Floating Sanctuary Resort: Family-Friendly Resort in Bulacan
I am fond of Bulacan — it has thriving farms and plantations, as well as various resorts including nature stays. Recently, my friend Bobby invited us in Floating Sanctuary Resort, a small family-friendly private resort in Sta. Maria, Bulacan. Here’s our experience at this resort.
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Our stay at Floating Sanctuary Resort
I came here with my co-blogger friends: Lee, Karla of Karla ‘Round the World, and Bobby of Travel Tayo PH. We drove from Manila going through Marilao Exit. We passed through rough roads and rice paddies on our way, and so we were surprised when we arrived at Floating Sanctuary Resort and found that it’s actually modern and well built.
We were greeted by staff at the registration area. Here we could already see the main pool and the main building across where checked-in guests are staying.
We stayed in a double-bed room good for 4 people. As with other rooms in the hotel, it was equipped with WIFI, TV, hot & cold shower, towels and complimentary bath items (soap and shampoo). It has everything we needed for the short staycation.
We also checked out the other empty rooms in the resort. For groups, there are family rooms 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.
After settling in with our bags, we decided to try out the pools. The resort has two outdoor pools with adjacent kiddie sections.
We swam in the main pool in front of our accommodation. It’s surrounded by lounged beds, and there are tables and cottages available for day tours. There are no shades in the pool area itself, so it was quite hot. We made sure to apply appropriate sunblock before taking a dip.
It’s a good thing there were almost no other people when we visited, so we had the place to ourselves.
The other pool can be rented exclusively. Otherwise it’s available to everyone as well.
As of our visit), there is no in-house restaurant inside the resort. For checked-in guests, breakfast is already included in the room rate. The options include 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.
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.
For other meals, we drove for about 20 minutes to reach the town center where there’s a lot more restaurant options. There’s a food park called Puerto Rivas Food Park with different food stalls for cheap.
If you don’t want to go out, you can have your food delivered or better yet your can bring your own food. There’s a market and convenience store before the tricycle terminal going to the resort, where you can buy ingredients that you need.
We walked around the town center and also visited its old church.
Overall, we liked the Floating Sanctuary Resort. It’s relatively small with only two outdoor pools so it’s best suited for family getaways or small 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 to Floating Sanctuary Resort
Floating Sanctuary Resort is 1.5 hours from Manila. It’s located in Santa Maria, Bulacan.
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.
Accommodations
Floating Sanctuary resort is open for day tours and overnight stays.
(Updated as of 2022) The resort has expanded its accommodation options. Aside from the standard rooms and family rooms, there are now riverside cottages and glass cabins with lake view that you can book. There are also more outdoor activities offered, including lake sports such as kayaking and boating.
Contact
For questions and inquiries, you can contact Floating Sanctuary Resort in Facebook.
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?
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Katherine Cortes is a long-time backpacker and a freelance writer/editor. She likes beaches, snorkeling trips, and relaxing staycations (preferably with bath tubs!).
