Siargao is best known internationally as a surf destination, the island in the southern Philippines where the legendary barrel wave at Cloud 9 draws professionals and enthusiasts from around the world. Beyond the breaks, however, the island holds something quieter: a patchwork of mangrove forests, white sand coves, fishing villages, and a pace of life that has so far resisted the kind of overbuilding that has altered so many comparable destinations across Southeast Asia. It is into this landscape that Nay Palad Hideaway sits, occupying a stretch of coastline in Malinao, General Luna, on the island’s eastern shore.
The resort was founded by Bobby Dekeyser, the Belgian entrepreneur behind Dedon, the luxury outdoor furniture brand whose pieces appear throughout properties around the world. Formerly known as Dedon Island Resort, it was reimagined and relaunched as Nay Palad Hideaway, a name drawn directly from the Filipino language: nay is a shortening of nanay, the word for mother, and palad means palm. Together they speak to a philosophy of care that the property has built its identity around. The design was entrusted to architect and designer Daniel Pouzet, who worked alongside master Filipino artisans to produce ten villas using local materials, each one shaped to sit within the landscape rather than impose upon it.
What distinguishes Nay Palad Hideaway from most luxury resorts in the region is its genuinely all-inclusive model. There is no room for a wallet here: food, drink, spa treatments, surfing lessons, boat trips, picnics, and activities are folded into the rate, and the team builds a personalised itinerary around each guest before arrival. The property holds a Michelin Key and is a member of The Set Collection, a portfolio of independently owned hotels selected for their character and design. With just ten villas on site, it operates at a scale where individual attention is not a marketing claim but a straightforward reality.
First impressions of Nay Palad Hideaway
The welcome at Nay Palad Hideaway starts before the gates. A chilled towel and fresh coconut juice are waiting in the transfer vehicle, and the driver assigned to the visit has been with the property for more than a decade. It is a small detail, but it sets the tone immediately: this is a resort where long-serving staff and genuine warmth are as present as the setting itself.
On arrival, the entire team lines up outside to greet guests, with general manager Anton personally on hand to walk through the property. A handmade floral necklace is placed around the neck, and the tour that follows covers the pool, the restaurant, and the path to the villa. With only ten villas on the property, the attention here is never stretched thin.
Villas designed for privacy
The resort was conceived by celebrated designer Daniel Pouzet, and each villa was crafted by master Filipino artisans using local materials. The Garden View Villa is a generous two-bedroom space set within dense tropical planting. A wide timber terrace furnished with Dedon pieces sits beneath a woven rattan canopy, and the master bedroom features a dramatically carved wooden headboard alongside sheer canopy draping that pools from ceiling to floor in long, sweeping folds. The space manages to feel both designed and completely unhurried.
Communication throughout the stay is handled through a dedicated messaging group in which every member of staff participates. Requests are met quickly, and nothing requires chasing. An iPad and a speaker are provided in the villa alongside a curated playlist, and each day’s itinerary is already shaped around a preferences form completed before arrival. Guests never have to think about what comes next.
Eating well is easy
The kitchen draws on what is fresh, local, and seasonal, and the quality of the produce on an island like Siargao is immediately apparent. Lunch on the first day is a generous family-style spread of Filipino seafood: grilled squid, stir-fried shrimp with vegetables, and a crisp garden salad. The food is clean, bright, and exactly right for the climate.
The standout of the first evening is a five-course dinner served directly on the beach, reached via a lamplit walkway through the grounds. The table arrives already laid with candles and a small arrangement of fresh flowers against a wide open sky. The menu moves through parmesan churros and a tuna lollipop wrapped in nori, followed by prawn dim sum with a carrot and ginger sauce and a beautifully composed cauliflower course. The main, a grilled trevally with cauliflower sauce, is the one moment where the kitchen doesn’t quite match the ambition of its surroundings. The dessert, however, more than compensates: a mushroom-shaped confection with ice cream set inside the cap and an earthy base, served under a clear, starlit sky, is the most memorable plate of the stay.
The second evening takes a different tone. A Spanish-themed family-style dinner features a seafood paella, garlic prawns, patatas bravas, and calamari. When a full day of activities makes the idea of a separate outdoor cinema session feel like too much, the team simply sets up the projector during dinner instead, casting a film onto a screen beside the pool. It is the kind of practical, low-fuss flexibility that makes Nay Palad Hideaway so easy to be in.
Surfing, mangroves and a sunset picnic
Photo by Blanco Brothers
The activity programme is shaped to each stay, and the density of what is on offer across two full days is impressive without feeling relentless. On the first afternoon, a sunset picnic is arranged on Naked Island, a small island a short boat ride offshore. A cheeseboard and wine are laid out at a table set on the sand, and the whole experience has the feel of something genuinely considered rather than packaged.
The Mangrove Pagoda, the four-storey thatched structure that rises above the waterway at the back of the resort, becomes a recurring fixture of the visit. Ascending to its upper level at golden hour, with pizza and wine brought up by the team, is a particularly good way to watch Siargao’s sky do what it does best. The pagoda is equally arresting after dark, when its warm lights reflect across the still water below.
Surfing on the second morning is arranged with local instructors at a nearby reef break, and for anyone visiting Siargao, it would feel remiss to leave without getting in the water. A mangrove stand-up paddleboard session on the final morning is its gentle counterpart, cold coconut juice waiting on return. Between the two, a chocolate ice cream-making session with the resort’s chef produces a result that reappears at dinner the same evening.
The spa and a calm final morning
The spa treatment rooms at Nay Palad Hideaway are clean and pared-back, with dark timber floors, white walls, and a quiet that makes an hour feel longer than it is. A body massage on the afternoon of day two is well-executed, with therapists who take time to adjust their approach throughout the session. A second treatment is scheduled before check-out on the final morning, offered as one last activity rather than an upsell, and the team is entirely unhurried about timing.
The Nay Palad jeepney, a custom-designed version of the Filipino classic finished in cream, is used for island transfers and land tours. Departing in it, with the general manager and several members of staff still waving from the entrance road, is a fittingly warm way to close a visit that gives very little reason to want to leave.
Who Nay Palad Hideaway suits
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Nay Palad Hideaway works best for those who want a stay that handles the planning without removing the sense of freedom. The food is fresh and thoughtful, the villas are private and well-crafted, and the activity options span enough ground to suit different paces and moods. The all-inclusive model means the wallet stays in the room for the entire duration, which is rarer than it sounds at this level. It is a particularly good fit for couples on honeymoon and for travellers looking for something more personal than the larger resorts across Southeast Asia. The staff, many of whom have been with the property for well over a decade, give Nay Palad Hideaway a character that is genuinely its own.
Quick summary – Nay Palad Hideaway
- ⭐ Style: All-inclusive barefoot luxury resort
- 📍 Location: Malinao, General Luna, Siargao Island, Philippines
- 🔑 Key feature: Ten-villa all-inclusive property with curated daily itineraries
- 🍽️ Dining: Five-course beach dinners, Filipino and Spanish family-style meals, flexible kitchen
- 💆 Wellness: Spa treatment rooms, body massages, and resort fitness facilities
- ✨ Ideal for: Couples, honeymooners, and travellers seeking a personalised island retreat
