No karaoke please: My search for a truly serene beach

I enjoyed the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Conservatory’s recent production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific. It was a pleasantly charming presentation, and the cast did justice to the classic songs. The score had a tropical paradise vibe that made me yearn for a quick escape to the beach.

I’ve been lucky to have visited the scenic beaches of Siquijor and Basilan. I was also a frequent guest at a picturesque cove in Morong, Bataan. It had no frills, no electricity, and we slept in tents. It was affordable and only a few knew about it. I remember a Christmas Day when I and two other guests—a French chef and an Italian teacher—had this tranquil beach to ourselves.  The moon was exceptionally large that evening. It shone bright and turned the white sand into sparkling silver. We had no Christmas tree, but we had that big Christmas star. If only National Geographic had been there to capture this surreal sight.

Yet, a prolific host of a TV travel show was tipped off. After he featured the cove, people came in droves, a testament to his popularity and influence. With the surge in visitors, the cove’s owner turned the place into a full-fledged resort. New structures diminished the rustic ambiance that had made me return again and again. My own secret Bali Ha’i was gone.

Moving on from Bataan, I went on a bargain package tour to La Union, or as it’s commonly called, a “joiners”  tour. Around 12 of us joiners squeezed into a van and were driven to San Juan, a popular surfing destination and a trendy vacation spot for Gen Z humanoids. The experience wasn’t relaxing for old untrendy me. Our bedtime was interrupted by a rowdy karaoke party on the beach. Apparently, for budget-friendly resorts, karaoke is de rigueur. The pandemic couldn’t stop me from having my beach time, but karaoke beach parties probably will.

Bucolic beaches are getting ruined by noisy tourists and beach parties. The ones in Romblon and Basilan remain undisturbed, though the former is gradually being discovered by avid adventurers. Basilan remains safe from tourists only because tourists think it’s still unsafe there. 

Lazy, quiet afternoons on the beach at Sunlight Ecotourism Island Resort

Happily, beach resorts that preserve their natural surroundings still exist. A few weeks ago, I tagged along with a colleague to the Sunlight Ecotourism Island Resort. Located in Palawan, it’s owned by a conglomerate that also operates the boutique airline Sunlight Air. We were booked on their plane to Busuanga, after which we took the resort’s shuttle to Coron. 

Sunlight Air is based at Clark International Airport. It takes a slightly longer drive to catch a flight there, but it’s a fine airport. The terminal is architecturally impressive, the airport experience toxic-free. The staff is also courteous; the nice lady who checked my boarding pass even said, “Thank you, Sir Edmund.” That simple gesture goes a long way. It was like being knighted by her graciousness.

The smooth flight on Sunlight Air’s ATR-72 prop airliner was matched by the smooth speedboat ride that ferried us from Coron to the resort island located off the municipality of Culion.

Every guest villa at Sunlight offers a view of the dramatic landscape of the resort’s neighboring islands.

As seen from aerial shots, the island is shaped like a tadpole. ,It isn’t large and there are no local residents and other resorts. There’s an immaculate beach on both sides of the island.  One allows us to watch the sunset while the other has the sunrise. Each is within walking distance of the other and offers a dramatic view of neighboring islands.

Foliage is abundant, thus allowing guests to go on a refreshing hike. If it’s too hot, they can call for a battery-powered buggy (actually a stretched golf cart) to drive them around.

What I love most about this place is we can tour it by bicycle. There’s a large waiting shed where more than a dozen easy-to-use bicycles are parked. Just grab one and pedal yourself to the beach, the spa, the gym, or to any of the resort’s nine restaurants. We could pedal around the entire island in less than half an hour. The more affluent guests may opt to go on a cruise in the resort’s yacht or use the watersports amenities. I was happy with the bicycle.

All guest villas stand on stilts over the water. They come with verandas, the ideal spot to chill and gaze at the sea and the sunset. To complete that experience, I turned on the smart TV, clicked on YouTube, and played the bossa nova music of Antonio Carlos Jobim. As his lovely song goes, we enjoyed quiet nights of quiet stars—sans karaoke. 

The Salepan villa comes with glass flooring and a personal butler.

Sunlight has enough of these villas to house the members of two huge wedding parties or a business conference. For complete privacy, these quaint guest houses are located away from the events venues. The villas are numerous indeed, yet they don’t take up space on the island because they’re on the water at least 20 feet away from dry land. Each has its own access bridge, whether it be a studio or family villa. The pièce de résistance is the Salepan villa. It’s almost a complete home that comes with two bedrooms, a butler, infinity pool, glass bottom flooring, and a roof deck.

I didn’t stay in the Salepan, but still, we felt like we were in an episode of The White Lotus. The HBO series is noted for its location shoots in luxury resorts in Sicily and Phuket. But unlike the show, we weren’t caught in lurid love affairs or crimes of passion. Instead, we learned how Sunlight goes the extra mile to safeguard its lush environment. The word “ecotourism” does figure prominently in its full name. Waste segregation and energy conservation are strictly adhered to. Solar energy is a major source of  electric power. Even their cute delivery vans are battery-powered.

Responsible tourism was also underscored during our island hopping adventure. One of our stops was at the Pucaway Cave Underground Lake situated on a cliff in Coron. Our wonderful tour guide insisted we wipe off our sunscreen lotions from our bodies because the chemicals could badly affect the limestone. No exceptions.

The island’s rich foliage makes it conducive to hiking.

Noise pollution is also addressed, and in line with this environmental concern, the resort discreetly urges guests to keep their voices down. Minimize noise, especially at night, says the welcome note. It’s a policy I wholeheartedly agree with, and one that every resort should carry out.

For booking information on Sunlight Ecotourism Island Resort, visit the website sunlighthotelsandresorts.com/sghp