Kawayan Holiday Resort

Since I could not find a decent looking place to stay in San Juan, I looked at other options around Siquijor and stumbled across Kawayan Holiday Resort. The hotel had great reviews and the photographs of the property looked amazing. The resort was a little more expensive than my desired nightly budget, but since my options were limited, I decided to stay here since an entire cottage was only $66 USD/night. When I arrived, it was immediately apparent why this resort costs a little more than some of the other hotels in the area.

This resort is absolutely breathtaking. The beautiful little cottages have fresh-air bathrooms out back, there are cliffside views of the ocean, dining options, massage/spa options, a private snorkel beach, and private scuba diving options. The stairway down to the beach is so stunning, that tourist vans bring tourists here to take photos on the stairway during the day. I had these amenities included in my stay and was actually a bit bummed that I only stayed here for two nights.

The main reason I left was that I booked another hotel closer to the ferry terminal my last two nights since I had an early ferry departure when I left Siquijor. I cannot recommend this resort enough especially if you are looking for a romantic getaway and are not necessarily looking for the nightlife downtown San Juan provides. Even if you are traveling solo, I would still recommend staying here for a little relaxation and pampering on your trip through The Philippines. You can view rates and availability for Kawayan Holiday Resort here.

Spa and Dining

On my final day at the resort, I booked a private 60-minute massage for the equivalent of about $20 USD. The massage was in a private little gazebo overlooking the ocean. After receiving a relaxing massage, I was served a calming pot of tea while I sat and relaxed overlooking the ocean. This was definitely the most exquisite location I have ever had a massage.

The resort also has delicious breakfast options and nightly dinner selections prepared by the chef. I ate breakfast there both days as well as dinner two nights and all meals were fantastic. If you are looking for a relaxing stay, you could certainly spend your entire day hanging out at the resort.

Pros and cons of Kawayan Holiday Resort

The value received at this resort was pretty amazing for not being all that expensive per night. A resort this beautiful with a private snorkel beach and separate cottages would easily go for over $1,000 USD/night in the US. Below are some pros and cons of staying at this property

Pros

• The resort is beautiful and well maintained.
• The individual cottages are so charming. They have more than adequate air conditioning to get a great nights sleep and the open air bathroom is really neat.
• My room was very clean and spacious.
• The rooms have a nicely stocked mini bar if you need a snack or nightcap while in your room
• The food from the restaurant was delicious. I had two dinners and two breakfasts at the resort, and they were both quite tasty.
• The staff is very friendly and helpful.
• The on-site spa is quite nice. It’s amazing getting a massage overlooking the beautiful blue waters off the coast of Siquijor
• The private snorkeling beach is a great feature and the option for private scuba diving trips is also amazing. I did not dive through the resort since I was traveling solo and wanted to dive with a larger group of divers to share the experience, but this would be a great option if you are traveling with other divers.

Cons

• The property is approximately a 25-minute motor scooter drive away from San Juan (depending on how fast you are comfortable driving).
• If you are planning to enjoy the bars and nightlife in San Juan, the tuk-tuk ride back to the resort will be relatively expensive.
• The resort is a couple miles up a bumpy, pothole riddled road, so getting to the resort is a little nerve wracking if you do not have experience riding a motor scooter. This was the first place I had driven a motor scooter, so this road was a little scary to drive up and down while hauling my backpack and messenger bag.

My ultimate recommendation

As you can see, I do not have any negative things to say about the resort itself. All my cons revolve around its distance from San Juan and the dirt road leading to the resort. Given that these are the only negatives, I would certainly recommend staying here if you are looking for a beautiful hotel with all the amenities at a budget price. If I return to Siquijor, I will absolutely consider staying here again given the budget friendly price and all of the amenities that were included. You can check rates and availability for Kawayan Holiday Resort here. To find out what else you should do in Bohol, read my article about the top things to do in Siquijor here.