I’m especially fond of Bulacan. It has thriving farms and plantations and it’s also home to various nature resorts and themed or family-friendly resorts. Recently, my friend Bobby of Travel Tayo PH invited us in Floating Sanctuary Resort, a small family-friendly private resort in Sta. Maria, Bulacan.
My experience at Floating Sanctuary Resort
My friends drove here via Marilao Exit. Because we passed thru rough roads and rice paddies on our way, we were surprised when we arrived at Floating Sanctuary Resort and saw that it’s actually modern and well built.
The resort is relatively small with 2 pools (and adjacent 2 kiddie pools) so it’s best suited for family getaways or team buildings. It’s also surrounded by trees and it’s quiet, which makes it ideal for unwinding. If you need to work, wifi is easily accessible although signal is weak inside the rooms.
If you’re looking for a small yet decent resort in Bulacan for families or friends outing, the Floating Sanctuary Resort is a good option.
How to get here
Address: Pasong Kasay, San Vicente, Santa Maria, Bulacan
Floating Sanctuary Resort is 1.5 hours from Manila.
Via Commute
- Option 1: From Cubao: ride a bus (Del Carmen) en route to Bulacan and get off at PTT (P50).
- From PTT, ride a jeep en route to Sta. Maria and get off at the terminal with jeeps to Halang, San Vicente (P9). Alternatively, you can also ride a tricycle (P15). From there, ride a jeep to Halang (P14).
- From the terminal in Halang, ride a tricycle to the resort (P15 per person or P30 for solo passenger).
- Option 2: From Trinoma, ride a P2P bus to Bulacan (about P75). In Waltermart, ride a tricycle to the jeepney terminal going to Halang, San Vicente.
- Follow last step above.
Via private car
If you have a car, you can exit thru either Bocaue or Marilao. Marilao is the better option if you want to avoid traffic, but there’s a lot of unpaved road in this route.
Amenities
Once you arrive, you’ll be met at the lounge area for registration. Here you can already see the main pool and the main building across where checked-in guests are staying.
There are 2 adult pools with 2 adjacent kiddie pools in the resort.
This one is in front of the main building. It has pool lounges and there are tables and cottages available for day tours. There are no shades in the pool so it can be very hot. Make sure to apply sunblock before you take a dip!
The other pool can be rented exclusively. Otherwise it’s available to everyone as well.
There is also a playground for kids.
Rooms
There are standard rooms available complete with WIFI, TV, hot & cold shower, towels and complimentary bath items (soap and shampoo).
We stayed in a 2-bed room good for 4 people. (Sorry, I don’t have a picture.)
If you’re in a group, you can book a family room with bunk beds. I like the design of these bunk beds because they look like a duplex. For these rooms, there’s also a separate single bed.
Where to eat
As of our visit (July 2019), there is no in-house restaurant inside the resort. For checked-in guests, breakfast is already included in the room rate. You can choose among different silog meals and coffee. However, the portion is like a half order — we weren’t satisfied with it, so it’s a good thing we brought our own snacks.
It’s best that you bring your own food (cooked or ready for grilling). There’s a market and convenience store along the main road (before the tricycle terminal going to the resort) where you can buy the things you need.
There’s also a small carinderia outside the resort. If you have a car, you can drive for about 20 minutes to reach the town center where there’s a lot of restaurant options. There’s also a food park called Puerto Rivas Food Park where you can different meals cheaply.
Rates
Day tour
Day tour rates are as follows:
- P400 adult
- P250 kids 2-7 years old / free for kids up to 1 year old
- P300 senior or PWD
Cottage rentals:
- Cabana (good for 5-6 pax): P1200
- Cabana (good for 10-12 pax): P1500
- Gazebo (good for 50 pax): P6000
Overnight stay
Standard room (2 double bed, good for 4 pax) starts at P3800. Please check their pages for complete rates.
Contact
For questions and inquiries, you can contact Floating Sanctuary Resort at the ff:
Disclaimer: Thanks Bobby of Travel Tayo PH for the invite and Floating Sanctuary Resort for accommodating us! As always, thoughts and opinions are my own.
Have you been to Floating Resort Sanctuary in Bulacan? What was your experience?
