Apulit Island : A Private Getaway

Apulit Island is located in Taytay, Northern Palawan. Taytay, which means bridge in the local dialect is Palawan's largest municipality. It is also the first capital of the said province. 

Apulit Island Resort was formerly known as Club Noah Isabelle Resort. El Nido Resorts Group took over and acquired it long after and finally relaunched it in December of 2010.

Similar to Lagen and Miniloc, Apulit Island Resort is nestled in a private cove. But unlike her sister resorts, all rooms in Apulit are built on stilts. A lush tropical forest serves as a beautiful backdrop for the western cottages while magnificent limestone cliffs stand tall in the eastern part. 

The water cottages are similar to those of Miniloc's -- the materials used are very Pinoy and traditional but still exude a modern touch and contemporary design. I guess it's a mix of Lagen and Miniloc since the whole area is extremely big. We had a talk with the resort manager and he said they'll be installing a pool within the end of the year. :)

Upon arrival, the staff of the resort greeted us with the warmest smiles while singing a familiar melody -- their traditional welcome song in the local Cuyonon dialect. 

Each of us were given a handmade necklace made of palm leaves that was weaved to a shape of a small fish. (In Miniloc, the shape's a flower, then in Lagen it's an angelfish.. unique for each resort.. cute!)

We received cold towels, refreshing drinks and locally grown cashew nuts as we were led to the waiting area.

This is our room. I love that it's located on the eastern part of the resort where it's more private. During our 3-days stay, we didn't see any other guests coming in/out of the other cottages. It was peaceful and quiet all throughout. :)

In the middle of the room is a very comfy king size bed. The room is fully airconditioned, comes with a mini bar, hairdryer, 2 pairs of buri slippers, a complimentary buri bag, plastic bags for wet clothes and an eco-nido bag. Drinking water that's replenished daily is also available.

The bathroom is well equipped with hot & cold shower and standard bathroom amenities. No sachets and plastic bottles here.. :) Shampoo and bath gels are already placed on ceramic pots.

Truly eco-friendly!

Our room opens up to a private veranda. The panoramic view of the sea and the resort is pretty amazing. I sat there for a while and just enjoyed the cool breeze and fresh air.

After freshening up, we headed off to the Clubhouse Restaurant located in the middle of the resort for our lunch buffet. 

On our way to the clubhouse, we passed by kayaks that were lined on the sand. A Hobie Cat is also available for use if the winds are good. These are just two of the many complimentary water sports equipment that the resort offers.

I must say, I enjoyed our food in Apulit. I think it's at par with Lagen's. There was less variety but overall, two thumbs up! My favorite is the grilled section. Seafood was fresh and the meat was tender and moist.. just perfect! I also find it fascinating watching the chefs cook in action.  

The area outside the clubhouse was nice too. It was a perfect lovely spot to have breakfast.

After lunch, we decided to just lounge by the beach. Hearing the waves really relaxes me. True enough, I enjoyed a quick nap.

We wandered off to the west part of the resort to the 'West Beach' where the sand is finer and took an afternoon swim. To get there, we followed a trail and hiked for fifteen minutes. 

Headed back to our cottage just in time to rest a bit, see the sunset and get ready for dinner.. 

this is definitely paradise.

ISO 100, f10, 25 secs, 18 mm

ISO 100, f10, 13 secs, 18 mm

I've never seen a pinkish purple sunset before.. It's so dreamy!

Dinner is served! 

Good night Apulit! :)