Blue Cove Island Resort — Hotel in Roxas

My wife and I spent 4 days in Blue Cove and loved every day of it.|We stayed from June 16 to 20, worried about the Phillipine rainy season, however, luck was on our side. No rain and instead we enjoyed the sun, not as hot as the usual Philippine summer, but mild and tolerable, it was perfect.||As soon as we arrived, we were greeted by the very friendly Jeane, with fresh coconut drinks in real island fashion. The resort has a decent bar with excellent food (We highly recommend their Blue cove special chicken fillet). Prices are a little bit high but understandable since fresh produce had to be transported everytime from the mainland. Serving size is good.||The room was fine, clean, and most importantly no critters were seen inside. We chose a room with an AC and fan. The AC gets cold after sometime but overall it allowed us to sleep comfortably. (Who needs to stay in the room all day if you are in an island like this anyway).|Note that electricity is limited as the entire island relies on a gas powered generator, but can be extended for a decent fee.|Bathroom was alright, clean, no hot water but I dont see the need for it, flush works well.||Night time is as raw as it can get. You have to experience night time in an isolated island like this! The darkness, sound of nature and waves. But we never felt unsafe throughout our stay.||Mr Jhun took care of all our extra needs and really made our stay unforgetable. If he is still there, make sure you ask him about the other stuff you can do, places you can visit, and food to eat while in the area. Overall the staff were excellent. Cant ask for better people around in an isolated island.||Outside our room, the views are amazing and right in front of the sea. The water is clear with no signs of jellyfish or other scary creatures. Part of the beach is a little rocky however, so you have to manage and swim over the rocks to reach better spots. Highly recommend some kind of rubber footwear. Part of the beach without the rocks was between 5 ft plus of water. You can snorkel a few meters away from the beach as there is quite an abundance of marine life. Atleast here, you dont have to go anywhere else if you plan to just spend your time between your bed and the sea.||For a decent fee, you can ask the staff to take you around. If you dont mind hiking you can visit Bigaho falls, cool freshwater if you get tired of the salty sea. Also opposite of the island is a real fishermen's village, fresh fish for a bbq night. ||I wish I had more photos. But these...

What I liked about Blue Cove is how it is isolated from all other resorts in Port Barton, it takes about 45minutes to get here from the Port. We got here after new year's holiday and incidentally, all other guests have checked out already which meant the resort was entirely ours. ||||Before we even got to the island, Jane of Blue Cove already warned us that the beach at that time is full of seaweed and it was what we saw. At least we had an early warning. Welcome drinks was lovely, fresh coconut juice! ||||The room was nothing fancy but spacious enough for us. There was AC and fan but electricity only runs 5hrs a day. It was ok for us since it wasn't summer time so it was tolerable to sleep without fan/AC. At night, it was challenging to pee in our bathroom because I saw roaches and I am so not friends with them. Mosquito nets are provided in the bed and I understood why. Better pack with insect repellants if you're the type who is ever so loved by mosquitoes. ||||Food in the restaurant is good enough but you would notice the price is a bit high considering all their supplies have to be bought outside the island. Plus, there were no other restaurants within the island. ||||We had to pay for our boat transfers by the way which was a bit pricey too - Ph2k one way. The resort had their own boat but their boatman wasn't available so they had to hire from somewhere else. However, if their own boat will be used, they would still charge us for the transfer - but Jane said it would be like Ph1k one-way. ||||We trekked going to the village behind the resort and it was a challenge and a free gym work out for your legs too. It was calming to see how simple their lives are on that island. The locals are very warm to tourists too. ||||The only thing that disappointed me here is the seaweed (not the resort's fault), and the trash in the beach (plastic bottles/wrappers). A couple of boys were trying their best to clean up but they seem not too enthusiastic about it. I wanted to offer help but on the day I was about to help, we decided to shorten our stay since the weather forecast wasn't looking too well and we still needed to go to Puerto Princesa to catch a flight. ||||I would love to go back here to see it in the summertime and do...

Blue Cove Island resort is a 45 minute boat ride from Port Barton. It is a rustic, charming, friendly little oasis. Please note- this is where you go to get away, and I mean away, from it all. There is limited electricity, the accommodations are similar to camping but you have a villa instead of a tent, the wifi does not always work but trust me, this is why you WANT to go here. In a world where news is surrounding us all the time and there is a non stop buzz of phones and electronics this place allows you to leave it behind.||The resort is family run and while there a young woman, Juna, was my main host and a total delight. She cooked almost all the food which was delicious and fresh, she made a great rum and sprite (they were out of coke) and was lovely to chat with.||It rained most of my time here but it still was perfect. Juna offered me several options for things to do in the rain but all I wanted to do was take in the view and watch the clouds roll by. ||There is a hike to a view point (and trust, it's a real hike so be ready) which has a 360 degree view of the island and its surroundings. There are little boats for you to take if you like, they have a nice little reef you can snorkel or you can even walk to a village that is just over a hill (another serious hike and some rock balancing).||This is not a place that has drinks with umbrellas and cabanas. It is not a place where you will be pampered into relaxation mode. It is a place where nature is the main point (its grounds are immaculate thanks to constant grooming) and it is up to you to find your own adventure. ||In other reviews people complain about the price- this is silly. Be realistic with your expectations when paying 20 something euros per night- also do your research, they clearly state what their resort is about and do not offer any false pretenses. Having said that- it was the best 20 something euros I spent and was just what I was looking for. I was said to say goodbye to Juna and can not thank them enough for giving my mind and body they rest it so...