a particular point that could be improved. Logistically, it was hard to communicate with them; in making reservations, I often had to send follow-up emails to get a response, and the transportation we booked from our hotel in Mactan never materialized (and the phone number we were given to call in case anything went wrong did not answer our calls). I'm not sure I would go to stay overnight in the future; a day trip to check the snorkeling might be enough.…
Read more
Date of stay: December 2017Trip type: Traveled with family
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
+1
We did a tour in whole cebu from north to the south and this Island was our last stop. We did not regret because this resort gave us the most memorable experience ever that we could have in the whole holiday. The resort is clean, simple rooms but very nice, very romantic place, best area for snorkeling and perfect for kayaking as well specially in a sunset. It feels like you don’t want to leave the island anymore. The staff was the best part by giving us more than 5 star service! Special mention to Linda for managing very well the resort as well as to her people. The receptionist and housekeepers are very charming. The chefs made our tummy full and happy. Last but not the least that we gonna miss are the waiters/bartenders. They are all very welcoming, funny, talented and they really took good care of us. We became close to all of them specially to Jay that we really fond of. If I am able to give millions of stars to this resort I certainly would do. Thank you for all the memories and definitely we will come back. …
Read more
Date of stay: November 2017Trip 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.
Helpful
ALSO KNOWN AS
nalusuan island hotel mactan island
LOCATION
PhilippinesVisayasCebu IslandMactan Island
NUMBER OF ROOMS
15
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim Your ListingNALUSUAN ISLAND RESORT & MARINE SANCTUARY - UPDATED 2022 Reviews (Mactan Island, Philippines) - Tripadvisor
Frequently Asked Questions about Nalusuan Island Resort & Marine Sanctuary
Which popular attractions are close to Nalusuan Island Resort & Marine Sanctuary?
Nearby attractions include Nalusuan Island Marine Sanctuary (0.06 km), Olango Island (6.4 km), and Caohagan Island (2.4 km).
What are some of the property amenities at Nalusuan Island Resort & Marine Sanctuary?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include an on-site restaurant, a lounge, and airport transportation.
Which room amenities are available at Nalusuan Island Resort & Marine Sanctuary?
Top room amenities include air conditioning, a desk, and a seating area.
What food & drink options are available at Nalusuan Island Resort & Marine Sanctuary?
Guests can enjoy an on-site restaurant, a lounge, and a poolside bar during their stay.
What are some restaurants close to Nalusuan Island Resort & Marine Sanctuary?
Conveniently located restaurants include Fiji Restaurant, Nalusuan Island Restaurant, and La Terraza.
Does Nalusuan Island Resort & Marine Sanctuary have airport transportation?
Yes, Nalusuan Island Resort & Marine Sanctuary offers airport transportation for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at Nalusuan Island Resort & Marine Sanctuary?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including English and Filipino.
Are there any historical sites close to Nalusuan Island Resort & Marine Sanctuary?
Many travellers enjoy visiting Fort San Pedro (15.4 km), 1730 Jesuit House (15.9 km), and Magellan's Cross (15.7 km).
Does Nalusuan Island Resort & Marine Sanctuary have any great views?
Yes, guests often enjoy the ocean view available here.