Find out how you can fully enjoy your holiday at the luxurious Dos Palmas Resort and Spa in Palawan.
Dos Palmas Island Resort and Spa offers the ultimate luxury island getaway to
its guests. Located on Arrecife Island off Honda Bay in Puerto Princesa,
Palawan, Dos Palmas is surrounded by pristine turquoise waters and boasts stunning white-sand beaches; truly a visual treat for those who love the
sea. It's the perfect hideaway for the entire family where you can just relax and enjoy the quietude that Dos Palmas has to offer.
6 Top Things To Do In Dos Palmas Island Resort And Spa [With Kid-Friendly Options]
At Dos Palmas, guests can look forward to unharried days without the crowd and
other distractions so that they can enjoy their holiday to its fullest.
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| Sunken boat off Honda Bay |
Dos Palmas may have earned notoriety and made it to the headlines because of
two unfortunate events: first was the untimely demise of matinee idol Rico
Yan inside the resort and second was the Abu Sayyaf kidnapping incident
which involved some of its guests.
Both of those events happened just a year apart! Looking past these two
unfortunate events, however, there are so many things to love about Dos
Palmas.
Our experience at Dos Palmas
Immediately upon our arrival at Dos Palmas, we were given a brief about the resort. It is during this briefing that we learned that the island,
powered only by generators, observes total power and water shut down from
10:00 AM to 11:00 AM every day to conserve energy.
We booked an overnight stay at Dos Palmas Island Resort & Spa to cap
our week-long holiday in celebration of our second wedding
anniversary.
We spent most of our time on the beach. When dusk came, we quietly sat on the beach as we waited for the sun to set. It was, for us, the best activity to conclude the day.
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| Sunset |
We marveled at how peaceful the beach was on this side of Palawan. We
watched in awe as the sun began to descend over the horizon, and as the sky was painted a hue of red and orange.
The changing colors of the sky seemed dreamy. We considered ourselves lucky to behold one of nature's most wondrous sights. We were also fortunate in being able to find contentment in the simplest of things.
How to go to Dos Palmas Island Resort and Spa
The only way to go to Dos Palmas is via ferry boat ride which is included in all tour packages. Keep in mind though that the boats follow a set schedule.
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| Arriving at Dos Palmas |
As such, you should arrive at Sta. Lourdes/Honda Bay wharf on your intended time of departure. An air-conditioned van is also included in the package, as such, you can arrange for it to fetch you from your hotel or the airport and take you to Sta. Lourdes wharf so that you will not miss your boat ride.
The same ferry boat will take you back to the wharf after checking out of Dos
Palmas.
Old-looking but well-maintained rooms
We booked a room in one of the Beach Villas, which is located immediately at the beachfront. Dos Palmas’ rooms obviously look old but they are well-maintained, thus ging the air of an antique beach house.
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| Beach Villa |
Our room had a standard queen-sized bed, cabinets, and a personal refrigerator. It
opened to a verandah which gave a view of a mangrove patch and the
beach.
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| The bed |
Meanwhile, the bathroom also had all the standard amenities, including a hot and cold shower. The water from the faucet and shower is slightly salty though, which made it challenging to wash the soap off.
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| Bath amenities |
Since the island uses generators, don't expect the air conditioning to blast out freezing cold air. But don't worry because the air is cool enough to provide respite from the blazing sun outside.
6 top things to do at Dos Palmas
While we spent most of our time at the beach, we also took advantage of some
of Dos Palmas' amenities and package inclusions.
Here are some of the complimentary activities that you can do at Dos Palmas. You can even bring your kids with you in some of these activities.
1. Visit Isla Puting Buhangin
What we love most about the tour package of Dos Palmas is the inclusion of a
complimentary tour to the beautiful Isla Puting Buhangin in Honda Bay.
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| Isla Puting Buhangin |
We were not able to check in early, hence, we immediately availed of the tour.
The island is a sandbar, very raw with just 2 cottages. The sand was very
white, almost as fine as Boracay's.
Since it is in the middle of Honda Bay, strong waves are to be expected. The surrounding water was incredibly deep turquoise.
Much of the island is submerged in water during high tide but during low tide, one may walk along the long sandbar and enjoy a good view of the clear water.
2. Go snorkeling
Immediately after our Isla Puting Buhangin tour, we went snorkeling at Honda
Bay. This is also a free activity, including the boat and the swimming gear.
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| Snorkeling |
Being non-swimmers, we found it challenging being in the open sea because of the large waves and the strong current.
We did enjoy the underwater view of the reef though, with all the colorful fishes. Our boatman gave us a piece of bread to lure the fishes closer to us.
3. Kayak at the beach
Guests are free to use the kayaks are much as they want. However, guests are
reminded to practice safety precautions by wearing life vests and aqua shoes
even if they were swimming in shallow waters.
4. Swim in the pool
There is a swimming pool located near the dining hall and in the spa area.
Guests may take a dip anytime they want to, except during evenings when the
pools are closed.
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| Swimming pool |
If you want a more private swimming session, then you should go to the spa
area.
5. Have a relaxing massage at the spa
If you want maximum relaxation during your vacation, you can opt to indulge in a relaxing Swedish massage in the hands of a well-trained therapist at the spa.
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| Spa area |
Take note, however, that these wellness services are not included in the tour package. Payment for massages and treatments is separate.
6. Enjoy the recreation area
The recreation area is open to guests who want to play billiards and darts,
among others. Use of these facilities is free of charge.
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| Beach benches |
By the way, there is no nightlife in Dos Palmas. There are no beach parties or booming music. As such, expect to be enveloped in a lot of peace and quiet during your stay.
Lastly, Doa Palmas has a clinic, a chapel, and a souvenir store. You might
want to check these out during your stay.
Dining at Dos Palmas
There is a restaurant at Dos Palmas where they serve all their meals. This is
also where we had all our meals during our stay.
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| Breakfast food |
The menu is quite extensive as it features a lot of meat, seafood, and vegetable dishes. They also have light snack offerings for quick bites.
If you availed of an overnight stay, the breakfast buffet is included. The food that they served is really good and is something to look forward to.
Epilogue
We didn’t regret in any bit our stay in Dos Palmas. It was one of the best resorts that we have ever been to.
Our experience in Dos Palmas is comparable to our stay in Costa Pacifica – the rooms, the quiet evenings, the affordable food, and the hospitable staff. Dos Palmas is definitely worth a visit when in
Puerto Princesa City.
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For inquiries on overnight room rates and day tour packages, you may get in
touch with
Dos Palmas Island Resort and Spa
through the following:
Dos Palmas Island Resort & Spa
Arreceffi Island Resort
Honda Bay, Puerto Princesa
Palawan, 5300, Philippines
Manila Sales Office
Unit 1005 Antel Global Corporate Center
Julia Vargas Ave., Ortigas Center
Pasig City 1605, Philippines
Contact Numbers:
Phone: +63 2 637 4226/36
Mobile: +63 917 500 0154
Fax: +63 2 637 4230 Email:
info@dospalmas.com.ph
Office Hours: Monday – Friday (8 am to 6:30 pm)
Palawan Sales Office
89 Lacao St.
Puerto Princesa City, Palawan 5300 Philippines
Contact Numbers:
Phone: +63 48 434 3118
Mobile: +63 917 590 4442
Fax: +63 48 434 5362 Office Hours: Monday – Sunday (8 am to 6:30 pm)
Disclaimer: This Dos Palmas Island Resort and Spa review is not sponsored.
All opinions are ours.
This post may contain affiliate links, including those from Amazon Associates, which means that if you book or purchase anything through one of those links, we may earn a small commission but at no extra cost to you. All opinions are ours and we only promote products that we use.
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Beautiful getaway location. You both had a lovely time there I suppose! Specially in love with the sunset capture!
ReplyDeleteYes, we indeed had a wonderful time at Dos Palmas Island Resort and Spa. Thank you!
DeleteI had the best time there too. The staff was awesome!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to hear that you had a similar experience at Dos Palmas. Thank you for dropping by.
DeleteAre they still open after the pandemic??? Very memorable for us, my bf proposed back then and we got married there too! Wedding ceremony on Isla Puting Buhangin and the reception in the main island. Now me and my husband plans to go back there with our 2 kids! :)
ReplyDeleteHello! Unfortunately, Dos Palmas is indefinitely closed.
Delete