When we build the Treehouse we expected it to be primarily used by the adventurous types who wanted a more natural experience, get closer to nature, and let the sounds of the sea lull them to sleep. An unexpected benefit is that it is perfect for families who have more people than will fit into their room. For example, the Mermaid sleeps 5, and the Family Cottage 11. If you have a couple more, and instead of a mattress on the floor, why not let them use the Treehouse and share the private CR and facilities of the main room? 🙂 https://smallfrysresort.com/accommodation/treehouse/
SmallFry’s welcomes our guests to bring their own food, but if you would rather the convenience of not bringing everything and having to cook, we have a large group menu that makes dining for a large number of people quite affordable.
This is especially convenient for families who book the Filipino Family Cottage, and would just prefer to relax for the day. We ask when possible that you give us advance notice when you make your booking so that we are sure to have all the supplies ahead of time. Enjoy your stay at SmallFry’s Beach Resort! Come as our guests, leave like Family. 🙂
Carthels has become our favorite spot for a morning coffee. It’s about 1hr walk/trek from SmallFry’s up the mountain. It’s not on Google Maps, but here is a link to the location. We discovered Carthel’s by accident when we were trekking through the mountains and someone recommended we go there. It was pretty tricky to find it the first time and we had to ask people at every intersection. Now there are signs from the highway and it is pretty simple to find. It has become a favorite for cyclists from San Carlos because it is about the right distance for a couple hours ride, and the last kilometer is through the forest which is very nice.
We have been there about 10 times now, and each time we go they have made improvements and additions. Initially they just had coffee and simple snacks from the Sari Sari. We have made suggestions each time we go, and either they are listening, or have thought of it themselves. Now you can get other snacks and Adobo there if you order in advance, or can wait long enough. But the best part of Carthel’s is the friendly atmosphere. Even the dog “Lucky” makes you feel welcome.
Carthel’s is very colourful, and they keep adding more things to see, climb, and take selfies. The treehouses are great for kids to climb. I’m sure we will be going back again and again. If you are staying at SmallFry’s and want to get a bit of morning exercise, we are very happy to take you there.
As trekking and discovering new places is a personal interest of ours, and as service to visitors to our Website, and our guests, SmallFry’s Beach Resort will post blogs about where we visit so others can share in our experiences.
Sampat on Dalhia Street in San Carlos City is back from the main road and until recently we did not even know it was there. We enjoyed it so much the first time, we have been back four more times already.
At home we primarily eat Filipino so when we are out I usually order Western food if they have it. I’ll start by saying the Filipino food is excellent. I tried everything that my wife ordered and the last time we were there I order Filipino too. This was primarily because on the Western sandwiches side of the menu I never found anything I would order again. The tuna melt was the best of the worst but the mayonnaise was very sweet and overpowering. The crispy chicken sandwich wasn’t, the club sandwich was OK but too gooey and too much sweet mayonnaise again. But the worst of all was the bacon grilled cheese. It’s not real cheddar. They use the local Eden cheese which is dry, tasteless and just horrible in a sandwich. A bit disappointing. If you like good Western style food I’d recommend Mr. C’s, Mike’s Burgers and of course Smallfry’s Beach Resort. But if you like Filipino, Sampat has some of the best we’ve tried at a very reasonable price. The staff is great, the place has a nice ambience, and the beer is cold. We will be back again.
As trekking and discovering new places is a personal interest of ours, and as service to visitors to our Website, and our guests, SmallFry’s Beach Resort will post blogs about where we visit so others can share in our experiences.
SmallFry’s Beach Resort is open to 50% capacity during MGCQ. While waiting for inter-island and international travel to resume, why not treat yourself and the family to a weekend get away at the beach. SmallFry’s is only 2hrs from Bacolod, 20 Minutes from San Carlos City and 15 minutes from Calatrava
The Filipino Family Cottage sleeps up to eleven and is ideal for a large family. (Or two?) It includes a refrigerator, kitchenette, and a large balcony with a panoramic view of the sea. It’s perfect for getting away to the beach on the weekend with your extended family. You may bring your own food, or maybe choose from our Western and Filipino menu, or large party menu. Don’t forget to ask for a campfire at night, it’s free.
One of the nice things about living in or visiting the San Carlos City and Calatrava area is exploring the mountains and local attractions. Whether you like to trek, enjoy the views, or just have a nice place to have a morning coffee, there are dozens of places to choose from if you can find them.
This was our third visit to Meg formally known as La Riqah Resort and Family Park. The place keeps on getting bigger and better. They are building a family park and resort area below the restaurant. I don’t know when it will be open, but they are building a pool and grass huts that should be nice for a family outing. There is lots of level parking for a change, beautiful plants, and plenty of things to see including a fish pond for the kids. The washrooms were modern, and very clean.
We all ordered the bacon and egg breakfast, which was very good,at a reasonable price, but you can see from the menu there are plenty of other items to order. The coffee tasted like the local coffee beans and was good. They served creamer without having to ask which was nice for a change. The owner came out to greet us, which was appreciated. The only recommendation we made to him was to offer an American style breakfast with two eggs instead of one egg with rice. We had a very pleasant visit, and will be back again for sure
As trekking and discovering new places is a personal interest of ours, and as service to visitors to our Website, and our guests, SmallFry’s Beach Resort will post blogs about where we visit so others can share in our experiences.
One of the nice things about living in or visiting the San Carlos City and Calatrava area is exploring the mountains. Whether you like to trek, enjoy the views, or just have a nice place to have a morning coffee, there are dozens of places to choose from if you can find them. As trekking and discovering new places is a personal interest of ours, and as service to our guests, SmallFry’s Beach Resort will post blogs periodically so others can share in our experiences.
We went back up the mountain in Calatrava and this time stopped at Tawhay Sa Bukid. This cafe has been around a long time and has decent food and great views. Like most of the places up the mountain, parking can be tricky. If you have a motorcycle or truck you can park on the hill. If you have a car you would probably need to park on the highway. The coffee was a bit bitter, but the bacon and eggs for 55 pesos was surprising good! The tables are lined up against the railing which gives you a night view to look at while having breakfast.
While at breakfast, we were a bit surprised to see there was a 15 peso entrance fee. For what? The view? On the way out we saw the path up the hill, and there is a few attractions to see. A couple are good for selfies, especially the “hand”, but certainly not that interesting. Would we go back? Not for the attractions or coffee, but the staff is friendly and maybe for the bacon and eggs.
One of the nice things about living in or visiting the San Carlos City and Calatrava area is exploring the mountains. Whether you like to trek, enjoy the views, or just have a nice place to have a morning coffee, there are dozens of places to choose from if you can find them. As trekking and discovering new places is a personal interest of ours, and as service to our guests, SmallFry’s Beach Resort will post blogs periodically so others can share in our experiences.
Today we decided to go up the mountain road in Calatrava and we stopped at a new cafe called Hill 350 Cafe about 5km from town. We originally were planning to go to Malview Cafe but when we saw the incredibly steel hill we wanted an excuse to use our 4 Wheel Drive. They paved the bottom of the hill so a two wheel drive can make it up at least part way. We decided to park at the first level and walk up the rest of the way because we didn’t know if there would be room to turn around at the top. There was, so if you’re brave enough to go up all the way in your car, there is space to turn around to come back down.
Hill 350 is cute. We ordered a coffee, chicken and rice for the kids, and Bachoy soup for us. The staff is friendly, and food not too bad. The coffee is the same and even in the same paper cups you get at most of the roadside cafes, but that is not a bad thing. The local coffee beans are quite good.
The furniture is all home made and the chairs a bit small and hard on your butt, but if you’re not staying too long it OK. The view is amazing from the cafe. It’s higher than the cafes down on the highway, but it’s hard to say if that gives a significant advantage. There are lot of tables scattered around the natural rock structures. They cut open one large rock for display, and it appears to be solid quartz inside. The kids enjoyed seeing that.
All in all it was worth the visit especially if you like a rustic setting.
PAPADOUGS HOME MADE FLAME BARBECUED DOUBLE CHEESE BURGER
Two years ago when we first opened we did a post about our hamburgers because a few guests had told us how much they enjoyed them. Today it is still the most popular thing on the BBQ menu. What’s our secret? No secret really, just 1/4 lb (or 1/2 lb if you’re really hungry) of pure ground beef, egg, spices, and lots of fresh garlic flame grilled on the BBQ. Well maybe the spices are secret, but since the chef is Canadian you might be able to guess. 🙂
And of course made the way you like it with fresh lettuce, cheese, onions, tomato, mustard, and pickles. Ok fine, that’s the way I like it. But you can also have mayonnaise and/or ketchup if you must. 🙂
We’re only 15 minutes from Calatrava, and 20 minutes from San Carlos. Why not come out to the beach in San Isidro on your lunch break. You can have lunch in town, or you can sit on the beach and enjoy one of the best burgers around.
This is what some of our guests have said:
Best Hamburgers in town.
Mano (Google)
..yummy Good ..the Burger
Ruth (Facebook)
Lots of good local food choices and some really good burgers 🙂
Rebecca (Google)
Doug makes the best burger on Negros! I just can’t say enough about this place! It’s Great!
Domingos (Facebook)
The best food around. Try the Burger you will not be disappointed 5/5
You don’t need to go far to find good coral reef snorkeling while staying at SmallFry’s Beach Resort. There is a beautiful reef directly in front of our beach only 500 meters from shore. We can take you there by pump boat or kayak. Bring your own snorkeling gear, or we have gear you may use if you don’t have your own.
It is rumored that the coral reef in Calatrava and Toboso were long ago damaged by dynamite fishermen before it was outlawed. Over the years the coral has been returning to it’s healthy state. We had some scientists stay at SmallFry’s to do a recent study of the reefs and they were pleased to say they have both recovered admirably. Some of the pictures included were given to us by this dive team.
Just one more reason to come visit SmallFry’s Beach Resort in Calatrava, Negros Occidental. Come as our guests, leave like family.
