Bambu Villa Resort

Lovely resort that is not only great for diving but serve really awesome food!! Have a nice swimming pool for those who don't dive. Great sunset view too! Will definitely come back again...

The resort is beautiful on the outside. Staff, like every other resort in the Philippines goes over and above what should be expected in the hospitality industry. For example, the kitchen staff at Bambu Villa found out that my wife has Celiac Disease and without being asked, prepared special meals for her as part of the included daily buffet breakfast, dinner and lunch. That was a really nice touch and much appreciated by my wife. The personal touch in the Philippines' hospitality industry is second to none. Food was generally very good, with many choices and well prepared. The bar is better stocked than most similar resorts in the area. The dining area is really nice with a great view of Balayan Bay and the nicely manicured grounds of the resort. The dive shop is better than most. It seems to be well equipped with rental equipment (I didn't get a chance to check quality of the rental equipment as we brought our own). Tank, air and weight prices were reasonable. Remarkably, they managed to keep track of everyone's gear, even though there were three large groups of divers undergoing certifications plus the other divers there for fun dives. They offer nitrox fills. The overall setting of the resort is gorgeous; a nice pool in the center of the landscaping overlooked by room balconies and the eating area. It is a bit of a hike down the sloping stairs all the way down to the dive center and beach. (I'll never understand how Philippine cement stairs can be constructed with such high steps (some steps as high as 12-14 inches) and inconsistently mixed in with different heights. This isn't unique to Bambu Villa. It's everywhere in the Philippines). When we entered the room, my wife and I both said, "this is nice!". The room itself was quite nice and spacious. The queen bed was comfortable and had the usual amenities including a working TV. There was a nice balcony outside overlooking the resort grounds and Balayan Bay beyond. But while the room looks first class in photos, in actual fact there were a few problems. Maintenance, (as it seems to be in many resorts in the Philippines) was nowhere near acceptable. The room's air conditioner opening was haphazardly patched with pieces of wood allowing light and insects to enter. The bathroom was in a category of its own: The Ugly. The Ugly: It was evident that our room (#G) had not been occupied for a while, and no one bothered to check it before it was assigned to us. The bathroom was an unmitigated disaster. Although the fixtures were generally good (emphasis on "were"), the shower was a mess. The shower fixture had fallen over from the wall and was unusable. They did repair it promptly when I reported it, but this should have been discovered had they bothered to check the room prior to occupancy. The fixtures and wet surfaces were caked in hard water deposits and looked like they hadn't been cleaned since new. The mirror had water and spit streaks and the bathroom sink was filthy. The countertop was stained with hard water deposits and what seemed like toothpaste spots. The toilet worked OK, but the seat and seat cover were so loose, the whole assembly was ready to fall off at the slightest movement. There were cobwebs on the ceiling and the exhaust fan did not work. In short, the bathroom was disgusting. The facility is advertised as having WiFi. It only has WiFi in the lobby and in the dining area. The speed is slow but useable for simple tasks such as email. Wifi does not reach the guest rooms. When I checked out, I discovered that our room was priced at not $85 (PhP 4300) per night as I expected. It was per person per night! This made it a $170 (PhP 8600) room per night. My room was booked directly with the resort. I checked agoda.com before and after I left and they had listings priced per room as low PhP 4,000. Not per person. Half of what I was charged. This is exceedingly expensive for the experience and far higher than comparable resorts. Get the maintenance issues fixed (no more "puwede na"), price fairly and consistently and 5 stars would be well deserved.

Very friendly staff. Stayed only for a day Dive. Wasn't able to see the overnight accommodations. Cost me 1200 for the resort fee (quite pricey). Rentals are 300-350 for weights and gear. And other misc. (Per set). Then dive master fees. Food was great which was inclusive of the resort fees. Had a total of 3 dives. Fun times..

Large space, nice rooms, lovely staff. They were able to accommodate an event I organized for 50 people. Just be ready for the stairs. I think they also overcharged me one time.

Great views with pool area if you want an intro dive lesson. Rooms are comfy and can accommodate extra beds. But shower/ water can be problematic. Staff are polite.