For those looking for a overwater bungalow experience similar to the Maldives or Bora Bora with a traditional Philippine feel on the beach and a true sense of being part of an island family then I would highly recommend visiting Lagen Island Resort.. My wife and I first visited El Nido in 2016, as this is our first trip back in many years, friends recommended Lagen Island Resort and commented if you don’t visit ‘you will truly regret it” so we booked an overnight stay On November 26 . Prior to making reservations at any property, most people check photos and reviews on the property to get an idea of what to expect. After reading the reviews and now having visited Lagen Island, our experience surpassed any/all reviews and the photos and videos posted truly do not do the property justice at all. Lagen Island Resort is not only a tropical oasis in the Palawan archipelago, it is truly like no other property in the general vicinity and the reason for this is the staff which make even visitors to the island for a mere 30 hours (like us) feel like part of the family. We took a private boat from a neighboring island to Lagen, as we neared Lagen Island pier, you hear singing only to find out later Lagen Island Management and team members from each department standing at the end of the pier singing a song welcoming...For those looking for a overwater bungalow experience similar to the Maldives or Bora Bora with a traditional Philippine feel on the beach and a true sense of being part of an island family then I would highly recommend visiting Lagen Island Resort..

My wife and I first visited El Nido in 2016, as this is our first trip back in many years, friends recommended Lagen Island Resort and commented if you don’t visit ‘you will truly regret it” so we booked an overnight stay
On November 26 . Prior to making reservations at any property, most people check photos and reviews on the property to get an idea of what to expect. After reading the reviews and now having visited Lagen Island, our experience surpassed any/all reviews and the photos and videos posted truly do not do the property justice at all. Lagen Island Resort is not only a tropical oasis in the Palawan archipelago, it is truly like no other property in the general vicinity and the reason for this is the staff which make even visitors to the island for a mere 30 hours (like us) feel like part of the family.

We took a private boat from a neighboring island to Lagen, as we neared Lagen Island pier, you hear singing only to find out later Lagen Island Management and team members from each department standing at the end of the pier singing a song welcoming us to the island. In a quick glance from the boat you see overwater bungalows surrounding the lagoon with the main property/clubhouse/restaurant centered on the beach. The Bell staff whisked our luggage from the boat to the lobby to check in. Once in the lobby, Bel (events coordinator) walked us through a brief history on Lagen island as well as the need to be environmentally friendly during your stay to help preserve the beauty of the island. Looking out from the lobby towards the grounds, you take in the meticulously maintained property by the groundskeepers, the pool and what we referred to as the “coconut bar” is centered in front of the restaurant and clubhouse all of which is surrounded by every type of tree and vegetation imaginable. As you walk to your room from the front desk, you hear sounds of exotic birds, monkeys playing in the tree line and see the occasional monitor lizard roaming freely along the path to the rooms. Upon entering our room, I walked directly out to the patio to take in the view of the lagoon at low tide. Lagen island boats line the middle of the lagoon waiting to take guests out for island hopping tours. After putting our belongings away, we walked back to the restaurant/clubhouse and were seated with a view of the grounds where we came to find our breakfast, lunch and dinner would be served daily. As a reminder, we only visited Lagen for roughly 30 hours so we were able to partake in all meals and the food is incredible and caters to an international crowd. Regardless of ones palate most people will find something incredibly tasty to eat while on the Island.

Lastly, while were incredibly sad to check out the following day and depart via boat to the “Goodbye Song” sung at the end of the dock by the Lagen team feel it is important to note, we chose Lagen Island based on friends recommendation as well as online reviews and photos. However, after visiting Lagen Island Resort which is truly stunning and beautiful, what sets Lagen Island apart and makes it so magical is the entire Lagen team who made our trip so memorable. We have to acknowledge key team members we interacted with…including a few who we gave nicknames during our stay:

Restaurant team:
Mike – Management - (nickname: Elvis) with an incredible voice who sang happy birthday to me as well as “Only fools rush in” to my wife and I and made us both tear up
Bel – Server (nickname: Gamora)
Gamie – Bartender/Server (nickname: Drax)
Dave – Bartender/Server (nickname: Starlord)
**Bel, Gamie and Dave provided comic relief J

Events Coordinators:
Bel - Lagen Island Greeter and Events/Activity Coordinator Extraordinaire
Jake - Island Tour Guide (nickname: Jake the snake) – Guided my wife and I on an incredible hike over the top of Lagen Island to a private beach for incredible snorkeling. While hiking saw a local Alpha male monkey it its native habitat, very cool experience.

Lagen Island Management:
Carlos – Executive Chef – Master of International Flavors
John Ray – Island Supervisor – Helped coordinate all travel arrangements both to/from El Nido town including transportation with El Nido local hotel.
Eds – General Manager Lagen Island Resorts

**Eds and her team need to be acknowledged, the Lagen Island team surpasses five stars in every aspect of what should be considered “above and beyond world class service”. Eds team does not do this for notoriety or acknowledgment for reviews, they want you to feel as a family member during your stay on the Island. There are only three words to summarize our stay…. Absolute World Class! For those team members I failed to acknowledge, please accept my sincerest apologies as I know there are so many team members who work so hard behind the scenes to make Lagen Island so magical.More