Exclusive accommodation, friendly hosts, home-cooked Filipino food and campfires by the sea – we recount our adventure in El Nido.
After living in Singapore for a few years, it’s easy to become a bit jaded when it comes to holidays. A weekend with friends at a luxe villa in Bali – been there. A romantic resort in Vietnam – done that. So when we started planning an extended trip to the Philippines with friends knowing we’d have a bit more time, we decided to seek out accommodation options off the beaten path. With that in mind, we turned to Airbnb in the hopes of finding a place to stay near El Nido, one of the best beach destinations in the Philippines.
We scanned a few of the options available on Airbnb, from beachside houses to bed & breakfasts, until we came across Brother Island. The description promised a private tropical island in the Pacific Ocean complete with white sand beaches and a family home big enough for 10 people – we thought it might be too good to be true, but just in case it wasn’t, we made a request to book it.
After exchanging a few messages with our host Alfred, we confirmed the booking, sent him our dietary restrictions (all meals would be provided), made a few requests (booze – yes please!), and received directions to the drop-off point where someone from Brother Island would meet us. And just like that, we were all set for our Swiss Family Robinson style holiday!
Once in the Philippines, we spent a few days in Puerto Princesa and then embarked on a somewhat harrowing van ride to El Nido. Seven hours and a few near death experiences later (but that’s for another story!), we finally reached the meeting point and carried our luggage overhead to the Brother Island boat crew waiting with two outriggers to take us to the island. Thanks guys!
As we pulled up to Brother Island, exhausted after a full day of travel, the island dog and our new best friend, Zorro, jumped into the ocean to greet us. Once on land, we met our host Alfred, whose family has owned the island for over twenty years. And to our surprise, he told us we were actually his first Airbnb guests.
We deposited our luggage into the spacious family home and relaxed on the picture-perfect beach, taking in the sunset while the staff cooked up the first of many delish Filipino meals. We requested a bonfire after dinner, which Alfred gladly arranged then joined us after with his guitar for a fireside sing-a-long.
A full tour of the island awaited us the next day, and we explored some of the walking trails that led to encounters with wildlife and breathtaking views. After a late morning massage on the beach to soothe our weary limbs, we had yet another scrumptious meal and spent the afternoon relaxing in hammocks, swimming, and playing games. We were totally off the grid and loving it.
We only booked the island for one night as we had quite a packed agenda for the trip, but from start to finish, Alfred and the Brother Island staff looked after us, making it an unforgettable experience. All six of us agreed on one conclusion: it would be hard to top the night we’d spent on a private island, miles from civilisation, belting out Oasis songs and swigging rum and cokes while the ocean waves crashed beside us.
And in case y’all were wondering, we found and booked our Airbnb accommodation right here, for just SGD540 a night. Don’t forget to visit www.airbnb.com/honeycombers to claim your special gift of a $28 SGD voucher, on us!
This article is sponsored by Airbnb.
Written and shot by Allie Spencer.