# Bahay Kalipay: Raw Food and Yoga Retreat in Palawan

> Bahay Kalipay is a small raw food and yoga retreat on a hillside in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, running since 2007. It's best for beginners and burnt-out travelers who want daily yoga, plant-based raw meals and a gentle cleanse, with a day out in Palawan's forests and beaches.

Source: https://www.retreatvacations.net/bahay-kalipay/
Last checked: 2026-10-20
Location: Santa Monica, Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines
Type: yoga, detox, meditation, wellness
Official website: https://bahaykalipay.com/
Best for: Yoga beginners, people wanting a raw food reset, curious cooks
Setting: Hillside home overlooking forest and Honda Bay, about 20 minutes from Puerto Princesa airport
Programs: Wellness Yoga Program (3 to 21 days), Deep Nature Cleanse, one-day self-care retreat, raw food chef course
Food: Raw, plant-based meals from the house kitchen and backyard garden
Open since: 2007

## What it's like

Bahay Kalipay means "house of joy," and it's been welcoming guests in Puerto Princesa since 2007. The team describes it as the first raw food and yoga retreat in Asia, started when raw food living was barely discussed in the Philippines. Nearly two decades on, guests from more than 40 countries have stayed.

It's a home rather than a resort. The property sits on a rise in Santa Monica, on the edge of Puerto Princesa, with views over hills and the water of Honda Bay. Yoga and dance happen on a rooftop deck on the fourth floor of the main building, which catches both sunrise and sunset. Below that there's an open-air patio café serving teas, smoothies and raw vegan dishes, hammocks, and a few friendly cats and dogs. A backyard garden grows papaya, passion fruit, coconut, avocado, moringa and herbs, and a free-range area supplies eggs.

Rooms are simple and clean, hung with art from around Palawan, and you can choose fan or air-conditioning. There are also studio apartments with their own pantry, living room and terrace for longer stays. You don't have to join a program to stay; the team says the rooms and café are open to anyone wanting a quiet base, as long as you arrange it with them first. Learn more on the [official Bahay Kalipay website](https://bahaykalipay.com/).

## The programs

The core offer is the **Wellness Yoga Program**, which runs for 3, 5, 10 or 21 days. Mornings start with yoga, afternoons move into breathwork and meditation, and each day brings 3 raw meals, 2 snacks and a morning detox drink. You're welcome to join the raw food prep sessions in the kitchen. Stays of 5 days or more include a full day in nature: a forest trek with wild fruit along the trail, a swim in a clear river and a visit to Talaudyong or Nagtabon beach, with a chance to try surfing if the waves cooperate.

The **Deep Nature Cleanse** (5, 7 or 21 days) builds on that with a gentle colon cleanse, therapeutic massage and a weekly silent coconut-fast day. It's the most intensive option.

For a short break, the **Holistic Self-Care Retreat** is a single day or overnight with massage, raw food, an art activity and sunset yoga on the roof.

If the food is what draws you, co-founder Daniw Arrazola still runs the kitchen and teaches **The Living Kitchen**, a 3-day raw food chef course with the resident chefs.

## Who it suits (and who it doesn't)

The yoga program is built for beginners as much as experienced students, so you don't need to be flexible or fit. It suits people coming off burnout, travelers who want a calmer few days in Palawan, and anyone curious about raw food.

It won't suit you if you want a full-service hotel, a meat-and-wine dinner or a packed itinerary of island-hopping tours. The diet is strictly raw and plant-based during programs, and the team asks you to check before bringing outside food.

## Getting there

The retreat is about 20 minutes from Puerto Princesa International Airport. You can reach the team by email or WhatsApp through the contact page. Dates are flexible and arranged by inquiry, and the team says it answers every message personally, usually within a day.

## Frequently asked questions

### Do I need to be experienced at yoga?
No. The Wellness Yoga Program is designed for complete beginners and regular practitioners alike.

### Can I stay without joining a retreat?
Yes. Rooms, studio apartments, the garden and café are open for independent stays if you arrange it in advance.

### What's the difference between the yoga program and the cleanse?
The cleanse adds a gentle colon cleanse, massage and a weekly silent fasting day on top of the yoga program's daily practice and raw meals.

### Is there a nature day on every retreat?
Only on stays of 5 days or more. The 3-day option focuses on the daily practice at the house.