The Island Explorer

Villas or vacation rentals are still a lesser known accommodation type in the Philippines. Most Filipinos would gravitate towards resorts and hotels. Since I discovered vacation rentals way back during my South African trip, I have not stopped looking for houses that can be rented for a day or two. Well, this post is about a beach house I rented recently in the most popular island in the country. I couldn't stop raving about it ever since. Welcome to Villa Kaloo.

The title says it all and I am struggling to write this post as I see the pictures once again. Perched high above the dramatic cliffs of Uluwatu, the Alila Villas soars in every aspect of a resort experience.

I don't know how I do it, but I guess I seem to have a lucky charm with hotels and resorts. Just by looking at a picture and analyzing its review, I can really tell if it would meet my high standards. For my latest trip to Bali, I was looking for a new villa to stay in. While skimming through Agoda, I found a decent looking one priced at only USD 120 - with a private pool. 

A visit up north to La Union usually comes with a stopover in the province's most prestigious resort complex - Thunderbird Resorts Poro Point. With an impressive view of the South China Sea, its notably Greek architecture and design stands out among the rest of resorts in the region. 

Perhaps the most compelling reason for you to go to Bellarocca are their villas - stunning, gorgeous, like a house for the gods. Named after greek gods, these villas are worth P50,000 a night, but we only paid P25,000 for each, after being upgraded. So, call us lucky and all, but our experience would not be the same if we didn't stay in these hedonistic dens. Since we were a group of 18, we booked 6 villas in all, some had two-bedrooms, while the rest had only one. The villa above is our villa, Zeus, a two-bedroom suite with one of the most breathtaking views of the Sibuyan Sea. It came with a 4-meter lap pool and a separate jacuzzi. When I first entered, I didn't know how to react. I wandered over to a balcony, which was connected to a bedroom. We immediately seized that room, knowing it had a great view. And it was the only bedroom among all the six that had a balcony like that. The bedroom was large, with a huge king size bed. The sheets were very comfortable and spotless.

The last time I was in Bali, I stayed in Ulu Villas, thinking it was just a resort. I was shocked that it was a private compound, with only 4 rooms, all villa style. This was almost 5 years ago, and it was my first time to stay in a villa. This time, I made sure we stayed in a villa again. Bali is perhaps the birthplace of the villa concept, and thus, Bali has several options. I have been searching the net for cheap but nice villas, but I wasn't able to book one until the night before we left for Bali. The only one available was Pyaar, an Indian inspired villa in a compound called 4@Drupadi. The compound was located in Seminyak, the upscale neighborhood of Bali. I initially wanted a modern Balinese villa, but I couldn't find any. And besides, I couldn't find a price that could match the one I got. Imagine, $200 a night for a 3-bedroom villa. And the pictures from the net didn't look bad. So, I went for it, and told my agent to make the booking. Imagine my expression whe