Balay Tuko Garden Inn — Hotel in Puerto Princesa

From the moment we entered we were impressed with the grounds, lots of trees and plants, a huge aviary with some very happy budgies, two lovely Shih Tzu’s and a cat. The strange point was before arriving we were talking about how we were missing our Shih Tzu’s then seing two really bought a smile to our faces. ||Walking to reception the vibe of the place was, it’s family run, not sure if that’s right but I’m going with my instinct. The staff in all areas were great, many doubling up in other areas. ||We had room 3 which is next to reception. It was very clean, the bed very comfortable, very good air-con with a ceiling fan also. Good size flatscreen TV with a multitude of channels, fast wifi, open plan wardrobe and shelves for clothes and plenty of lighting and plug sockets for gadgets. ||Bathroom is spacious with a powerful rainforest shower and good quality towels. You will need to bring your own toiletries as they do not supply those. ||Your order breakfast in the evening for the morning, it’s adequate to kick start the day and good quality. We ordered our evening meal after breakfast, absolutely everything is fresh and after being in El Nido you will understand what a God send that is.||They have a large indoor swimming pool which is also used to teach sub aqua diving so if your looking to do a PADI course then stay here as it’s excellent value for money. We also hired Scooters at the hotel which were nearly new. and their local knowledge of areas to visit was very helpful. ||We stayed twice here as we wanted to travel the island and they allowed us to leave our luggage at no charge, even late checkout was not a problem, we really loved everything about this place. ||When travelling around Palawan you are restricted on luggage, the busses generally allow 15kg per person, the vans alot less. We didn’t like the van due to being packed in like sardines and me being claustrophobic so we went to El Nido by taxi which was £110 and came back by bus which was £24 for the two of us.||Next time we will spend more time in this area as we really haven’t done it justice and Balay Tuko...

One of the worst hotel hospitality of my life! I had indicated days earlier that I would like to make a reservation for the Underground River, but my question had not been answered in any meaningful way. When we arrived, we were greeted by the grumpy, picaresque old owner, from whom we immediately booked the all-day programme for the following morning. I even asked him if he had to pay, but he said we wouldn't be able to get up anyway, but if we did, we'd have to pay the service provider. In the morning we were waiting for our ride at 7 am, they had already taken several people, but nobody knew about us. Luckily, one of the tour companies had 2 seats available so we were able to go with them in the end. If you read the replies to the critical comments you will understand what I am talking about. He always blames the guests, never admitting responsibility. We spoke to several other guests and they had similar bad experiences with the owner! This is also sad because we would have been absolutely delighted with the beautiful hotel. If you don't want an unpleasant stay in Puerto Princesa I would definitely NOT...

We had an extremely lovely stay at Balay Tuko for 4 nights and 5 days. Highlights:

centrally located close to a grocery and mall; Robinson’s about 3-5 minutes tricycle away the inn is located on the outskirts of town. But if you’re visiting for any of the tours (PPUR, firefly) the tour will pick you up first since you’re along the way serene atmosphere for a relaxing stay away from city noise and traffic a beautiful garden to wake up to, especially in the morning appreciated that the rooms were made of non-allergenic material and very clean. AC worked perfectly and there was a free large water dispenser per every 4/5 rooms. the owner was French and seemed eager to share conversation with us about our travels. He built Balay Tuko from scratch in the 1990’s and since it has grown into a beautiful place to say the least! laundry for a fee, kitchen serves breakfast/lunch/dinner, largest indoor swimming pool in town, setup of their tours are coordinated and not at all disappointing

Recommend this stay for couples who like their space & families since it is a safe and...