Going green in El Nido

Once in a magical while, we are whisked off to dreamy paradise destinations worth leaving everything behind for. Here, in this nirvana of solemnity and silence, we marvel at God’s precious creations claiming in our hearts that nature’s finest resources are divine gifts to us and what we do with them is our gift back to the Creator.

A recent trip to El Nido Resorts proved to be an excursion back to the essentials. El Nido is a crown jewel of astonishing aquamarine and turquoise watery hues replete with shimmering white sand beaches. Around it are crimson fronds of swaying palms against a dramatic backdrop of centuries-old limestone caves where numerous varieties of flora and fauna endemically thrive. The underwater scene here is densely populated by diverse denizens that once you’re in the waters, the teeming marina of eclectic fish feed off your bare hands.

El Nido Resorts operates two luxury eco-resorts on Lagen Island and Miniloc Island within the El Nido Protected Area in northern Palawan. Its sister resort on Apulit Island in nearby Taytay, formerly Club Noah, will be opening on Dec. 1 this year. Like its two sister resorts in El Nido, Apulit Island Resort boasts pristine location that showcases a wealth of wildlife and colorful tropical fishes and scenic landscapes. The resort has a total of 50 water cottages equipped with intercom, hot/cold shower, and bath amenities. Graciously crafted in traditional Filipino architectural style, the cottages are built on stilts, perched above the sea with an unobstructed view of Palawan’s azure Taytay Bay.

Priceless treasures of nature’s bounty is synergized with modern amenities in the resort’s luxurious lodgings especially the new 10 eco-friendly seaview rooms in Miniloc and the gorgeous suites on stilts in Lagen. Delightful cuisine is lovingly prepared by no less than celebrity guest chefs Buddy Trinidad of Park Avenue Desserts, Gilbert Pangilinan and Rolly Laudico.  

You are spoilt for choice by an endless array of activities from dining under the stars in your own private cove, spelunking in the dramatic stalactite and stalagmite dotted caves, frolicking with the giant jack fish who playfully swim with you by the shore, and creatively executed wedding proposals or renewals with the colossal limestone cliffs as principal witnesses.

A school of sergeant major fish tightly guards the cabanas in Lagen.

El Nido is this year’s recipient of the Sustainable Hotel Award and last year’s recipient of the Wild Asia Responsible Tourism Award.  Truly, “green” has fully soaked into the mainstream, and this is a dynamic achievement. In fact, the logo of El Nido contains the acronym GREEN (which means “Guard, Respect, Educate El Nido) and all its efforts in conservation and preservation have definitely not gone to waste. This is actually the new luxury, which is about simplifying our lives and removing the unnecessary clutter that erodes our sensitivity to what is precious. The shift from the ostentatious and opulent to what is real and authentic is a moment of illumination. To appreciate nature and work towards its sustainability defines quality over quantity, acts over acquisitions, the intrinsic value of a thing of beauty and grace rather than its price tag.

 It is no wonder that El Nido Resorts recently bagged the Sustainable Hotel Award in the Sustainable Destination category at the recent 21st Annual Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP) in Hong Kong. The HICAP, attended by leading industry professionals, is Asia’s biggest and longest running hotel investment conference. The Sustainable Hotel Awards were launched in 2007 to recognize hotels in the Asia Pacific region to demonstrate exemplary sustainable practices and to inspire industry-wide commitment to sustainable development and operations.

In this ecological sanctuary, simply observing everyday occurrences is already a treat. Be ready to be awed by a kingfisher that suddenly dives into the water like a splashing bomb as it attempts to catch its prey. Or be mesmerized as the black and orange sea urchins guide you through the smaller lagoons as they line the sandy bottom of the sea. The gurgle of the azure water below calls our attention to silvery blue starfish, orange and white striped “nemo” fish  and we gamefully use the mountains that stand like proud sentinels as echo boards where the sound we make reverberates in praise and worship. All of a sudden, we appreciate the luxury of time that we have taken to be here, and realize that the best way to appreciate our blessings is to know exactly what they are.

This particular trip was a very special one because I was in the company of my favorite friends in the world, my childhood friend Rita Saguin-Trinidad and her loving husband, chef Buddy. Buddy has joined our otherwise girls-weekend bash to work on new recipes of food and desserts for El Nido’s new menu. What a treat to be the royal food tasters. We sampled the melt-in-your mouth cream puff, the banana and butterscotch cream pie with strawberry and mangoes. Breads ranging from Danish to cinnamon rolls, croissants to French baguettes, sourdough and dinner rolls, which are all baked fresh daily. 

Breakfast boasts an omelet station where you can have your eggs any way you like it — with ham and cheese or just egg whites, vegetarian to everything-on-it omelet.  Lunch and dinner provide guests with a wide array of choices on the buffet spread, as well as a grill station, a pasta station and a Mongolian grill. The chef will also accommodate any special dietary needs and requests. Sustainable cuisine, new in the industry, comes with working with nature within the principles of the natural world. You are savoring food that is grown and harvested by the local community.

Also among the new desserts on the menu are dark chocolate caramel cake, white chocolate mango and banana caramel mousse.  An exciting addition to the resort’s buffet is a crepe station with an assortment of fresh fruit and sauces that you can customize to your heart’s delight. 

Miniloc Resort’s new sea view room gives guests a spectacular view of Bacuit Island.

Chef Buddy honed his skills at Los Angeles Trade Tech in the early ‘80s and worked in some of the country’s top restaurants like Michaels in Sta. Monica and New York, Noa Noa and the Peninsula in Beverly Hills, where he prepared gustatory obra maestras for the likes of Madonna, Steven Spielberg, Michael Jackson, Sylvester Stallone, and Stars in San Francisco.  Further education was acquired at the Ecole du Grand Chocolat Valrona in T’ain l’Hermitage in France and The Notter School of Pastry in Miami Florida under world-class pastry chef Ewald Notter.

 Over a sumptuous surf-and-turf dinner with the finest wine on a private isle in El Nido, Buddy shared with us an unforgettable memory of one whimsical proposal that took place by the romantic limestone cliffs. The Big Lagoon has seen its share of excitement and drama.  A few years ago, the staff staged a candlelight dinner for two on a bamboo raft in the middle of the lagoon as enchanting ballads filled the air and a gentleman proposed to his fiancée by having the words “Will You Marry Me?” on a giant tarpaulin hanging by the side of one of the limestone cliffs. On cue, as she found the sparkling diamond ring in her dessert, the spotlight highlighted the message on the cliff. It was truly a special moment in time.

The lagoon was also used for very important dinners like the one for Queen Sofia of Spain with 12 singers serenading her with love songs on a separate bamboo raft.  A four-course dinner was served as all their voices echoed in the cliffs. The resort also served a distinguished head of state with a memorable dinner for 40 people in a pristine sandbar replete with a full bar set up and working kitchen.

Our last afternoon in El Nido was spent kayaking as we watched the sunset slowly disappearing on the golden horizon. Fruit bats dramatically flew past one corner of the island to the other as their silhouette cast shadows overhead. This is El Nido, where magical memories are created to be savored in the pages of our mind.  As the Lord is the same yesterday, today and forever, nature preserved remains as timeless and ageless. This is stewardship — it is time to heed its call.

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For more information or reservations, call El Nido Resorts sales office at 894-5644, or email holiday@elnidoresorts.com, or visit  www.elnidoresorts.com. El Nido Resorts is also offering pre-opening specials for guests visiting Apulit Island Resort on Dec. 1 to 20. For more information, contact El Nido Resorts.