Apulit Island Resort - A Tropical Promise

If there’s one thing I like about high-end travel in the Philippines, it’s the thought that our tourism industry can competently compete with other well-known international destinations. 

 Rebuilt from the former Club Noah Isabelle, El Nido Resorts took control of the property and renamed it after the island where it is situated. Apulit Island Resort has been attracting a good number of Asian and European guests, with many of the latter preferring to maximize their precious vacation and stay in the resort for 5 days! The good news for me is that Filipinos make up a good bulk of its regular clientele. Yes, that’s one way of redistributing the income from the “imperial Manila” to the provinces.

Apulit Island Resort in Taytay, Palawan caters to a more discriminating travel market who prefer the tranquility of a tropical destination than hordes of other tourists, the resort does not disappoint those who venture into its embrace.

Full-service lunch on the beach is an idea 

of glamping - thats glamour camping

Entering a cave in Apulit island

Each of the 50 cottages is carefully laid on stilts just at the base of towering limestone walls. The views from the sea and from the cottage windows are both dramatic and inspiring (to sleep, to compose songs, to be with the loved one or family). Visitors can easily laze in the beach or do the more active options like kayaking, scuba diving, swimming, island hopping and cave exploration. And with the signature touch of El Nido Resorts, the guests on activity are guided and very well taken care of by the resort staff.

Fuerza Santa Isabel in Taytay town is a very 

interesting landmark if you know even a 

tiny bit of Spanish era history of the Philippines

What makes the area more worthwhile for those with a sense of adventure are the visits to other tourist attractions in the municipality. These include the river flanked by mangroves (yep, the guides can talk about mangroves) and a visit to the Spanish fort (Fuerza de Santa Isabel) in the town proper. This is no ordinary provincial fort, its more like Fort Santiago in Manila minus the walls of Intramuros. Santa Isabel served as a main military fort, with high and thick walls, cannon ramparts, and a chapel that may have harbored the weary locals when the pirate raiders were laying siege on the town. Try to stand beside a cannon pointed towards the sea --- imagine some colorful boats coming near, and look at the cannon unleashing their fiery balls towards the boats! Yes, it could be an imagination overload. It can actually be very interesting if you have some ideas about the country’s Spanish-era history. I even have a hunch that the grassy lot in front of the fort may had been a moat! Hmmm…. Time to do more research.

Artist Robert Alejandro inspired
to sketch the island landscape

And there’s also Danao Lake near the town of Taytay. 500 hectares of water body punctuated by forested islets, noises made by birds, and hardly any human habitation! Talk about real nature. Although this is not yet part of the usual tour programs of Apulit Island Resort, I would definitely suggest this to those who love to see nature. But make sure to ask first the tourism officer of Taytay if there’s already a boat available in the lake. The last time I went there, we had to settle for a “boat” that looked like an inverted refrigerator.

Is it easy to reach the resort and Taytay? Yes, if you’re taking a 19-seater plane by Island Transvoyager, Inc. which lands in Taytay Airport. By road, the town is a good 5 hours from Puerto Princesa City. An additional 40 minutes boat ride to Apulit Island should make you prepped up for that tropical promise.

The signature El Nido Resorts send-off that can melt even the hardened hearts of visitors

Apulit Island Resort is managed by El Nido Resorts (which also manages two resorts in the neighboring town of El Nido – Lagen and Miniloc resorts). To know more about the resort, you can visit our travel website.