Apulit Island Resort is the perfect paradise for couples and honeymooners. Tucked away within a cove of outstanding natural beauty with its own expanded white sandy beach, this eco-adventure resort guarantees privacy and isolation like no other.
This 4-star newly-renovated property is located in Taytay in the Northern side of Palawan. It offers 50 cottages built on stilts over the water, each with its own private walkway and veranda. The perfect blend of traditional and contemporary design is evident in the interiors and the unobstructed views of the azure Taytay Bay and surrounding islands from each cottage is absolutely breathtaking.
Apulit Island is one of the very few luxurious all-inclusive resorts in El Nido. What sets it apart from the other island resorts is its isolated location. This allows for a unique experience, very much different than the other private island resorts. For that reason, many couples choose to spend 2-3 nights here before heading to El Nido town itself.
The professional and accommodating staff of Apulit Island are known for their good command of the English language and world-class quality service. From the moment you arrive at the airport until the day when you have to leave, you will be treated like a VIP.
Keep in mind that it is an eco-resort which means it cares a lot for the environment and they take measures to conserve water and energy to protect the environment. This means that your towels may not be changed on a daily basis and toiletries will not be replenished daily as well unless you ask them to. The resort is extremely well maintained and gives a true feeling of tropical paradise.
Water cottages are newly-renovated and expanded so it is more spacious now. The Loft water cottages are very big and all are beautifully decorated with standard room amenities. The beds are very comfortable and the verandas are very much sought-after. The bathroom is a bit small but very functional. There are no TV’s in the room and no work desk either. The loft-water cottages have stairs that lead directly towards the water.
The infinity pool is small but very appealing. It is right in front of the beach so size of the pool doesn’t really matter when you have the beautiful beach in front of you.
In terms of isolation, tranquility and privacy, the location is excellent. However, because it is far, travel time from the airport takes more or less 2 hours. Even though it is a beautiful journey, it can still be very tiresome. This resort isn't a substitute for El Nido town, but rather a very good complimentary experience. It would be a shame to go to Palawan and skip the tours offered in town by just staying in Apulit.
Apulit Island Resort is not cheap but compared to other all-inclusive island resorts under El Nido Resorts Chain, Apulit is the cheapest. This is the reason why we rate it excellent in value for money. For the price you pay per night, it already includes full-board meals and drinks (excluding alcohol), all activities and transport to and from the airport plus exclusive access to a private island.
In terms of facilities, there is no on-site restaurant but an open-air clubhouse where breakfast, lunch and dinner are served buffet-style. There is a bar by the pool for drinks. Massage and spa (charges apply) are offered in their wellness center although it can also be arranged in the rooms. There is also a game room that offers different kinds of entertainment. There is no gym, unfortunately. The infinity pool is small but refreshing and the octagonal pier offers a place for romantic private dining.
Room amenities here include a mini bar, coffee and tea making facility, personal fridge, hair dryer, balcony, full board meals (except alcohol), toiletries, water bottles, island guide and set of activities, storage area, AC and hot and cold shower. One additional thing stands out and is only available to Apulit Island and that is the direct water access from the balcony of the Loft cottages. None of the other El Nido Resorts offer this kind of facility so it is something unique to Apulit.
Despite its exclusivity, Apulit Island Resort is popular online and attracts both local and international customers. The reviews are excellent in all travel websites and majority of their customers expressed their willingness to come back. Tripadvisor gave it a rating of 4.5 with 668 reviews. Booking.com gave it a score of 8.7 with 186 reviews. Lastly, Agoda has an 8.9 rating with 233 reviews to which 98% of their guests voted highly recommended.
Majority of the comments are about how their guests didn’t want to leave the island and how much they enjoyed their experience. They complimented the staff and the food and how everything is kept clean and green in the compound. A lot of guests see and appreciate the efforts that the staffs and management are doing in order to keep the whole island clean and sustainable. Most of all, guests were happy and positively overwhelmed by the number of fun activities lined up for them especially the snorkeling, island-hopping and rappelling.
If there were any negative comment, it was about the long travel time from the airport to the island. Some guests complained about the long journey and the number of transfers they have to do before reaching the island. But all of their complaining stopped when they saw how beautiful it was. Some things to consider for improvement also include: the Wi-Fi access in the rooms and a bit of foot traffic noise on the walkways.
This is what guests really liked in Apulit:
Some negative feedback we managed to collect include:
This resort provides a completely unique experience and will compliment your stay in El Nido very well. Couples usually spend 2-3 nights here and then head on to El Nido to stay at the private island resorts there and visit the famous tourist spots. Apulit is owned by the same company as Pangalusian, Lagen Island and Miniloc resort so standards here are extremely high. In Apulit, you get a world-class all inclusive experience for only half the price.
Aside from the beautiful surroundings, the highlight of your stay would be the direct water access from the resort’s loft water cottages. This experience is unique to Apulit and none of the other exclusive El Nido Resorts have that. This means that only in Apulit Island can you swim, snorkel and kayak from your doorstep which gives you that feeling of being in the Maldives.
These cottages have a floor size of 35sqm and can accommodate 2 persons. There are 30 water cottages and each with its own private walkway and veranda. The bed is a queen-sized bed.
These cottages span 2 floors with separate living area downstairs. There are 20 loft water cottages on the island and they are located at the far end. The bedroom includes a daybed and a king-sized bed. It can accommodate a maximum of 4 persons which is perfect for small groups or families with kids. The size of the cottage is 61 sqm and it has a staircase that leads directly to the water for direct swimming.
