First of all: HUGE shoutout to Tito Jonell (best cocktail maker!), Roy (he was like family), our AMAZING guides Andy & Mario, Chef James, Kuya Brian (thanks for planning our itinerary and answering all of my questions!!) and Jess. From the food, to the activities, to just our time on the resort, these were the staff members that truly made my husband and I so happy and feel like family. I cried on the plane back to the U.S. because I made such a connection with everyone here :’)

I seriously can’t even summarize into words how AMAZING my experience at Miniloc was. I’m already telling you right now: this is hands down the best resort out of all of the El Nido Resorts (I’m being dramatic and bias of course). I don’t care if I’ve never gone to the other ones lol, I know that the next time I visit El Nido, this is going to be my go-to resort to stay at. If you’re the type of person that wants to have stuff to do, with the perfect amount of relaxation and cute aesthetic cultural decor AND great service… THEN MINILOC ISLAND RESORT IS THE PLACE. My husband and I came for our honeymoon, and we’re already dreaming about the next time we come.

The activities and accessibility to the lagoons/excursions are unbeatable—you even get access to the big/small lagoon before the other El Nido resorts. There’s great snorkeling spots right in front of the resort, and you can swim with the El Nido Jackfish when the staff feeds them (you can’t do that at other resorts!).

The people here are also so accommodating, I didn’t even need to lift a finger when it came to getting my activities planned or getting my questions asked. I truly felt like royalty there :’) The hospitality is just out of this world! First of all, the private dinner my husband planned for us in the deck was absolutely perfect, as we got a unique coursed dinner different than the buffet dinner we got other nights—it was SO worth the extra fee. Thank you kuya Jess for waiting on us this night.

Also, various staff members would be two steps ahead of me when I was about to ask something—it’s they’re like mind readers man. For example, the morning of check out my husband and I asked for a refill of water in our rooms, and when we were about to hang up, they also followed up about our checkout/boat leave and that they’ll have staff grab our bags for us and have them ready at the dock whenever we were ready. Like, what?! We were fine walking up to the front desk later that morning and were planning on bringing our bags ourselves at the time scheduled.

As an American, I don’t even know how I’ll survive staying at a resort here after being so spoiled at Miniloc. Book your stay here, you won’t regret it!!

We had a very comfortable stay at the two-level Seaview Room, which has a large bed and a loft with 2 single beds. It is roomy for our family of 3 adults. The bathroom is spacious with modern amenities. The room is on stilts so we occasionally heard the waves crashing into the rocks. The resort has been renovated with the addition of a big pool. Service was exceptional, from the pick-up at the airport, rest at the lounge (with the delicious butchi), boat-ride, warm welcome at the resort, and throughout our 3-day stay. Full-board buffet (kudos to Chef James) varied daily and featured a sumptuous spread of delectable soups (special mention to the seafood bisque!), perfectly-grilled seafoods, meat and poultry dishes, fresh garden salads, and yummy desserts and starters. Guided by Mario, we had loads of FUN at our well-coordinated outdoor activities, especially our visit to the Secret Lagoon during a rainy morning. Miniloc Island Resort is the perfect jump-off point for exploring, as it is the only resort with the closest proximity to the attractions. The lagoons (which are also in Miniloc Island) are just a few -minute boat-rides away. A couple of guests kayaked from the resort to the lagoon. We were the first in the morning and the last in the afternoon, so we had the lagoons to our ourselves! Snorkeling in the house reefs, especially during the feeding time for the jackfish at the resort, should not be missed. I was able to photograph the many large jackfish. As a gesture of appreciation, tips for the boatmen (they are not resort staff), as well as a general tip that is pooled and shared by the staff, are welcome. Big thanks to Resort Manager Daisy (who also arranged for the butchi for us to take home) and her entire staff for another memorable stay and for the quick response by the house nurse when my daughter had an issue with her contact lens. It was our second visit and we will surely be back.

We absolutely loved out stay at Miniloc Island Resort !!! The activities, facilities and the staff are the best in El Nido !!!
Special shout out to Ray, Roy and Andy for making our stay such a memorable experience.
Andy was always there for us to help make our activities so enjoyable !!
Be sure to try the sunrise kayaking at Big Lagoon, Secret Lagoon, kayak to Payong Payong Beach early in the morning and absolutely try the snorkeling around the resort during feeding time of the Jack Fish !!!
Thank you again Andy for taking such good care of us during our entire stay - we can't wait to come back