Siama: Sorsogon’s newest jewel

Traveling is like falling in love. It’s about being completely enamored with a familiar sight as one sees it in an endearingly different light.

The sun was slowly sinking in the Bicolandia horizon. Pink, salmon and ochre colored clouds lined the sky against the dramatic silhouette of the verdant islands in the watery channels. Here in the expansive Sorsogon Bay, the sun not only rises but sets as well as part of the perfect ritual every day. The drama of nature unfolds right before your eyes. Giant floral pillows adorned our stylized banca, which was our cozy water carriage where we sipped our favorite Sauterne, aged cheese and delectable grapes. For a moment, my winsome companions Milo Naval, Rita Trinidad, Rose Lim and I thought we were being awed by the Aurora Australis, the elusive Southern Lights found in Tasmania, Australia. Within moments, the cloak of darkness draped over everything in sight with just a handful of stars strewn against the ebony sky. 

We thanked the good Lord for traveling blessings such as these. The silvery scales of the endemic Tilang fish glowed under the pale glow of moonlight. These energetic fish acted like dolphins guiding our boat as we languidly cruised along the bay abundant with iridescent native scallops called Baluko shells.

Our stunning home away from home is the newest jewel of Sorsogon — Siama. This charming, boutique, eco-friendly Siama resort is owned by the affable couple Kat and Milo Naval. A truly magnificent showcase of modern Filipino artistry and creativity, the 30 well-appointed guestrooms are spacious and luxurious while the common areas are a testament to the impeccable taste of the owners.

Furniture designers and exporters by profession, Kat and Milo developed the resort where every room is unique. Concocted by Kat from organic ingredients, the amenities like their mint shampoo and pili verbena shower gel are simply exhilarating. Simply put, these offerings were well thought out and soothing to the senses.

The dynamic couple have a 20-year-old export business of fabulous furniture that are in demand by wholesale buyers in Italy, New York, Germany and other parts of the world. Their cutting-edge Filipino-inspired design is a stunning haven of elegance, style and creativity. Even their “eco-padyak,” which is an innovative tricycle woven with rattan strips, is an amusing but functional piece of art. One will be awed by every single piece of ingenious furniture, lighting paraphernalia, even cutlery, table fare and bedroom amenities. The merging of indoor and outdoor spaces features the synergized use of wood, fabric, colors and a fusion of ornamental plants around a landscape filled with water and gigantic vases. The expansive swimming pool in the middle of the resort is child-friendly since the adults can use the deeper portion in the middle while children can frolic on the shallower edges of the pool.

Our culinary adventure began in earnest with cooking lessons from Siama’s chefs. We learned how to prepare a sumptuous spicy Bicol Express, chili shrimps and Baluko in coconut milk. Our dessert of sago in molasses and charcoal-roasted coconut cream was the perfect sweet ending to the hearty and heavenly meal.

Milo is also the tourism consultant for Sorsogon and is equally passionate about promoting the other attractions in the province. Siama is a perfect jump-off point for various activities like swimming with the whale sharks (butanding), which have been sighted recently, cruising with the fireflies in Donsol, trekking at Mount Bulusan and bird watching in the lake surrounding the mountain. 

A must-see place is Lake Bulusan, dubbed the “Switzerland of the Orient” as it lies at the heart of the national park, which covers a land area of 3,672 hectares. Listening to Jimmy Fontana singing Il Mondo on my iPod, we admired the Fairy Bluebirds and the Jade Vines hanging from trees as our boat circled the lake. The amazing rainforest surrounding Lake Bulusan reminded me of the Amazon rainforest and river sans the piranha.

Our Sorsogon adventure continued with a visit to Matnog Islands, a pristine paradise with immaculate white sand beaches and gardens of reef corals. Our host, Mayor Emilio Ubaldo, invited us to visit the Manta Bowl, a 60-minute drive from Sirangan Beach Resort, also a paradise for those who want a close encounter with dolphins and manta rays. In Juag Lagoon, we visited the fish pen of Alex Geneblazo known as Mang Lupito, a conservation enthusiast. His amazing fish pen is filled with huge tilapia, mameng and lobsters that we actually swam with. We were intruders in their world but they seemed to welcome us in without hesitation. The schools of fish here are neither for sale nor for human consumption. Mang Lupito is simply a good steward of nature and desires for everyone to gain a better understanding of how to preserve them for future generations.

At Subic Beach for our island picnic, we savored the feast prepared by our hosts. The banana leaf-lined table featured the ocean’s freshest catch of the day! Succulent prawns, crabs in coconut milk, steamed lapu-lapu, kinunot and freshly harvested lato (sea grapes) took on a different and delightful dimension when tossed with vinegar and shallots.

Another highlight of our trip was dinner with the gracious Governor Raul Lee who pampered us to no end. We enjoyed a home-cooked spread of  lechon, alimasag in gata and Bicolano specialties like pinangat. One must-try delicacy is their delicious penoy or silken duck’s egg with its tasty soupy broth that is simply divine. You must also savor their heavenly homemade tender buco merengue pie with sweet cream from Locsin’s in Legazpi.  

A stunning find took place early Sunday morning when Milo and Yvette Lee checked out the stunning underwater world of the Sorsogon Coast. The first site was in Barcelona and, due to the amihan winds stirring up the waves past the barrier reef, the two dives were done inside. The eclectic and gigantic corals were healthy and intact.  The reef that faced the Pacific Ocean received a multitude of nutrients brought in by the current, hence producing these world-class coral gardens waiting to be explored. The best part is only a snorkel and mask is needed to see these amazing marine sanctuaries with the best parts in depths of five meters or less!

Back on the shore, the amazing find was reported to Barcelona Mayor Manuel “Wowo” Fortes who vowed that the town will have a snorkeling program in place by the beginning of the summer season.

The group set up the following day for Buena Vista and it was the second dive that made Yvette’s day. She described an underwater meadow of a fine branching- type of coral that went on and on as far as the eye could see. Like gold fields of ripening grains, she said they reminded her of the dramatic rice terraces of Banawe during harvest season.

On our last night, we cruised the river on a bamboo houseboat.  We were mesmerized by the glowing colonies of fireflies that lit up the verdant forest like an enchanted fairyland.

I always say I was a Bicolana in my past life because underneath my olive tanned skin is a provincial lass who simply adores everything from this region blessed with favor.

Worthy to note, when our Cebu Pacific plane was about to land and take off from Legazpi, we witnessed the majestic peak of Mount Mayon without any clouds covering it. It was truly a blessing to view the stunning volcano perfect in its imperfection. Even Mount Bulusan revealed its elusive peak together with the birds and reptiles in Lake Bulusan. Fully satisfied with all these treasured sightings, we were simply elated.

We found a place where peace and joy reign supreme. We were lost in the beauty of the familiar yet it seemed enticingly new.  We found paradise in our very own backyard right here in our own home, and when you are home, there is simply no reason to leave.

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For bookings at Siama Hotel, call 0917-8816497 or 0998-9828101. You can also e-mail siama.hotel@gmail.com or log on to www.siamahotel.com. Cebu Pacific flies daily to Legazpi. For reservation,  please call at 702-0888 or visit www.cebupacificair.com

E-mail the author at miladay.star@gmail.com.