Nay Palad Hideaway — Hotel in General Luna

It’s been just five days since we left Nay Palad, and I cannot stop thinking about the dreamy paradise trip spent with family members there. We all were wowed and awed! I’ve had the privilege of staying at some exquisite hotel properties from four seasons to park Hyatt to el Nido resorts. Nay Palad is in a class of its own, barefoot luxury they call it. Yes, lean in to it! Love is in the attention to details, from the cold towels and coconut juice welcome at the airport and jeepney ride traversing siargao to the hideaway. To Trisha’s passing out folding fans to each guest and guiding from baggage claim, to resort, to our villas. To the staff’s lined up welcome at entrance. Wow factor in the warmth of staff. I even met RJ who I had been corresponding with via email weeks leading up to the trip. She was up front with lined up at entrance with the rest of the staff! Flo and Trisha were the utmost professionals keeping track of tides, weather, massages, meals, outings, spa appointments, meals, and individual requests (and somehow always provided an atmosphere of calm, ease, and flawlessly relaxed orchestration. Oh, If you like snacks…dried mango and cookies and cold drinks we’re always available in the villas. I Had fun finding the nay palad logo stamped on everything… it felt like a wink at every move of the eye at this gorgeous property. The architectural design and tropical dreamscapes are quite the experience at this hideaway. You want quiet and privacy, you’ll get it. Staff were always just an iPad text away. In terms of the dining experiences, wow! Our family meals were memorable! We wanted a complex set of Filipino cuisine. We got it all and then some. (The breads!! The coconut flat bread the native deserts!) Delicious food and amazing service for every sit down meal. Nay Palad has a cadre of amazing professionals from Angel and Rue and the chefs serving and preparing exquisite meals at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. To the massage therapists Ruby, Ira, and Joy. To the housekeeping staff that made the beautiful breathtaking rooms and sexy turndown of the billowing kulambo nets at night. To edmar serving warmth and delicious cocktails at sunset. To captain David and the boatmen who took us out canoeing and SUP in the mangroves and island hopping and snorkeling in the lovely boat! hosts Vince and Mart for welcoming us. It’s the community of people of this dreamy resort that make it unmatched. It was a once in a lifetime splurge, but honestly… I can’t wait to return to the beautiful mangroves, breathtaking beaches and luxurious villas. Maybe in my dreams. However, I’ll keep their Spotify playlist on repeat and relive Nay Palad daily (yes the playlists in the villa create a vibe!) Island paradise found here! Maraming salamat po, Nay Palad family. Can’t wait to...

From the moment you're picked up at the airport until the end of your holiday, everything is incredibly well organized.|As soon as you arrive, you're welcomed with warm smiles from the staff and that kindness lasts throughout your entire stay. Every moment, someone is making sure you're having a fantastic time.||We booked an ocean view villa, which offers a stunning view when you wake up! The rooms were spacious and beautifully designed. Outside, there was a nice patio with very comfortable lounge options.|Staying at Nay Palad all felt and is super relaxed, you don't need to show up for early breakfasts, no fixed times for lunch or dinner. It’s all up to you.|Speaking of food and drinks. The food is amazing. give Chef Thorsten the freedom to surprise you with his creations, not only do they taste incredible, but they also look great. You’ll enjoy it.|Take a seat at the pool bar after one of those fantastic meals (or anytime during the day) and ask Jake for a cocktail. He’ll add a creative twist to familiar favorites or surprise you with one of his own creations.||Need to relax your body? Head to the spa for a massage. My wife absolutely loved them, and they even convinced me to try one... and I loved it too :)|The activities perfectly match the laid-back yet luxurious vibe of the resort. We went on the island tour which ended with a fantastic picnic on a beautiful beach after a bit of snorkeling. We also did an excursion with Kirk, who showed us the island's highlights. Kirk is not only a great driver, he is an excellent guide too. Perfect guy to spend a day with.|After an easy afternoon at the resort they took us to one of the most amazing surprises of this resort. The mangrove. Don't miss this one. We did a nice SUP tour with Kirk through the calm waters of the mangrove forest, then sat at the pagoda with a glass of wine and some bites to watch the sunset, no doubt it was one of the best sunset spot on the island.|If SUP feelt too easy and you're looking for a bit more adventure, try surfing at Cloud 9. I had never surfed before, but they paired me with a local legend who got me up and riding the waves!||We had a great time here, and cannot wait to come back to this fantastic place.|A big thank you to everyone who made our...

Nay Palad is special. We've stayed at a few well-conceived, luxury resorts in the Philippines. Nay Palad is the best out of all them.

Reasons why:

Staff is fantastic. The Philippines and Asia more broadly have a penchant for training staff to behave in almost a subservient manner (eg lots of bowing, ma'am/sirs, etc). It can be awkward and uncomfortable for those NOT looking for people to act as servants. Nay Palad hits the target with super helpful, knowledgeable staff who consider all the details -- but do so in an easy-going, comfortable way.

Facilities are top notch. Again, really great attention to detail. Very comfortable. Yes, there are mosquitos, but lather yourself up in bug repellent and you'll be fine. It's nature, so worth just embracing it.

The food is the best we've had. Chef Marc and his team are top notch. Whether it was local cuisine like pancit for my birthday or the multi-course fine dining dinners, the food was really well-done.

If you're looking to splash around on a beach directly on resort property, you won't really find that here. However, they can take you to some great beaches whether via island hopping or during the land tour. Frankly, the beaches and minimal presence of rocks are better in places like Coron or Boracay (though you still have to island hop to get to nice beaches when visiting Coron), but I prefer less crowded, less developed areas.

Siargao is so clean and beautiful. The locals are kind and easy-going. There seems to be a concerted effort to ensure Siargao does not turn into another over-developed, crowded Boracay. We didn't try any restaurants in General Luna as our meals at Nay Palad were amazing and frankly already paid for given the all-inclusive aspect of the resort, but we did go to The Spotted Pig per a recommendation from the Nay Palad yoga instructor, Michelle, and it definitely hit my specially coffee spot.

If you can swing the prices, you should definitely go. We felt it was worth it and definitely...