NoaNoa Private Island Getaway

When searching for a spot for our Christmas vacation, Adam and I somehow stumbled across the gem of NoaNoa Private Island. Renting our own private island started out as a joke that soon turned into a reality when we realized it was actually affordable for us. Our journey to get to the island was a rough one but was definitely worth it. We took a 4 hour night flight from Seoul to Manila before catching a second flight to Puerto Princesa, Palawan the next morning. Once we arrived in Puerto Princesa we took a 3.5 hour van ride through the jungle to get to TayTay. We had a quick lunch at Casa Rosa in TayTay before taking a tricycle to the docks where we boarded our speedboat. (Tricycles are the same as Tuk Tuks in Thailand, not the small tricycle you see in America. That would be a hilarious sight to see with all of our luggage though, haha.)

Our speedboat ride was pretty rough because of a typhoon being a bit north of us but luckily it never made its way to NoaNoa and we had great weather our entire stay.

When we arrived to the island we were in absolute awe. We had seen pictures of NoaNoa before and even watched a few episodes of a VH1 dating show that was filmed at the island but when we saw it in person it was even more breathtaking than we could have ever imagined. Andy and Chelo (the owners) were absolutely amazing. They were gracious enough to upgrade us to the Villa Suite in the main house; a 10,000 square foot palace, pretty much. The house had its own pool table, kitchen and bar area, lounge area and swimming pool. Needless to say we were definitely spoiled this vacation.

The island grounds were just as beautiful as the main house. Spa services on the island were definitely 5-Star quality and offered the best views.

We spent quite a bit of time walking around the island exploring every nook and cranny. The detail that the owners have put into the island is absolutely incredible. From seashell light covers aligning the walkways to wooden carvings throughout the island, it is definitely something out of a fairytale. Here are just a few breathtaking photos of the island grounds:

Surrounding the island was the most beautiful reef we have ever seen with the most amazing snorkeling. We spent quite a bit of time exploring the reef and also ventured out in the glass-bottom kayak a few times.

The owners of NoaNoa also own a few other islands in the area. We took the kayak to one of their deserted islands and did some snorkeling around another reef that was equally breathtaking.

The owner Andy also took us out on his speedboat one day to another island that had an underground cave. We did some snorkeling inside the cave before getting stung by several baby jellyfish. The trip was definitely worth the pain, unfortunately we captured the cave on video but forgot to take photos. Here are some photos of the island where the cave was located. The entrance to the underground cave is just past the two boats through a crevice on the right.

The photo above is a picture of the beach bar. All of our meals were served here each day and there was also a full bar open all day/night for us. The meals were a set menu for lunch and dinner but we did have a few options for breakfast. We usually ordered pancakes with mango and honey for breakfast. These were by far the best pancakes we have EVER had and we still think about them often. Lunches usually consisted of pasta or pizza while dinner we would have some sort of meat with rice and vegetables as well as a few dessert options. All of the food was amazing and we were never left feeling hungry.

Here are some more photos of the island grounds. I have way too many to post but these are just some of our favorites.

Sunsets on the island were absolutely incredible. These pictures do not do justice.

Words cannot describe how wonderful NoaNoa Private Island is. This was by far the most beautiful place we have ever stayed and will definitely be hard to top. We feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to visit such a remarkable island with amazing owners and will cherish the memories always.

-xoxo

Elaine