Daluyon Beach and Mountain Resort

Rooms and decor

Picture driving out of Puerto Princesa town, climbing over hills through thick green forest, until the road ends at a quiet white-sand beach lined with thatched-roof wooden cabanas facing the sea, with the forested mountains of the Underground River national park rising behind them. That is arriving at Daluyon Beach and Mountain Resort. The name Daluyon means sea wave in the local language, which fits the place perfectly, because nearly every morning you wake to the sound of surf on the sand. The rooms are tropical-resort cabanas finished in wood and natural materials that are easy on the eye, and many have a balcony or veranda where you can sit in the sea breeze and take in the beach and the mountains in one frame. What sets this apart from a typical resort is an eco-luxury idea it actually delivers, from solar power to buildings designed to blend into the forest and sea around them. Walking the grounds, you feel like part of the nature rather than something dropped on top of it.

Food and amenities

The heart of the resort is its Sabang Beach location, where you step straight from your cabana onto white sand. The beach here is quieter and more private than the beaches by town, the water is clear, and the backdrop of the park's green limestone mountains is striking enough that many call it the most memorable view of the trip. In the middle of the resort there is a swimming pool for cooling off after a tour, and a spa for a massage after a day of hiking or boating. The seaside restaurant serves Filipino food, fresh seafood, and international dishes, and you can eat while the sun sets over the beach. What reviews praise most is the service and care: many guests say in the same breath that the staff are warm, attentive, and helpful beyond expectations, from greeting guests to arranging tours to the small details during the stay. The resort is also a handy base for the nature around it, from the Underground River tour to forest walks to see monkeys and monitor lizards, mangrove boat trips, and water activities along the beach, with the team helping arrange tours and sort out permits so you do not have to chase an outside agency.

Location and getting there

Daluyon sits on Sabang Beach on the western side of Palawan, the main gateway to the UNESCO World Heritage Puerto Princesa Underground River national park, the highlight of the whole trip. The biggest advantage of this location is how close it is to the river mouth, because the tour boat launch is right at Sabang Beach. A short ride from the beach gets you to the cave, so guests staying here can head out on the early-morning round ahead of the big groups bused in from town, which is why many reviews call it the best base for the Underground River. Getting to the resort means flying into Puerto Princesa airport and then driving roughly 1.5 to 2 hours over the hills to the Sabang side, with a winding final stretch. Arrange the resort transfer in advance, because public transport on this side is hard to find. Once you arrive you barely need to leave, with the beach, pool, spa, and restaurant all on site. This kind of location suits people who plan to stay over and make the most of the Sabang-side nature, rather than use it as a base to go in and out of town every day.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide. The thing to weigh most is distance: the resort is roughly 1.5 to 2 hours from Puerto Princesa town and airport, with a winding final stretch, so anyone prone to car sickness should bring medication and allow extra travel time. This location is not a fit if you plan to go in and out of town often to eat and explore, since each trip eats up a morning or an afternoon. Another point from reviews is that Sabang Beach is the end of the line, with few restaurant and nightlife options outside the resort. You mostly rely on the resort's own restaurant, which some feel is on the pricey side with a limited menu when there is nothing else nearby, so if budget is a worry, plan your meals or bring some supplies. Finally there is the nature-resort setting: being cabanas by the forest and sea, some rooms can see insects or humidity in line with the tropical forest, and the remote Sabang side has occasional power dips or cuts, so some systems can falter at times despite the solar power and backup supply.

Our take

After working through a large number of real reviews, Daluyon can stand fully behind being an eco-luxury resort on Sabang Beach: wooden cabanas backed by forested mountains, the closest location to the Underground River, and service that reviews praise almost unanimously. If the trip in your head is sleeping in a cabana on a quiet beach, rising early to catch the boat to the Underground River before anyone else, then spending the rest of the time soaking up Palawan's nature in an eco-minded way without running back to town, this fits perfectly. It is best for couples and nature lovers who value atmosphere, service, and a beachfront location over being near town or nightlife. But if the heart of your trip is staying in town with easy access, the far Sabang location may cost you travel time. Overall we give it 9.0/10 — pick it for the Sabang Beach cabanas, the closeness to the Underground River, and the warm care, and you will get a Palawan nature trip that is both beautiful and genuinely memorable.