Big Bamboo Beach Resort Sipalay in Sipalay

BLUF: A well run three-star budget resort, excellent and accommodating chef, on a open ocean, surf filled, large, quiet, sandy beach. Expect some challenges so you will be pleasantly surprised (don’t expect the Ritz Carlton at 25,000 pesos a night and you won’t be paying 500 pesos for an equally cold San Miguel).PRO: The quiet beach, accommodating staff.CON: Management can try to be too accommodating (e.g. the menu is broad and extensive, crossing European/Filipino/Asian tastes), the elephant-in-the-room … internet - recently installed a Peso-as-you-go WiFi that works fine.NOTES: This is a tiny, narrow resort. It fills with repeat guests on peak seasons/days, understand the challenges (sand migrates everywhere on a sandy location, accommodation in a cottage).WiFi is Peso-as-you-go. For 20 pesos the internet provider gives u 5 hours on your device.HINTS: Ask the staff for menu recommendations. The menu is (perhaps tooextensive & management insists on very fresh high quantity ingredients = some menu items will not be available on any given day.GLOBAL RATING: 3 StarsPHILS RATING: 4 StarsNEGROS RATING: 5 Stars

It was great ❤️

Had a wonderful experience. Staff and owner works super hard and are very lovely people - very accomodating as well. Also their dogs are super cute.Rooms were ok, ammenities were all thereFood serving is generousLocation is the only issue I had - quite far from the city. However, its in the most ideal part of sugar beach - not a lot of people as well

I was only at the bar this visit for coffee. Staff were all wonderful and coffee was perfect.

Spend 2 nights at 8th May 2022 celebrate Mothers Day. Superb experience!!

Nice room, ambiance and the beach. Owner needs to upgrade his wifi connectivity though. It doesn’t reach the rooms. No cell signal as well.

Big Bamboo is very unique resort. Located technically on an island just off sugar Beach, Big Bamboo is dedicated to the local fauna, waves, wind, views, and wildlife.When I first arrived I was greeted very warmly by an eager member of the team who went out of her way to get me settled, this is huge plus for this resort. Their staff will do whatever is needed to help meet your needs.I requested the deluxe room. Quickly I learned of the rooms pros and cons.PROS: clean, new, solid wood cabin. Good A.C., ceiling fan, good shower, reasonably comfy new mattress.CONS: NO TV, phone, wifi, refridge, sitting area, limited viewsNeedless to say the resort is designed around the idea that you go to your room for Sleep, Shower, *hit, Shave, maybe *ex! Lol; but that you do not spend the majority of your time there.Rather they have a great beach, kayaking, boat rides/ Island hopping, and more.The campus is a botanists delight.. All kinds of unique plants and fauna there. Mosquitos were surprisingly sparse. I saw two different types of frogs Ive never seen before my life, and a pair of unique yellow short legged salamanders chasing each other up and down a tree. Mostly I could easily watch a huge variety of colorful and talkative birds from several different species.Unfortunately the two days I was there it rained most all the time. There is Pisonet Wi-Fi in the bar restaurant area but it doesnt reach very far. Smart network works well there, but GLOBE and other networks dont seem to work at all. If you go make sure you have a SMART SIM card if you want data and calling privileges. I was frustrated without any internet or calling privileges because I only had globe and I was a little bit stranded there because of the rain.It would have been nice if the resort had some sim cards for sale for Smart. This would have eased my experience quite a bit.Lastly I have to talk about their food. One would not expect much from this kitchen. One would be very wrong. I had several dishes here which were really amazing. The fried lumpia was the best Ive ever had traveling all over the Philippines for many years. Super light crisp skin, with a freshly made filling of delicious chicken, cabbage, and other vegetables in a perfectly balanced dipping sauce. It really was to die for!!!I also had their chicken wings which were done perfectly and more than enough for a meal.Unlike many Filipino restaurants, they have perfected the art of frying foods and really did an outstanding job with a number of dishes. I ate six meals there and wasnt disappointed by any of them. Occasionally I need to ask for something to be cooked a little bit more but they graciously did it. If I had to survive on their food for the rest of my life that would not be a bad thing. They have a perfect Phil/Am balance in their menu.You can definitely enjoy the experience there if you go with the right expectations. I will be going back again sometime in the future just not during rainy season.

IF ONLY I CAN GIVE ZERONL STAR I WILL DEFINETLY DO. WE BOOKED AND SENT DOWNPAYMENT FOR A ROOM ON MARCH 26, 2022. WE WENT TO THE RESORT AND ON DISBELIEF THE STAFFS ARE SUPER USELESS. IMAGINE GUESTS ARE ASKING FOR THE STATUS OF THE BOOKING AND THEY ARE JUST STARING AT YOU! WORSE IS ITS ALMOST 1 PM AND ITS TIME FOR CHECK IN, THE ROOM WERE WE SUPPOSED TO STAY WAS NOT CLEANED UP. STAFFS ARE NOT ACCOMODATING, THEY ARE NOT HOSPITABLE AT ALL BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE. WE CHOSE TO LEAVE AND NEVER WENT BACK FOR OUR DOWNPAYMENT FOR THE ROOM. IF ONLY I CAN GIVE A ZERO STAR I WOULD DEFINITELY DO. NOT RECOMMENDED FOR TOURIST.

Very nice will be going againGreat staff, beautiful beach, nice room with very good quiet ac.Only complaint would be the room furniture. But didnt spend much time in the room.

Best place if relaxation and exclusivity is what youre looking for. Internet connecyion is a challenge. You have to go to the beach to get a mobile connection.

Wonderful online customer service. 10 stars for Marie-Christine!

At this time, there is no choice of food from the resort. Only 2 or 3 menus available. The sad thing is.. the resort is charging P1,500 for corkage fee when in fact their available food is not satisfying to the guest. Most drinks posted on the menu are not available, like mango and banana shakes, etc. Dart game not available and billiard game cues are damaged.

Excellent resort and enjoy a great stay

Very nice resort and good service😍

Very nice resort and accommodating staff😍

I highly recommend this lovely and beautiful resort. Nice and friendly staff also🤩

The staff was very polite and accommdating, great place to stay.

We visited this Beach resort on a corporate outing. The management was very bad. The manager was very rude🤮. Staff are not friendly and accommodating. The room(family studiowasnt good as expected. We didnt enjoy at all...

Awesome place. Resort looks great.

9pm I couldnt even get a meal as the staff have gone home, pathetic seeing I am on holiday

Love this Beach Resort because there very welcoming and so clean love it🤗😇

Very nice with helpful staff.You need to take a boat to reach resort though.

The place, the food, the beach was so good. Wanna go back here.

Clearly the best resort on sugar beach. DUH-Pamela it’s the best. I’ve came here almost 5 times in the past 4 months and every time I come it’s the best! The owner earl and his brother John are so funny!!! I highly recommend this place!

Big bamboo resort is so much amazing. If you want to relax, bamboo is a place for you. The people there serves you well. They are so accommodating and very much approachable. If you want to stay out of all the worries and crowded places, big bamboo is the best place for you.

The owners are awesome. They are really friendly and the place is quiet. The only thing that needs to change is wifi which doesnt work. It doesnt work in Sugar Beach.

this place is really amazing... the owner and the staff are very friendly, helpful and accommodating.... THIS IS THE BEST PLACE TO STAY IN SUGAR BEACH : ....

The place is good. It really has a good ambience, food is good as well. However, there is a need for the management to put attention on how to keep the mosquitoes away. I got a lot of remembrance from their resort (mosquito bites). They attack in the morning and at night they become more intense. I understand that it was maybe because they got a lot of plants at the back.Second, I recommend they get a stronger and faster Internet that could reach their Nipas and Bamboo houses not to mention that the area does not have a fair signal (data or mobile connection). Lastly, we all know that the first thing we always wanted to get from businesses like this (most especially when we wanted to relax and have funis the way the staff entertains or behaves, right? So you probably get the point. Overall, my experience was good.

Great place ,Great food ,great beach ,some attention to detail needed but rennovations ongoing.Not a fan of dogs in the reception /restaurant area!

If youre looking for a place to totally disconnect to the busy world, Big Bamboo Beach Resort is what youre looking for. This place helped me fully relax both mentally and physically :Their food are really good, but a bit pricey.Big Bamboos staffs are all lovely, theyre very accomodating and bubbly.The beach is without a doubt amazing, perfect for beach sports and of course summertime swimming escaped. And for its last card- a picture-perfect for sunset for all of its guests.

Friendly staff, great food. If youre a pancake fan...this is your place to be...huge and yummy portions.

Beautiful Place to watch the sunset/sunrise to pace yourself with walking along the beach. Friendly owner and staff whom have such smiling personalities to be friends with. Food is great and good portions too. Competitive volleyball is a highlight in the area. And dont get me started on the cute dogs. Very easy to be friends with the locals as well as other guests. Definitely would comeback.

Beautiful Place🏖 The staff and owner were accommodating and friendly. They have restaurant and bar. Food serving is good for 3 to 4 people. We had fun playing beach volleyball.🏐🏊‍♂️Dont get confused when booking online via debit or credit card as it was only to hold the reservation. Payment should be made at the property.

Only reason why I gave this was because no internet but yeah thats the point of a vacation right being away with gadgets but would like to get in touch with the people I love also but so far the place is really nice and the staff is very accommodating they make you feel that you are at home.

Great staff-Accommodating, friendly, very responsive.Price-Reasonable, food is great, rooms are well made, cozy and clean!Beach is amazingly beautiful, peaceful and has a long & wide shoreline that you’ll enjoy walking barefoot!Location is far but worth the trip!The locals are very friendly & helpful!The owner is very kind, helpful, friendly and fun!Would recommend this to anyone that’s on a budget but looking for a great place to relax and enjoy their vacation!!!

If youre looking for a cheap beach front resort this is the place ur looking for. They have big place to chill out and play around. You can also have bonfire, stargazing and have fun with ur friends while u own the whole beach at night. We came here off peak days so we felt we own the whole island. Lol Just dont expect much of the rooms. But its just fine for a budget traveler like me. 😂

It was great, very accommodating staffs. gonna visit again. Its a good place if you want to unwind but also saving. And affordable. Definitely will visit again. 👍

A convenient, affordable, well-maintained and clean place to stay in for a short vacation with friendly and accommodating staff to top it with. They have a few air-conditioned rooms but most are fan rooms. You can bring your food and cook it in their grilling area at the back of the kitchen. You can bring your own pots and pans but you can also borrow from them. They have lounge chairs and hammocks at the beach where you can relax in. The food served at their restaurant is just the right price and can be shared by 2-3 persons. They have their own pumpboat that can pick you up from the Sipalay Environment Center and drop you off at the resort and vice versa. You can also rent the pumpboat for island hopping with snorkeling gear included at affordable prices (The Shipwreck is a must-see!). They also have kayaks that you can rent at 600/4 hrs. You can play beach volley ball and frisbee with the locals and the sons owner in the afternoon.

We travelled Philippines for 6 weeks and looking back I can tell that the time in Big Bamboo Beach Resort at Sugar Beach was the most beautiful one. We had the chance to play beachvolleyball or billiard, enjoy good food and a nice atmosphere in the restaurant.The staff was friendly the owner of the hostel is a young but very professional and also entertaining person.The nature nearby Big Bamboo is breathtaking, you can either hike or relax, snorchle or admire caves. We also made a trip one day to see the mangrove forest.I can also tell that the rooms are comfortable and clean. We stayed in the cheapest one, which is a dorm and affordable for backpackers. But there are several private houses that seemed to be appropriate for people that look for more quiet places.Have fun enjoying Big Bamboo, I´m sorry that I had to leave!Laura from Germany

I traveled many places in the Visaya Islands but I never enjoyed a Resort as much as I did Big Bamboo. The stuff is not only friendly and professional they also invited us for different activities like joining a fiesta. Any time they made us feel very comfortable. The Big Bamboo offers also many games like cards, billiard, volleyball or darts so that we extended our one-night-stay up to 4 nights. Nice, cheap, quiet and relaxed place to hang out and appreciate the food, people and nature of the Philippines.

If you are looking for a nice accommodation but on a budget this is the best place and the people are friendly and very accommodating.

We got married in this wonderful place with super friendly staff and great accommodations and very affordable prices. We were able to rent the whole resort for our family and and wedding guests. We are planning to go back there this year for our anniversary. Highly recommended for budget travellers.

beautiful resort, beach, surrounding landscapes and a wonderful professional staff...the perfect stay!!

Great place to stay with superfriendly host who takes good care of their guests. Nice huts and cottages in a tropical garden just along the beach. Genuin stay like in paradise.

The resort was very private which is something very nice if you want some quite time. The wifi is on the bar area so youd have to go out of your room to get a better signal since it ia only through pocket wifi. The rooms are nice though. Bathrooms need better cleaning though.

seems a bit abandonned, room is ok but bathroom was really dirty after one night we left to another resort cheaper and way better.

Not particularly nice nor clean, looks kind of abandoned. Best choice in Lonely Planet but I dont really see why. And more expensive than the other ones, way better.

Good accommodation. ...very relaxing. Sugar beach is a great place away from the crowds.

Very accommodation and friendly staff. One of unforgettable experience...and cant help to come again and again... See next summer guys...👍

Lovely quiet resort, great food, only problem is lack of WiFi but I hear that will change soon