Mecaja Dive Resort — Hotel in Roxas

Let me start by saying, i am a 55yr old male and an experienced traveler, i have been to Palawan in the Philippines several times and it's a great place, but if it was possible to give less than 1 star rating for this health hazard accommodation, i would do. The only good thing about Mecaja Dive Resort is that the local Managers (Edmond & Pamela) were very nice people, and the beachfront location is picturesque. However, the negatives far outweigh the positives. I stayed there for 3 nights in May 2022, in a beachfront cabin (#08). The rooms are basic, which is OK, because i wasn't expecting a 5-star resort. I also wasn't expecting to be almost eaten alive every night by whatever creatures have infested the bed & pillows. Of course i did the usual 'pull back the sheets' quick inspection before i went to bed, to ensure there were no surprises waiting for me. When i woke in the morning, i noticed a few tiny red bumps on my legs, arms and torso, but as there is no Air Conditioning in the cabin, i initially thought it was possibly a heat rash. After the second night, i was almost covered in more red bumps and they were itching like crazy. Incidentally, a couple staying in the cabin next door that i befriended told me they were also being severely bitten. Please note, the bites are absolutely definitely not from mosquitoes, as there were none to be seen. Whatever was eating us, was living inside the cabins. In addition to the bed-bug / flea infestation, and no AC, there was also no hot water at any time of the day / night, and the water source itself was brown coloured with a strange 'earthy' odor, no matter how long the water had been left running. The bathroom was poorly maintained and the shower was nothing more than a trickle of rusty water. The one towel provided was heavily stained. I asked for a replacement, and i duly received another heavily stained towel, which i again asked to be changed - 3rd time lucky! I was so uncomfortable with the itching bites that i couldn't wait to leave! On my plane journey home, i felt more itching and i noticed new / fresh bite marks appearing on my torso. It was then that i realized that the infestation had contaminated my clothing and i was carrying the bugs / fleas on my clothes! As soon as i reached my home, i put ALL my travel clothes on a boil wash and high heat drying cycle, including the ones i hadn't even worn / removed from my bag whilst in resort. The itching and bites were so bad and were now covering most of my body, that i went to hospital, where the doctors couldn't believe the extent of bites that i was suffering. They assessed the bites as either bed-bugs or flea bites and they prescribed anti histamines and a topical cream to try and alleviate the itches. Two days after returning and washing all my clothes, i put on a pair of the same (laundered) jeans that i had taken on my travels, within minutes of wearing them, i had new fresh bites on my legs. I am now faced with the stressful and expensive task of having my entire wardrobe and apartment treated by professional pest exterminators to try and kill off the bed-bugs / fleas that Mecaja Dive Resort bestowed on me. I can honestly say that the accommodation was the worst i have ever stayed in during any of my travels and i would highly recommend to anyone that takes the time to read this review, DO NOT GO THERE!!! The entire Mecaja Dive Resort should be closed down as a public...

Words won't do justice to how beautiful and enchanting my stay was at this heavenly resort.

The surrounding nature, clean pristine beach, and waters at this resort are a treasure.

Staying in the bungalow by the beach for 14 nights added to my experience, making it one to cherish and keep for life. Not to forget that it is a great way to learn how to live with nature. The bungalow nonetheless was excellently equipped with plugs, full shower, and clean, well maintained bedding.

The great food, music, facilities, smiling faces, happy curious travellers, the golden sand, cutest dogs, Sune & Dina residing at the resort were the cherry on top.

Most importantly, the team and the owners who have focused so greatly on making this resort feel like home completely delighted me. They care and are passionate about providing an authentic experience.

I would like to send a special thank you with love to Gether for your consistent care, Pina, for your unwavering friendship and support. You've become a real friend, to Grace for your amazing service and cheerfulness, Maymay for your focus and drive, Razal for always making sure my laundry was excellently done, Bryan & Junito for the amazing food made fresh to order every single time ! Cesar, for driving to Port Barton a trip to never forget haha 😄 Kuya Bro Malpez and Dondon for the great work you do to support 💕. You all have become family.

The island hoping, snorkeling around the magnificent coral reefs were unforgettable, the hikes deep into the nearby village and beyond the hanging bridge into the deep jungle, was an absolute expedition into the wild, and I felt like Indian Jones on one of his adventures.

Rich culture and nature of Palawan is an experience I will always be grateful for. What helped me explore all this was the fact that the resort staff had good knowledge of everything around the area and the logistics to support a solo traveller like myself. Even managed to have coconuts every day, fish, prawns, fresh calamari, great drinks, star gaze every night, and complete reading a 400-page book.

As promised, I will be back soon, Mecaja and everyone from the owners to the staff to the cute dogs, and even the bunglow have become home where love, family, and smiles are ever present. Simply put, heaven on earth.

With love and best wishes

Thank you for...

I must say I am not one with high standards when it comes to travelling, but I am very disappointed.

Took a dodgy detour on the dirt road to this place because it is called a DIVE resort and it looked so peaceful and lovely, only to be told that there is no dive master, no tanks, no diving. Eventually some dive master from Port Barton got the short straw and had to drive down to Mecaja for us (I could have gone there myself if they had just told me beforehand), only to find out that the compressor does not work and smells really bad. (???) To me this means that nobody maintians and monitors the compressor room, which is concerning.

This would have been my last dive day before flying out and I would have really appreciated if the lack of dive facilities was communicated at the time of booking. Or maybe next time I should double check if there is diving in a dive resort.

The owners were conveniently not around, and I could not get a refund if I decided to checkout sooner - which I still did. Poor receptionist girl did not know how to apologise.

I stayed for one night only, but how I wish I hadn't. The fan in the room made an awful lot of noise but moved absolutely zero air around. It was impossible to sleep in that heat, there was no drinking water available, no warm water or pressure in the shower, the wifi barely connected, and by the next morning I had about 100 burning bedbug bites all over my legs. Please change mattresses!

Sadly, this has been by far the worst place to stay in the...