A jungle treetop hotel built on bamboo stilts has been hailed as a ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity to disconnect from the modern world and spend a night under the stars.
The Birdhouse in El Nido, on the island of Palawan in the Philippines, is a unique glamping resort made up of luxury tents, an all-day restaurant and a rooftop yoga studio overlooking the Filipino jungle and the turquoise water of Bacuit Bay.
Only reachable by a steep wooden staircase which starts on the beach below, each tent has a queen-sized bed, two singles, a private bathroom and a veranda for for sea and stargazing.
Prices start from $350 per night with a two-night minimum stay, but you’d better plan ahead because the Birdhouse is fully booked until January 2020.
The Birdhouse is only reachable by a steep wooden staircase (pictured) which starts on Marimegmeg beach below
Each tent has a queen-sized bed, two singles, a private bathroom, electricity and a veranda for for sea and stargazing
The resort features an all-day restaurant (pictured) and a rooftop yoga studio overlooking the Filipino jungle and the turquoise water of Bacuit Bay
Sitting on the top of the Birdhouse is the El Nido Yoga studio, an open-air classroom filled with hanging chairs and hammocks overlooking the bay.
Classes run daily at 5pm, just in time for sunset, and are open to both guests and non-residents.
Below the yoga studio is The Nesting Table, a restaurant which serves a fusion of traditional Filipino fare and Western dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The menu includes fresh acai bowls, home-made pancakes and local favourite adobo, a popular dish of meat and vegetables marinated in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and black peppercorns.
Sitting on the top of the Birdhouse is the El Nido Yoga studio, an open-air classroom filled with hanging chairs and hammocks
The Nesting Table is the Birdhouse’s in-house restaurant, which serves a mix of Filipino and Western food for breakfast, lunch and dinner
The treetop resort is decorated with bohemian accessories like dream catchers and woven rattan furniture (left); guests can enjoy fresh acai bowls at the resort restaurant (right)
Travellers will have to do without WiFi at The Birdhouse, with internet connection being sporadic at best across El Nido and the surrounding area.
While the tents have electricity, power supply in the region is unreliable and often shuts off for large parts of the day.
Hot water is also scarce, so cold showers are all that’s on offer at the Birdhouse.
The tents do not have air conditioning, but are fully equipped with mosquito nets and free bottled water.
The Birdhouse boasts a five star rating on TripAdvisor, with reviewers calling it ‘a magical, once in a lifetime’ experience.
Travellers will have to do without WiFi at The Birdhouse, with internet connection being sporadic at best across El Nido and the surrounding area
A stay at The Birdhouse has been hailed as a ‘magical, once in a lifetime experience’
‘I don’t usually give reviews, but this is the best place in El Nido,’ one person wrote.
‘The Birdhouse is a very special experience that everyone who visits El Nido should try, at least for three nights! Coming from a busy lifestyle, it became my ‘get down to earth place’.
‘Disconnected from WiFi, sleeping in a cosy tent in the middle of the jungle, my mind slowed down and I started to feel energised again. Far away from home, this feels like home!’
Others hailed it as a ‘hidden gem’, with many claiming they’d never stayed in prettier setting.
‘Our absolute favourite accommodation of the trip – the climb is so worth it, the tents are beautiful with incredible views and are decorated very stylishly. It’s as magical as it looks in the pictures,’ said another.
Regularly hailed as the best of the Philippines’ 7,641 islands, Palawan offers travellers an abundance of activities and some of the world’s finest beaches (pictured, a traveller kayaks around one of El Nido’s many lagoons in northern Palawan)
Palawan was voted the most exotic island on earth in Condé Nast Traveller Reader’s Choice Awards in 2014 (pictured, a tourist on Marimegmeg Beach in El Nido)
Regularly hailed as the best of the Philippines’ 7,641 islands, Palawan offers travellers an abundance of activities and some of the world’s finest beaches.
The remote outcrop was voted the most exotic island on earth in Condé Nast Traveller Reader’s Choice Awards in 2014.
Earlier this year, El Nido’s Secret Lagoon was ranked fifth best beach in the world by Big 7 Travel.