Tribal Hills Puerto Galera Review

Tribal Hills was a paradise in Puerto Galera for nature-lovers.

I’ve mentioned Tribal Hills Mountain Resort a number of times in my other blog post (Puerto Galera Review) but it seems appropriate to write a separate review for this excellent resort located in the mountains of Aninuan, Puerto Galera. If you long to enjoy the summer and beach but keep away from the crowd at times you wanna feel peace, this is the perfect place to be. 🙂

I bought this voucher (still available today) from Metrodeal: P4499 instead of P9600 for 3-Days/2-Nights Stay for 4 persons at Tribal Hills with Aninuan Falls Tour. There were other resorts being offered in online sites such as Metrodeal and Ensogo but I got turned off upon researching and reading their location and some blog review. When I encountered Tribal Hills’ offer at Metrodeal, I kinda had the feeling that this is what I was looking for. Just the view of the site was already inviting to me and they claim:

Tribal Hills Resort is located at the westernmost area of Puerto Galera beach strip and enjoys the picturesque horizon of the South China Sea while it sits atop a foothill at the base of the towering Mt. Malasimbo. Nestled between an inviting body of water and a majestic highland, the resort has a lot to offer to travelers and vacationists indeed.

Before buying, I made sure that other travelers who have been there have something good to say. It was a balance as some said its great and a few said they were not satisfied. I took the risk anyway. 🙂 I bought 2 vouchers, 1 for my family and the other for Mac’s side (to be paid by him of course). I believe the deal is cheap since it would cost just P1112.5/pax for 3D/2N 🙂

The next step was to book and reserve my 2 rooms for April 7-9 and this part was very stressful because the travel agency who offered this deal was a third party (IndoChina Strings Travel Agency). To book the ticket, I had to file a ticket at their site and provide FOUR travel dates!!! That is so they could book you whatever date still has available rooms. That didn’t seem convenient to me since I only have April 7-9 or nothing (Since 9th was Mac’s bday). So I went to Tribal Hills’ site instead and directly contacted them for my booking.  I was in touch with one of their receptionists named Lea. She’s very courteous during calls and she entertains all of my text inquiries. She happened to give me two rooms (direct booking) and that’s great. I’m thankful for her for the favors because she relieved all the stress Indochina gave me to book the dates that I want, despite the fact that direct booking was against the procedure when the payment was via Metrodeal (you really have to book via indochinastrings.com).

Then came April 7. Tribal Hills’ instruction was to board Minolo Shipping Lines so we could get further assistance as we get to White Beach, so we bought 2-way tickets to White Beach. Upon landing to the sands of Puerto Galera, we were accompanied by a Minolo staff “Jason” to the Gray Wall where we will be picked up by Tribal’s  vehicle.

The ride up to the hill was excitingly adventurous as the vehicle had to climb up to steep hill as shown in the picture below. It was safe though as Manong Driver is skilled enough to drive up and down the steep slope.

We got to Tribal Hills Resort just in time for our check-in. We were briefed by another staff named Shane about house rules and schedule of free vehicle rides.

We were still about to occupy our rooms yet but we were already enjoying the views. Indeed, their claims are true. Everything was picturesque: the pool, the simply elegant structure of the hotel and the green mountains and scenes that surround the resort. The feel of nature helps you be peacefully relaxed. 🙂

Mac and his family occupied room 5 while we occupied room 6 which is at the end of the hall. Their standard rooms were clean and spacious! The only thing we could complain about is the aircon at Mac’s room (room 6) was noisy and that the exhaust fan in the bathrooms were not working.

We loved staying at the corridor because of the relaxing feel we get when we stare at the mountains. Although it would be more comfortable if couches were there instead of chairs. But we can’t complain about that since the style was perfect for their structure. We enjoyed photo-bumming because of our naturally beautiful background.

The hallway was always clean as well. Their standard room was spacious! Mac and I reckoned that their standard room was even larger than The Lake Hotel Tagaytay’s Double Deluxe Room! Additional bed was also provided for since we were four pax per room. We did not pay ANYTHING at all for their services, like for ordering hot water whenever we sink in the pool every night.

 The comfort rooms were also clean and complete with dipper and hot&cold water. The pool, although not very big was inviting because it was clean and the water compliments the ambient temperature. In the morning, when it’s pretty hot, the water was cold. At night, when it’s cold, the pool water was warm. We loved the Jacuzzi and the big pool. There’s no limit in using the pool except when it’s under cleaning maintenance in the morning.

Mac and I were glad we didn’t settle in a hotel near the beach front because we will lack this privilege we had with Tribal Hills. The only thing that we see as an advantage had we booked near White Beach is that we could get to shower right away after soaking from the salty sea. It was different for Tribal Hills since we had to travel before getting ourselves washed from the sand and salt–which was not a problem at all for us. 🙂

Food is served in their Tree Tops Restaurant which also has a breathtaking view. Free breakfast included in the package was served at 7-9am. During the 2nd day, we went up for breakfast at 8am already so not every choice in the free breakfast menu was available. We opted for Longsilog which was the only choice available. One of the cons in Tribal Hills is the cheap free breakfast they serve. On the 2nd day, we made sure to eat at 7am so we can get the best out of what was in the menu. I ordered Tocilog and it was delicious despite the small amount. We didn’t bother to order additional food since their price range per meal was beyond our budget 😛

Another thing, they stated in their confirmation letter that Food and Drinks are not allowed. But prior to the travel, I confirmed from Lea if water and snacks were also prohibited. It was a relief again when she said that those were exempted. So we packed 4 bags of sandwiches which lasted ’till Day 2 afternoon… Very budget-saving! 🙂

Tribal Hills is a little paradise complete with the touch of nature. We enjoyed their plants and flowers blooming all over the place. I’ll give it a 4.8 out of 5 stars!  I definitely recommend the place. 🙂