Review: Flower Island Resort, Palawan

The first thoughts that came through my head as I approached the island resort, “Wow all of the photos I’ve seen don’t do this place any justice!”  You cannot capture the essence of Flower Island by mere pictures alone. Powder fine light brown sand, all hues of blue on the clear skies and in the clean ocean, and an island sanctuary all to your group… the experience is so dreamy it is almost ethereal.

Flower Island Resort proves to be a very special and secluded place that’s real hard to get but worth the almost 7-hour travel time. (Plane from Manila to Puerto Princesa-1hour, Van from Puerto Princesa to Taytay-4 hours and speedboat from Taytay to Flower Island- 1.5hours) The long travel is definitely not for the faint-hearted. But we’re willing adventurers so we are rewarded with this piece of paradise for 3 whole days!

  

We stayed in room 9 which is the second closest fan hut to the reception and dining area.

This trip was actually work for me, A Yin & Yang Yoga retreat by FLOW.  I roomed with another yoga teacher, a photographer and of course my little one who goes wherever I go! I was glad to see the spacious hut good enough for a family of 5!

I didn’t take a very good photo of our bathroom. It was very dark so I chose to open all windows to bring the light in.

My roomie taking a nap with that view. The breeze lulls you to sleep, really!

Family friendly activities include: Two hiking trails, kayaking and snorkelling. Maya, my 1.5 year old daughter is too young for both kayaking and snorkelling so we pursued the hiking trails instead. I’m a bit sad to have missed out on the snorkelling which was fantastic says Paul, one of our guests during the retreat. He saw a manta ray!!! And HUNDREDS of different fish. My husband would have enjoyed this so maybe I should schedule a return? 🙂

This is us in the beginner friendly hike trail around the island which took 45-minutes.

And this is the prize for hiking to The Peak, a 360 view from the top of the island.

They also have an island monkey to Maya’s delight!

The resort staff were very friendly, maybe it’s because we were the only guests there! Nevertheless, we enjoyed their service. And I applaud their chef’s baking skills. All of our desserts were made from scratch in the kitchen.

We had really good chocolate cake, pineapple pie, macaroons and the best sesame cookies I’ve had in my entire life. I’ll be craving for them I know it!

I hear that soon they will have the option for sea planes to cut the travel time short. Hmm..so very tempting!

FLOWER ISLAND RESORT

Website: www.flowerisland-resort.com

Mobile No. Viber/Whatsapp +639175045567

Email: reservations@flowerisland-resort.com / flowerisland.palawan@gmail.com

Instagram: @flowerislandresort_ph

Saigon in September!

photo from theydrawandtravel.com

For my birthday month, I chose an Asian destination we haven’t been to yet. Vietnam is just a short flight away so I booked tickets before my husband  could even change his mind 😂 
Who has been and what are your tips for travel with kids? I have not booked any hotels yet and I’ll be making my itinerary soon based on prior travels by fellow wanderlusts. 

Stay tuned for more details on this birthday trip!

Review: Agung Raka Resort in Ubud, Bali

I booked this resort via Agoda for the FLOW Bali retreat mainly because of the pool which I know everyone would appreciate.

Yes, that is really how it looks like up close and personal. Perfect, isn’t it?

Upon checking in, we were pleasantly surprised to find out that we were upgraded to a Deluxe room (from our Superior room booking).Gee, thanks! Our room was located on the 2nd floor which isn’t too child-friendly or baby-carrying-mommy-friendly but we had marvelous views of the pool and surrounding rice paddies. Usually, there is one king sized bed but I requested for triple shared beds since I roomed with two other adults. I was glad they complied.

The bathroom had the least cookie points because it seemed real old and dark, without any natural light coming through (so important for me!). I didn’t even bother taking a photo.

Breakfast wasn’t fancy either. Some days you choose from Continental, Indonesian or American fare. Other days, they laid out the buffet which didn’t have much options. They start serving at 8am, which I personally find late so if you’re an early riser, request for early breakfast. Again, they gave in to this request of mine. Pretty good service, I must say.

This mother statue spoke to me and the other mothers in our group because she is breastfeeding and babywearing her children. Just like we do! Attachment parents unite!

If you have the budget, book one of their villas for a more authentic experience and privacy. You will also be situated closer to the main entrance versus most rooms which takes about 5-10 min walk or a short golf cart ride to the reception.

Agung Raka Resort and Villas

Address: Jl. Raya, Ubud, Bali 80571, Indonesia

Phone:+62 361 975757

http://www.baliagungrakaresort.com/