Terra Nova - El Nido private resort & villas — Hotel in Palawan

Love & Recommend Terra Nova

If you're tired of the typical tropical resorts & crave an authentic experience in nature, look no further than Terra Nova in the Philippines. This hidden gem deserves not just stars but constellations for its unique charm.

At Terra Nova, you're not just a tourist; you're a temporary resident, immersed in the rich culture & environment. The beaches flanking each of the cozy cabins are your private paradise, falling asleep to the waves lapping meters away and waking to coffee and the sunrise on your balcony. With the added bonus of snorkeling, kayaking, and paddleboarding—your day is planned without leaving the beach.

But wait, it gets even more enchanting. Private tours and boat rides to secluded secret beaches? Guy & the resort staff doesn't just give you meals & a cabin–they gift you an experience.

We spent a magical evening, invited to the nearby town for a lively festival with delicious street vendor foods, and dancing the night away with the friendly resort employees. Meeting local families and eating authentic foods added genuine connection to our visit here.

And here's the cream on the pineapple upside down cake they serve with mango ice cream (all homemade): Terra Nova respects your quiet mornings. With free WiFi, delicious foods, coffee, and tropical fruits, it was my personal writer's retreat. I finished my manuscript with morning peaceful sunrise then spent my day swimming and collecting shells.

This place isn't for quiet couples (like us) but it's a haven for families, too. A little, shallow, protected, private beach ensures safe swimming for young children, away from the crowds. No annoying tourists to spoil the view or crowd you out of the beach.

We feasted on delectable pizzas and seafood dishes. Terra Nova's culinary offerings are very-French inspired with creamy soups, and buttery crepes. And I ordered banana or mango shakes every night (my husband ordered rum cocktails) to savor while watching the sunset. Romantic!

For those who need a break from the hustle and bustle, Terra Nova is the retreat for you. While larger towns and touristy places beckon others, we blissfully cherished the intimacy this resort provided.

I forgot to mention—a private massage ordered to the cabin was a divine touch to our already dreamy stay.

In conclusion, if you're yearning for an easy, quiet retreat, Terra Nova is your destination. This place is a resort with private cabins, & beaches, staff provide anything you ask for (from toenail clippers, to planning beach days with picnic baskets/snorkel/sunscreen provided on private white sandy beaches. Highly...

We are a family of 7 who were visiting the area for a Christmas holiday together and had mixed feelings about our stay at Terra Nova in El Nido. The staff we exceptionally friendly, warm, welcoming and helpful. They were so wonderful with our 2 year old, playing with him on the beach and singing karaoke with him. The setting itself is beautiful and peaceful, and the rooms were immaculate. The food was also delicious.

However the staff were aware of our exceptionally long journey from Coron to Terra Nova due to the typhoon, yet when we finally arrived after 12 hours of travelling there was no hot water for us to shower. I think this was a huge let down considering how much we paid per night and how far we had travelled to get there.

In addition, we were offered multiple drinks throughout our island hopping but it was not made clear at the time that these would be charged as extras (I have looked back and can see that this was noted in your very long email of instructions, but it would be good to make this clear to your guests upon arrival as there is a lot of info in your original email).

Further to the above, I actually feel that the per night price is so significant that it should be on an all inclusive basis. We had just done 3 days/2 nights island hopping in Coron with another private tour company and it was similarly priced to Terra Nova but everything was included. It is isn’t nice to be presented with a bill when you’ve already paid a significant fee to stay there.

I also think that each villa should have its own designated boat, otherwise it could be a lot of people on one boat and you are at the mercy of what the majority want to do and see, which may not suit everyone. We are a family who likes to rise early, make the most of our day and avoid the tourist crowds as must as possible. The staff at Terra Nova did not listen to this and despite requesting going out on the boat early (say 8am) they made us hang around until nearly 10am without reason and then we ended up visiting the highlights of El Nido with a million other tourists in the peak of the day. I have since been informed by Management that this was due to Coast Guard instructions. Had we been told this at the time, we would been fine with it. But the hanging around for what appeared to be no reason was not good.

Overall, what Guy, Eric and his team are doing is very admirable and I cannot stress enough how beautiful the setting is and the villas are, as well as their amazing team. Perhaps we just had too high expectations given...

Let me start off by saying that this is not a typical beach resort: there are bugs, electricity is out for part of the day (usually while we were on expeditions), there is no air conditioning (they are working on this – but AC wasn’t really needed as it cooled off in the evenings), hot water isn’t available all day, there is no wi-fi (they hope to have this fixed soon), and cell reception is spotty. However, these minor “inconveniences” just make the stories about our stay at Terra Nova more interesting, and did nothing to dampen our fun. In fact, we had more fun, in some cases, going without (i.e., kids were not on their devices all day).

What Terra Nova lacks in modern conveniences is more than compensated for by the amazing staff. Guy, Neil, and the rest of the staff went out of their way to ensure we had an amazing time. One of the greatest benefits of staying at Terra Nova are the expeditions. Every day, the staff prepared an itinerary that included waterfalls, beautiful beaches, secret lagoons, and amazing snorkeling. They took us out every morning on their private boat and spent the whole day ferrying us from spot to spot to show us the best that El Nido has to offer. We have paid several hundred dollars at other resorts to go on expeditions that didn’t compare to what we saw with the Terra Nova crew. The savings on expeditions alone make a stay at Terra Nova worthwhile.

But, that’s not all! The price of our stay also included all meals (prepared by the amazing singing chef). We had breakfast every morning before heading out.. Then, we would have lunch on the boat or a beach. Finally, dinner back at Terra Nova. We really enjoyed the dinners as the staff again went out of their way to make each dinner special. This included treasure hunts, karaoke, and dinner on the beach by a bonfire.

My family and I absolutely enjoyed our stay at Terra Nova and hope to go back some day. I definitely recommend staying here for a unique, once in a...