Truly more fun in the Philippines
Now that the number of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines is rising, many Filipinos have started cancelling their plans to travel abroad. Meanwhile, Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Berna Romulo Puyat is encouraging domestic travel instead. And why not? Our country consists of over 7,100 islands and it truly is more fun in the Philippines!
My friends and I recently spent a memorable weekend at one such uniquely fun destination: The Dusit Thani Lubi (“coconut” in Visayas) Plantation Resort in Davao de Oro, formerly known as Compostela Valley. Designed by Manny Samson, the five-star resort was formerly a coconut plantation owned by the Lorenzo family until they decided to convert it. The property is 82 hectares, 36 of which are occupied by the resort. It has its own water plant, water treatment plant, power plant and desalination plant, making it 100-percent self-sufficient.
As soon as we arrived at Davao International Airport, a van whisked us to the Dusit Davao City Jetty, where a speedboat was waiting. During the 45-minute boat ride to the island, we were lucky to see three dolphins. Our boatman said that aside from dolphins, there are also butandings.
When we got to Dusit Thani Lubi, Torre Lorenzo president and CEO Tomas Lorenzo and GM Cristopher Wichlan welcomed us while the staff offered us a refreshing cocktail drink of coconut, cucumber and lemon. We were then led to the dining hall where lunch was served. We feasted on halaan soup, lato salad with grilled eggplant and okra with bagoong vinaigrette, paksiw na lechon, grilled stuffed squid, chicken sisig, chicken and pork adobo, and laing which were all to die for. Even the buko pie was delightful. Tomas proudly said that because of the abundance of coconut trees, the gata and coconuts used in the laing and buko pie are picked two hours before they are used.
After lunch, we retreated to our private luxury villas. Each villa has two bedrooms, a living room, dining room, private terrace, plunge pool and private deck. The deck comes with an outdoor rain shower and a free-standing bathtub. With all these amenities, I could easily have just cocooned in the villa all weekend. Tomas revealed that when he travels abroad, he takes note of details that impress him and tries to incorporate them in the company’s various projects, whether it’s the university residences, hotels, condominiums or resorts.
Because the plunge pool beckoned, I changed into my swimsuit, took a dip in the warm water and watched the magnificent sunset. Afterwards, it was time to get ready for cocktails and dinner. Wine and cheese were served outdoors while dinner took place at the restaurant. For dinner, we had tom yum soup, pomelo salad, grilled prawns, grilled lobsters, deep fried crabs, pancit canton, lechon and an assortment of cakes. So much for my diet!
At 10 p.m., I called it a night and was snuggly tucked in bed by 11 p.m. I woke up well-rested the next day and had to choose between snorkeling (the resort also offers scuba diving, para-gliding and jet skiing) with friends at 7 a.m. or lingering in bed with my soft feather pillows a little longer. Of course, the latter won out.
After a hearty breakfast consisting of Filipino favorites like danggit, beef tapa with scrambled egg and the resort’s freshly-baked ube ensaymada, we headed off to the chapel in golf carts (the island’s preferred mode of transportation) for Sunday Mass. The chapel is air-conditioned and built for private weddings, and can accommodate up to 300 guests. After Mass, my friend Tessa Alindogan convinced me to get a massage before we flew back to Manila after lunch, and I’m so glad I did! Leny, the masseuse was so good, and the heavenly massage I experienced at her expert hands was the perfect cap to our wonderful, luxurious stay.
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