HOTEL REVIEW: ATMOSPHERE RESORT - AN UNFORGETTABLE STAY IN DAUIN, PHILIPPINES

The Atmosphere Resort is one of those places I wish I could have stayed forever. I'm afraid I couldn't afford it. However... this place was stunning! Let me float in memories and show you how amazing our stay was at the beautiful Atmosphere Resort...

A while ago I received an email from It's more fun in the Philippines offering me assistance for my upcoming trip to Apo Island, a place that is famous for its superb underwater life, colorful corals and huge sea turtles. The island is very small and there are only limited resorts on the island, so finding a room is not an easy task.

The tourism board suggested to get in touch with Atmosphere Resort in Dauin, which is located in Negros Oriental, 30 minutes away by boat from Apo Island. OK why not, I thought to myself and decided to give it a shot.

The following day I received an invitation from the resort itself for a 3days/2nights stay including a trip to Apo Island. That really made my day! I was super duper excited about the invite, especially because I wanted to swim with the turtles for so long....

Finally a week later we arrived at the resort. Oh boy. This place was freaking mindblowing from the moment I entered that stunningly beautiful entrance gate.... Look at that.

Frankly, I didn't do much research before, so when I walked through the gate and entered the property of the Atmosphere Resort, my jaw dropped. This place was huge. I felt like being on a golf course. Manicured gardens. Green soft grass, beautiful flowers and spacious bungalows with private terraces.

A big and deep swimming pool with a gorgeous view on the seaside. I saw Apo Island from the pool deck.

First impression: Oh my god (in a good way!).

The check-in was quick and efficient. The staff was amazing. From the moment we set foot on the resort, they did everything to make our stay as perfect as possible. Everybody came over and introduced themselves and by the afternoon they all knew my name and what I like to drink. I was impressed.

I almost forgot to mention that we received vouchers for a complimentary Indian head massage. It was brilliant. I felt like a VIP in a top notch resort. Yay.

After check-in we were brought to our room. Excuse me, did I say room? I meant bungalow. Everything at the Atmosphere Resort is extralarge. Our home for the next 3 days was a spacious 110 square meter apartment. It was pretty much breathtaking. Spotless clean and extremely comfortable. Honestly, this was the largest bungalow I have ever stayed. 

It was extraordinary: A big living room with a bigger flat screen LCD television, two couches with plenty of comfy pillows, dining area with a table for four, and an open fully fitted kitchen that offered more than we needed. There was even a oven! I wonder who starts baking while vacationing... Who knows?! The bathroom had a great rain shower and large windows to our private secluded garden.

Words can't tell how fabulous this place was, so we made a little video of it... Check it out!

The bedroom was beautiful decorated and spacious like all the other rooms, big enough for plenty of beds... but of course there was only one bed in a giant size, they call it California King. For sure the biggest bed I've ever slept in. When I sank into the pillows I just thought one day I want to own a bed of this size. So comfortable. Sigh.

There was something about the apartment I realized from the second I had entered the door. The smell. Everything smelled so incredibly fresh and good. The towels, the bed sheets, the pillows, the shower gel, OMG seriously what was that? It was addictive.

The shampoo smelled like fresh lemon and mint. I couldn't stop myself from sniffing on the pillows in my bed. I just wanted to spend all day in this wonderful environment. For a second I wished it would start raining the whole day so I would have an excuse to spend the entire day in this extraordinary bed... It was heavenly.

Not only the room was extraordinary, also the breakfast exceeded all my expectations. It was absolutely on the high end. Imagine different styles of omelet, crispy bacon, soft waffles, muffins, fresh yoghurt, sweet mangoes, pineapples and watermelons, fresh calamansi juice, cereals, different kind of bread, the good kind of bread not the fluffy buns. Everything was so damn delicious! I ended up having five plates on my table...

OUTSTANDING breakfast buffet!!

I doubt that there would be any person in the world not satisfied from this extcellent breakfast buffet which I would call the best breakfast I had in the Philippines. Afterwards I was ready to get back to bed, haha.

Compliment to the chef, it was such a fantastic breakfast buffet. Just looking at the images make me miss it even more. Those waffles... hmmm.... I want waffles...NOW!

Most people would think Atmosphere Resort is mostly for divers, but actually the resort offers so much more. There is the giant pool and loads of sun beds to hang out, a spa that offers relaxing massages, yoga, and many day trips to chose from.

One thing I would like to highlight is the Atmosphere Soup Kitchen. The resort sponsors a soup kitchen program that provides healthy meals for children from impoverished areas. Guests can join the tour or volunteer. What a wonderful idea.

On our last day the hotel organized a snorkel trip to Apo Island and fulfilled one of my dreams - the encounter with the giant sea turtles. We left after breakfast, the boat ride to Apo Island was only about 30 minutes. I was impressed when I realized that my bf and I were the only guests on this big boat today. I would say 30 people could easily fit on the boat, and again I certainly felt like a VIP. 

Our guide, a Filipino guy (sorry I forgot his name) did everything to make us feel ease. He offered us drinks and fruits but I was still full after the massive breakfast. When we reached Apo Island he explained us where to enter the water and prepared our snorkel gear. We dived into the water and after a few minutes I spotted the first turtle. It was surreal. They're incredibly beautiful animals.

We spent 2 hours in the water and saw at least 7 turtles, one was with us for 30 minutes and we took plenty of images and a video...

The one above is one of my favorite pics, the turtle came out for a second to gasp for air. So cute! I totally fell in love with them...

Around noon we took a break for lunch, and again the choices of food was overwhelming. Chicken, pork, fish, salad, rice, chop suey, fresh fruits. For drinks they offered us soft drinks, water and beer. It was delicious and so much more than we expected.

The snorkel trip was such an unforgettable experience, the underwater life in front of Apo Islands was brilliant, loads of colorful fish, magnificent corals, but the best were the turtles. Beautiful creatures, just adorable.

Here some more images, click to enlarge.

There is so much more I could say about the Atmosphere Resort, but most important 3 days weren't enough!! It was overwhelming in a positive way. A first class resort for divers, snorkelers and also those who just want to relax in beautiful designed place.

The staff was amazing, friendly and welcoming, it seemed they clearly love to work there. Who wouldn't in such a lovely environment?

Obviously the Atmosphere Resort is not a budget place, but for sure it's all worth the price as I left relaxed, with a big fat smile and still thinking back about the fantastic times I've spend there. Thanks to the wonderful staff for these memorable days at the Atmosphere Resort.

Atmosphere Resort offers luxury and spacious suites and apartments in Dauin, 30 minutes away from Apo Island. For more information, check here room rates and availability.

My stay at Atmosphere Resort was complimentary, all opinions are my own.

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