11 Most Sustainable Eco-Lodges in the Philippines
One of the most stunning countries in Asia, the Philippines is a natural trove of wonders, blessed with dense jungles, sandy white beaches, and vibrant coral reefs. Its stunning beauty becomes too attractive to ignore, so thousands of tourists pour in from all over to get a glimpse.
Naturally, its popularity with tourists has led to environmental concerns, but luckily, the country has identified the problem and is actively working toward restoration and protection of sensitive habitats. Accommodations also vary from high-end resorts to sustainable eco-lodges that provide an eco-friendly stay and encourage tourists to learn about their environment and practice safe initiatives. Here are some of the best eco lodges in the Philippines:
What are eco-lodges?
Eco-lodges are accommodations in undisturbed, remote natural areas where both construction and operation have the lowest impact possible on the environment. They are not only part of the local community, but they are active participants in protecting nature and culturally sensitive areas.
Iris Island Eco Resort
Imagine escaping life and spending a few weeks at a stunning beachfront destination, where the sound of waves crashing against the golden white sand and rustling of the trees become a daily routine. Iris Island Eco Resort invites you to live this dream with much more luxury than you can ever imagine. The eco resort boasts some of the finest accommodations in the area, inviting guests to spend the night in sea-view villas, each adorned with a simple but comfortable style.
The eco-resort allows guests to become one with nature; it provides multiple tourist activities, including kayaking and hiking, and even helps guests plan intimate getaways. The resort isn’t just a sustainable destination; it is the only island in the world to utilize 100% solar energy, even cooking its food using the sun. The eco resort uses greywater recycling, environmental waste reduction techniques, and composting toilets to reduce carbon footprints. Guests are even provided with complimentary biodegradable soaps and shampoos.
Sangat Island Dive Resort
Tourists who can’t help but literally take a dive into the pristine waters of the Philippines can make their way to the Sangat Island Dive Resort, where luxury and adventure go hand in hand. The resort offers tourists the chance to explore Palawan’s stunning beachfront views and eleven local dive sites, where World War 2 Japanese shipwrecks are just a step away.
Sangat Island Dive Resort offered twenty beachfront and hillside chalets and 23 exquisite rooms, all dressed head to toe in indigenous styles. Despite its relatively simple appearance, the resort doesn’t hold back from luxury so that guests can enjoy world-class facilities they won’t even find in some 5-star hotels.
The eco resort’s commitment to protecting its environment almost sounds unrealistic; it supports waste management and recycling systems, utilizes solar systems, and encourages a plastic-free environment. It also promotes eco-friendly activities for guests, prompting them to minimize their carbon footprint and learn about their environment.
El Nido Resorts
Guests who can’t decide on one destination can go to El Nido Resorts, which offers a luxurious stay across multiple gorgeous islands in the Philippines.
Set into the crystal clear waters of Miniloc Island, Lagen Island and Pangulasian Island in El Nido, Palawan, El Nido Resorts make every tourist forget Venice existed. El Nido Resorts allows guests to take a literal step into their environment, where pristine waves, calm sunsets, and a serene view make everything feel like a dream come true. El Nido Resorts offers a variety of diverse lodging, including beachfront suites and rooms and cottages built on stilts.
Guests can enjoy various activities, including kayaking, canoeing, windsurfing, paddleboarding, and other water-based tourist activities. The resorts also offer onsite family-friendly activities like soccer, badminton, movie nights, cultural shows, and board games. It’s even a popular site for destination weddings and work meetings.
The resort’s efforts for sustainability deserve praise; it partakes in waste management, nature conservation and protection, and community engagements.
Bohol Bee Farm Resort
Tourists heading to Bohol will love this 3-star hotel inviting them to a promise of comfort. The Bohol Bee Farm Resort offers a variety of rooms, some offering ocean views while others looking up to the dense tropical paradise.
They strongly emphasize community engagement, so guests can enjoy a plethora of activities ranging from adventure-filled treks to shopping for local handicrafts. The resort even offers a delicious farm-to-table service, where guests can take a bite of mouth-watering Filipino delights.
The Farm blends perfectly with its environment, a purposeful design to encourage sustainability. Among its countless efforts for ecotourism, the Bohol Bee Farm Resort grows its herbs and produce and utilizes water and waste management techniques.
Nurture Wellness Village
Tourists visiting Tagaytay will find the Nurture Wellness Village worthy of their stay; the resort offers a unique chance to learn about Filipino culture. Guests are welcomed into a series of Bahay Kubo, traditional huts lined with comfortable furniture that proudly display Filipino heritage.
Nurture Wellness Village completely blends in with its environment, allowing guests to open their windows to dense vegetation and enjoy coffee. At the same time, the birds and insects chirp melodiously. The eco resort has its own onsite spa and wellness center, so exhausted guests can finally let their hair down. The eco resort isn’t just a sustainable destination; its efforts have earned it the Anahaw Awards from Zero Carbon Resorts, proving its dedication to the environment.
It’s also one of the few resorts in the Philippines to employ professionals actively to ensure its sustainability; the resort’s farm manager is a certified permaculture specialist who encourages natural farming.
Mount Purro Nature Reserve
Nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Madre Mountain Range in Antipolo, Rizal, Mount Purro Nature Reserve is a family-run accommodation that traverses luxury and comfort. The nature reserve offers guests rustic huts erected in the dense forest, allowing them to enjoy Filipino nature without disruption. The huts and their simple but comfortably lavish decor speak volumes about the nature reserve’s down-to-earth personality and are loved by naturalists.
Mount Purro Nature Reserve invites guests to dine on fresh produce courtesy of its Loli’s Kitchen and offers various function areas to encourage socialization and community engagement. Travelers staying at Mount Purro Nature Reserve can avail tourist packages, including hiking, trekking, bonfires, tree planting, and even on-request intimate candlelight dinners. The huts are designed to allow maximum ventilation, but the nature reserve utilizes sustainable methods to stay true to its roots.
Mount Purro Nature Reserve is a gorgeous sanctuary that may not be built for everyone but certainly opens its arms to nature enthusiasts.
Daluyon Beach and Mountain Resort
Nestled in the foothills of St. Paul Subterranean Mountain Ranges in Sabang, Daluyon Beach, and Mountain Resort offers tourists the chance to pause on life and immerse in tranquility. The resort isn’t just one of the best in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, but is considered among the top lodgings in the Philippines.
Daluyon Beach and Mountain Resort features beachfront cabanas and gorgeous rooms, all dressed to pay homage to its Filipino roots. It utilizes sustainable design and practices to ensure a healthy and eco-friendly relationship with its surroundings. The rooms and cabanas have wide window slats that allow air and light to pass through, reducing electrical load. The Daluyon Beach and Mountain Resort’s efforts for sustainability don’t end here; to stay true to its promise,
Daluyon has partnered with Sabang Renewable Energy Corp. (SREC). Of course, the resort has much more to offer, including airport transfers, in-room dining, laundry services, and massage services. It hosts important events like weddings and engagement parties and has many adventure activities.
Atmosphere Resort and Spa
Head to Dauin in Negros Oriental, and you’ll find solace at the Atmosphere Resort and Spa, where guests are treated to a welcoming stay with never-ending hospitality. The resort offers high-end luxurious suites equipped with world-class amenities designed to honor Philippine culture.
The resort has a long list of services; guests can enjoy luxurious private dining, head to the onsite bar to take a load off or go to the spa to wash their worries. Guests are also invited to attend the daily yoga and fitness classes to stay active throughout their stay. Atmosphere Resort and Spa also offers scuba diving courses, local tours, and a babysitting club for parents who want to steal away for a few hours.
Of course, the resort is entirely sustainable; it utilized local materials during its construction and employed innovative technology that cuts off electricity when guests leave. The resort also uses water and waste management techniques and powers on sustainable energy sources.
Amarela Resort
Unwind and become one with nature with the Amarela Resort, which invites guests to enjoy the best of Bohol. Boasting some of the finest amenities in the area, Amarela Resort allows tourists to crash on cloud-like beds and wake up to birds chirping over their shoulders.
The resort offers luxurious rooms, some designed with an eco-friendly concept while others actively work toward a sustainable future. The resort is completely furnished and designed with repurposed wood, reducing environmental waste. The eco resort utilizes solar panels and food and waste collection systems to minimize its carbon footprint. It also encourages guests to practice sustainability to enjoy Bohol’s intricate environment without disrupting the ecosystem.
Amarela Resort employed local artisans during its reconstruction, actively engaging with the community to promote sustainable tourism. Guests can avail various services, including complimentary WiFi, round-trip transfers, and couple massages.
Two Seasons Resort
One of the Philippines’ most stunning destinations, Bulalacao Island, is blessed with golden white beaches and pristine waves, making it a tropical paradise for naturalists. Bulalacao Island’s eye-catching beauty makes it a top contender for destination weddings, so guests will be thrilled to learn about Two Seasons Resort, an eco-friendly spot offering luxurious lodging and a gorgeous place to host fine events.
Two Seasons Resort is Coron’s first eco-friendly luxury island resort, allowing guests to enjoy an opulent stay without worrying about their carbon footprint. The resort offers a combination of bungalows and casitas, each adorned to match the environment, blending in with their surroundings and inviting guests to a nature-immersive stay. The resort is equipped with the finest amenities and powers through solar panels, desalination plants, and sewage treatment techniques.
That’s not all; the resort offers a relaxing spa, onsite sports center, and karaoke rooms, making it perfect for every traveler.
Lotus Valley Farm
Situated in San Juan, La Union, Lotus Valley Farm is a rustic destination that allows its guests to travel back in time and live when times were simpler. The farm offers an open-air adventure for naturalists who want to embrace Mother Nature. Lotus Valley Farm is situated in the middle of the area’s self-sustaining ecosystem, where natural vegetation and fauna take over, immersing guests in rich interaction with nature.
The Farm provides guests with country living accommodations with basic amenities and beds lined with eco-friendly bedding. The lodging is fashioned after traditional bahay kubo, indigenous stilt houses, allowing guests to explore Filipino culture. The huts also contain a fully functional kitchenette so that guests can cook to their comfort.
The eco lodge utilizes sustainable techniques to power its lighting and fans, although its cool temperature rarely demands such necessities. Of course, guests are also welcome to try a farm-to-table breakfast grown right at their door.
BROWSE THROUGH our directory for the most sustainable eco-lodges around the world if you want to experience something unique, authentic, and exciting.
Emese Maczko is a travel blogger behind Eco Lodges Anywhere. Having explored several destinations around Europe, the US, Indonesia, and Australia, and resided in Germany, the United Kingdom, and Luxembourg, Emese possesses a keen understanding of diverse cultures and an appreciation for the beauty of each destination she visits. She advocates for sustainable travel and ecotourism.