Adventure and Relaxation in Batanes and El Nido

Only an hour’s drive from Metro Manila, Discovery Country Suites is the perfect city escape, nestled as it is in the cool, relaxed Tagaytay countryside. This luxury bed & breakfast is a local and international favorite, having struck the perfect balance between the warm, friendly hospitality for which the Philippines is known, and services that could rival top international hotels. The exclusive hotel is home to just seven suites, each with its own unique theme, featuring cloud-like mattresses and incredible panoramas of the Tagaytay landscape, with the famous Taal Lake and volcano, as well as some of the country’s best golf courses, to look out upon. Gourmands will love that the hotel’s Restaurant Verbena has been highly-ranked in The Miele Guide for the past two years, among its many accolades.

At the foot of the Sierra Madre mountain range lies Villa Socorro Hotel's 11-hectre property with stunning views of the surrounding nature. Nestled among the lush vegetation are several ranch-style cottages decorated with wooden furniture and equipped with air conditioning, showers, and baths. The premises also offer an activity pavilion, conference room, bonfire area, and viewing deck. Ecologically minded, the resort grows much of its own vegetables and the ecologically rich location is a delight for naturalists. Various local dishes are available on-site from the hotel's ever evolving menu. The hotel has been used for such major films as Thirteen Days and Platoon. Wi-Fi is available in public areas.

Philippines’ northernmost province, Batanes, is the smallest in population and land area. The landscape is mostly covered with rolling green hills and mountains, perfectly manicured by cows. Small boxy, cobblestone-walled Ivatan houses with thatched roofs sit atop the emerald mounds. Travelers to this slice of paradise are welcome to stay at Fundacion Pacita, an artist’s home studio turned hotel. Designed to promote the traditional Ivatan houses in Batanes, the hotel supports the local community through culinary, artistic, and heritage-conservation initiatives. Each Ivatan-inspired room is adorned by local artwork, and provides views of the Pacific Ocean, the West Philippine Sea, or green hills. The onsite restaurant, Cafe du Tukon serves a taste of Batanes using fresh farm to table, locally produced and organically raised ingredients. Savor garlic sauteed seafood and roasted pumpkin hilltop  the clear blue skies, warm sea salt air, idyllic land and seascapes, and the sound of pounding waves against the cliffs.

Apulit Island Resort, located in El Nido, Northern Palawan, offers an idyllic getaway for those in search of a tropical paradise. The resort is set within a pristine cove with a wide expanse of white-sand beach lined with coconut palm trees. Apulit Island Resort’s 50 water cottages, built in traditional architecture mixed with contemporary design, invite guests to simply relax and bask in the serenity of the island. Guests can swim and snorkel at the resort’s house reef, which teems with marine life, or enjoy a dip in the newly built swimming pool. Another attraction is the 60m high limestone cliff for climbing, which boasts of a great view of the cove. Apulit Island offers al fresco dining at the Clubhouse restaurant. Facilities include a massage cabana, a marine sports center, game area, a boutique, a beach bar, and the Octagon Pier – a scenic platform used for private cocktails and even weddings. Complimentary wi-fi connection is available at the Clubhouse.

Located on a private island with breathtaking scenery comparable to Vietnam's spectacular Halong Bay, Pangulasian Island is the first and only luxury accommodation available in this pristine hideaway setting. Known as the “Island of the Sun”, guests at Pangulasian can enjoy stunning views of the sunrise and sunset from the expansive white sandy beach stretching over 2400 foot. The resort has 42 select palm-thatched beach villas built with a contemporary Filipino flair. The high-end amenities include an infinity pool, restaurant, a private dining area, beach bar, poolside grill, boutique, library, gym, spa, hiking trail with viewing deck, five-star dive center and a marine sports center. The deluxe abodes rest either on stilts above the lush flora and fauna or beside the beach or pool, all just a stones throw from warm inviting water. The villas, decorated with a neutral palate and natural materials, are spacious with their own private balcony (some have private pools and bath tubs), complimentary Wi-Fi, international TV channels, iPod dock, tea and coffee making facilities and mini-bar.