A Jungle Escape: Inside this 40sqm House with a Breathtaking River View in Siargao | OG

Hello OG, I'm Seb, we are in Siargao and welcome to the River Hideaway. Let's go! Siargao is really known as a beach destination but actually people are not aware that it's a big island and that in its middle we have jungle, we have river. So the idea was really to create something very different, a different experience more than a stay and to have people enjoy the privacy of the jungle and also the nice fresh water river around the mangrove. I'm Seb, I'm 29 and I'm one of the co-owners of the River Hideaway. So actually the River Hideaway, it's our COVID baby with my partner. We were coming here a lot just to enjoy the river and walk around and then we saw the opportunity to build something. We tried to do it the way you really feel that you're inside out a secret jungle and to build something small and minimalistic but at the same time comfy. Yeah, just cocoon away from the jungle. The locals call this place Bukak which means where the river meets the sea. Actually there is a cold spring on its top and people used to just go there to refresh themselves mostly on Sundays. This place is really magical, it's really quiet, our river has fresh water on top and ocean water at the bottom. It's a place very special. So the design is basically it's a tropical adaptation of a forest cabin. So we actually took our inspiration for something very simple, a rectangle with bright openings to the outside and around that we wanted to just build all the spaces of the house to be facing the river. So whatever you do, while you're sharing, while you're cooking, while you're working, while you're in the bed, you're facing the river. And the idea really was to adapt it in a tropical way to give this little impression that you're really hidden away from the jungle and basically from every place of the house you can just observe the river. So in this property you can enjoy 2,000 square meters of lush jungle in front of the river and about the house itself it's one floor and 40 square meters. So after a small walk in the jungle you will arrive in front of your private gate. So it leads to a small pathway going to your villa. Once you enter this big pivot wood door all you can notice first is the view. And you will right away be in the bedroom. At the back of the bedroom we have the kitchen and a nice wood thick bar counter where you can actually work from. Behind the sliding door you have the CR and the lavatory. And at the back our special outdoor bathroom. Going out of the bathroom you have in front of you the massive glass door facing the river. You can open it wide open and then from there you arrive on the deck. The nice wooden deck where you can actually observe the river in the day or at night the fireflies. We have a small net that will make you feel that you're hanging in the middle of the jungle. Going out of the villa we also have a private access to the river. There you have a small private cubo where you can also spend some time. And at high tide you can jump from the bridge and use our little bunker to explore the mangroves. So for this cabin we used actually mainly concrete. So this project is very, that's what makes it more modern and some local wood. So outside our deck is made out of wood. Entrance door is made of duyuk duyuk which is our local redwood. And a lot of little touches along with our massive wood bar at the back of the counter. We painted the inside in white and just put an accent on the kitchen. With actually the green that for us sums up the colour of the jungle. To keep the house bright and really feel that you're already in the jungle we put a lot of fixed windows all around the house with plants in front. And in our bathroom we actually used polycarbonate and some thick baustics under. You can have some sunlight and it really feels that you're actually outside being inside. So building a cabin like that costs around 2 million pesos. Slightly more if you get hit by the typhoon. And there is always some unexpected cost or things like that. It's more likely to go over budget than under budget. But it's also material that will last long. We used good wood, we used concrete. So this is a house that is made to last. There were some changes building this house actually. So we did during COVID where movement of people were limited. So we had some weeks where we couldn't work. And we also got hit by the typhoon Odette when the house was actually well advanced. So we lost our roof and some trusses and wood. So we had to do it again. After Odette everything was to rebuild but not only in the house but in the island. To put back the electrical network, to clean the roads. So it took a lot of delays. So from the moment we start to the moment we finish it took around a year and a half. Despite the changes we call it a success. We went a bit over budget. So sometimes we had to I would say make the expenses over time. So it costed us delay. But eventually at some point we managed to finish it and we can call it a success. So building this house it was us and a bunch of local guys. So we had to do a lot of things for ourselves. So for example all the furnitures and beds we were the ones who designed it. And we had many things to consider for the pull-out bed. When you pull it out it doesn't have to hit the sliding door. Or the glass doors when they open they had to fit perfectly the frame. To look that everything fits perfectly in the space. So yeah with this house we had to design everything ourselves. And that was part of the challenges and what made us learn a lot during the process. So what makes our property special it's actually the view. It's all about the view. We are facing the river and also the sunset. And at night we can enjoy the visit of fireflies. That makes it really special. So my advice for people who are dreaming of a river and cabin is just to go for it. The experience of doing it and then relaxing in it is just one of a kind. Never get stopped and follow your dreams. Want to share your house and get featured? Email us at stories.onlygood at gmail.com and tell us about your interesting home story. For more videos like this subscribe to OG and be part of the community.