Happy Steps travel blog

Punta Bulata Beach Resort information and tips – Part 2

Continued from Punta Bulata Beach Resort information and tips – Part 1

5. If you’re staying at Ayu Spa, the resort hotel, and have kids with you, choose their Japanese-styled rooms in the ground floor. The bed can be separated as two mattresses on the floor as what the staff suggested. Very child-friendly and safe indeed, baby C and little R-jed had fun playing on the bed.

6. Breakfast for two is included in all accommodations (Beach Cabanas, Beach Family Suite, Hillside Cabana, Aircon Tent, Turtle Van, and Ayu Spa hotel rooms) except for the Aircon
Bus, Beach Casita and Hillside Casita.

7. The resort does not allow food and drinks to be brought in except for the Beach Casita and Hillside Casita guests. They’re strict about this. They have a restaurant serving snacks and meals and offers open air dining which has a nice ambiance during evenings. Meals start at Php100++.

8. If you intend to cook or have some food preferences, then your accommodation should be in any of these two casitas which are best for a group of 6 or less and those who want to save on food expenses. These two accommodations are located farther from the main resort accommodations which was what we liked since it gave us more privacy.

9. The Beach Casita and Hillside Casita units have a simple kitchen with stove and sink, except for a refrigerator. What we did was bring marinated pork and grilled it for lunch the day we arrived. Our meals then were mostly canned goods, fruits and food that didn’t require being put inside a refrigerator such as eggs or noodles. We also bought with us dining and kitchen essentials such as plates, spoons, forks, knife, can opener, dishwashing soap, etc.

10. Just in case, bring extra cash for additional expenses such as dining, spa services or kayaking and other beach activities.

11. The resort accepts major credit cards and cash payments should be in Philippine Pesos.

Initially we planned on booking rooms at the hotel for all of us, but since we were advised that we cannot bring in food except at Beach Casita, we decided to have two hotel rooms plus the Beach Casita instead. This is what the staff suggested. So those who stayed at the hotel just go to Beach Casita for snacks and meals. With this setup we saved much on dining expenses.

Pros:

Privacy. You have the beach all to yourself especially at the shoreline fronting Beach Casita. Maybe because there were not much resort guests during our stay.

Spa services. Two thumbs up from Mom for their full body massage. They also have Finnish sauna and other spa services.

Different types of accommodations to choose from. They have the hotel rooms and many types of beach cabanas, take your pick.

Long walk along the shoreline. This was what we enjoyed during our latest stay. It was low tide so we had fun walking along the beach until we reached the edge of the shoreline where it’s full of rocks and blocked by a high cliff.

One, two, three… JUMP! Stopping by for a pose during our walk by the shoreline.

Finally we reached the rocky end of the resort. We were happy to have walked this far.

Cons:

Some rooms and units needed to be upgraded and maintained.

Guests are not allowed to bring food (even chips and snack foods) except for Beach Casita and Hillside Casita accommodations.

Gate entrance is not so welcoming to guests. You’re greeted with a closed solid gate and walk-in visitors who want to just take a look at the place are still required to pay the Php100 entrance fee even if they decide not to stay.

Rough secluded road about 1 km before you reach the resort. This could be intimidating or discouraging for first time visitors.

A group pose by the entrance before leaving the resort.

More information and photos on resort accommodations and pricing can be browsed here. For reservations and additional queries, you can contact Punta Bulata or visit its booking office in Lacson, Bacolod City.

Punta Bulata White Beach Resort & Spa
Address: Cauayan, Negros Occidental, Philippines
Bacolod Booking Office: +66 34 433 5160 (landline) / +66 920 9003558 (mobile)
Email: info@puntabulata.com

Website: www.puntabulata.com
Distance from Bacolod City: 152 kms.

Photo credits: Aileen of dviewfinder.com

Punta Bulata Beach Resort information and tips – Part 1

After an afternoon at Mambukal Resort, we headed off to Punta Bulata Beach Resort in the municipality of Cauayan the next day.

And since it was our second time around, we were more confident going there unlike before where we had a not so good experience with the resort directions while having an almost empty gas tank. This time, we reserved two hotel rooms and one beach house via phone the day before, and thankfully they accepted us on their guest list even without downpayment since we came back from Mambukal after office hours already. You can read about our first Punta Bulata experience on these previous posts:

The Punta Bulata experience: The different colors of sunset
The Punta Bulata experience: Sky, sea and sand
The Punta Bulata experience: Going there

Getting off the highway, we turned right on a road just before the bridge. A yellow sign read “Punta Bulata White Beach Resort – 4 km” plus contact numbers and an arrow pointing right. We went through the same route as before, passing by some rural houses, rice fields and carabaos along the way, until we reached a secluded rough road amidst thick trees that looked like it’s leading to nowhere. The first time we drove through it March of last year, we were a bit worried since there were no road signs or directions pointing to the resort. We mentioned this to the resort owner who that time entertained us before we headed home. Mom suggested that they put a sign informing incoming guests how many kilometers left before reaching the resort or which direction to take. So it was reassuring the second time we went through that road as we saw some signs, though not that prominent but their presence assured us that we’re on the right track.

Here are some information and tips I’d like to share for those who plan on going to Punta Bulata:

1. Make your reservation as early as possible. We missed having Room 1 in their hotel which has a nice view of the pool. I was late by just few hours when I called up their office and the staff informed me that a couple just reserved it. Another room with a relaxing view is Room 21 overlooking the pool with a balcony that opens to the sea.

2. Leave home early since it will be a long journey, about four hours from Bacolod (this includes stopping by the roadside for fruits and snacks).

3. Fill up your tank with enough fuel beforehand as there are no gasoline stations after Kabankalan. What we did was fill up our van at the Petron gasoline station in Kabankalan while stopping at nearby Jollibee for some burgers and drinks.

4. Bring food, drinks and toys for the trip especially if you have kids. They can easily get restless and bored along the way. Thankfully most of the kids slept during the trip and they had fun watching the local scenery – sugarcane fields, carabaos, trucks and other interesting roadside views.

To be continued: More Punta Bulata information and tips on next post

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Holiday greetings from happysteps.net

To my dear readers, wishing you a blessed merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year 2009!

At Jomabo island, off the coast of Escalante, Negros Occidental

Here’s to more exciting and happy travels ahead of us!

My happy feet at Punta Bulata beach resort in Cauayan, Negros Occidental

Where’s the beach?

One of the things I miss these days is going to the beach. A weekend at one of the beaches here in Negros would do, such as Lakawon, Jomabo or Punta Bulata, but these days, most of my time is spent catching up with work. I need to work harder since the holidays are coming up soon.

Anyway, I hope to do more than just being soaked in the sea next time, maybe do some boating and going to the nearby marine sanctuary at Punta Bulata and see the colorful corals. The last time we’ve been to Punta Bulata, I was hesitant about riding a boat that would take us to the corals.

Would you ride in a boat such as this to go to a nearby island?

If only the boat wasn’t that small, I wouldn’t worry about being on it considering that the island destination is a bit farther though it can be seen from the shore. Hopefully, next time, I would be braver though.

The Punta Bulata experience: The different colors of sunset

Continued from The Punta Bulata experience: Sky, sea and sand

“There are times when we experience great achievements and inspiring moments just before being beset with misery or pain. Like the sunset, our life’s glorious moments strengthen us to what lies ahead. We know the darkness won’t last long, and we will always have another beautiful sunset to look forward to.”
The Irony of Sunsets by ideasnpink

I’m always fascinated with sunsets when the sky plays a blend of different hues in varying shades as the day ends. How often do we take for granted this natural yet stunning phenomenon which happens daily, but there at Punta Bulata beach resort, away from my hectic schedule and piled up tasks, I have witnessed again the different colors of the sky at dusk.

It was like seeing the sky being painted in colors that change as the minutes passed – from light yellow to brownish orange to deep red – until darkness shrouded the earth.

Sunsets have their way of telling me not to dwell so much on life’s miseries but to look forward to the many possibilities that lie ahead.

The Punta Bulata experience: Sky, sea and sand

Continued from The Punta Bulata experience: Going there

After we settled reservation matters with the resort manager, we headed to our chosen accommodation, the Beach Casita (Php4,800/day or US $180/day for 6 persons) since it has a kitchenette for cooking (too bad there’s no ref) and is situated in an isolated part of the resort which was what we really wanted. An added bonus is that the house is just few meters away from the beach. It has two air-conditioned bedrooms (though not so spacious) with two single beds provided with beddings. Beside the dining area, there are two additional beds as well.

After lunch, we lost no time exploring the resort, walking barefoot on the white sand and taking a plunge in the clear blue waters. The rough and worrisome ride on our way to the resort was worth it after all.
Continue reading… »

The Punta Bulata experience: Going there

After listing Punta Bulata as one of my dream destinations in Negros Island, we finally had our date with this white sand beach resort last week. As with all travel tales, the trip to the place itself was part of the experience. Since we rode in our trusty van with Dad as the driver, we had the liberty to bring more stuff. While we were busy packing up, sis’ hubby teased us that we were bringing half of the house. LOL. Yup we brought the rice cooker, kitchen knives, pots, plates and other utensils plus all sorts of food for our overnight stay. We left home at about 8AM, dropped by few minutes at the meat shop and the nearby convenience store.

Punta Bulata is situated in the municipality of Cauayan, about 152 kilometers far from the city of Bacolod. Going there, you have to pass by Pontevedra, Hinigaran, Binalbagan and other municipalities.

Sugarcane plantation with Mt. Kanlaon in the background
Continue reading… »

Happy discoveries

I was cleaning up the mess in my desk when I chanced upon a tiny strip of paper which I was about to throw but the scribble on it made me scrutinize it a bit. It was my Mom’s handwriting with this phrase: “P. Bulata 433-5160”. It’s the phone number for Punta Bulata White Beach Resort, one of my dream destinations in Negros Occidental. Aha! Another sea paradise for me to explore.

Photo credits: Punta Bulata White Beach Resort