Luxurious moments at Sunlight Ecotourism Island Resort

By Divine M. Recio

SSunlight Eco-Tourism Island Resort (SETIR) is no ordinary island destination. It is a huge 18-hectare private facility with Maldives-inspired architecture that offers beach lovers the ultimate island getaway.

The 55 luxurious overwater accommodations fashioned with Filipino-themed interiors, offers single detached villas for the solo traveler, duplex and two bedroom units for a small group of friends, to cluster villas for families with all rooms facing the sea to complement the spacious verandas. The honeymoon villas are uniquely designed for added enjoyment with its glass-bottom floors to see the active seabed underneath. Think luxury and they have it, with resort activities wide-ranging and all-inclusive.

Coming from the airport, we were whisked to the Sunlight Hotel Coron, SETIR’s sister hotel, where we had a gargantuan surf and turf lunch while awaiting check-in time at the island. It will be just a thirty-minute speedboat ride from the hotel to the island of Naglayan of the Culion group of islands.

On this our third time, we now see the makings of a resort that will be the source of pride for this area. The trees are mostly fully grown and lush, and the now completed villas stand out in the island’s turquoise waters.

Checking in was a breeze and we had ample time to rest and enjoy the seascape before dinner at Hikari Teppanyaki. It was a fun night with the amiable Hibachi chef as he performed the standard “tricks” associated with being a Teppanyaki master.

Five years into its launch, the resort is still busy in some areas, there are additional villas with direct water access to be opened soon and some up for refurbishing as we toured the resort on our second day and we went Korean for lunch at Xiang Hotpot and KBBQ.

Other facilities are the

Mangrove and Luna on Ricardo’s island, accessible via a bridge walkway and spells privacy and ideal for corporate events. Ocean Wave KTV with 3 themed-rooms with plush interiors offer more fun time for those who love to sing, and a well-equipped gym beckons for the health conscious guests. Cafe Adlaw, a specialty coffee bar, The Island Garden restaurant for lunch buffets, Basil and Mint steakhouse, and The Cellar for nightcaps. There are a total of 10

F&B outlets to fill your days.

The service at SETIR is five-star, with each staff eager to please. Two-way radios enable them to fulfill the guest’s needs in no time from point-to-point transfers anywhere on the island to room service to small requests of water and towels. Wi-fi is available but is still a work in progress, heavy-duty generators are on stand-by to guarantee uninterrupted water and electrical service.

At Sunlight resort, there’s always something new to do rather than starting your day with just a buffet breakfast — you can walk, jog, or borrow a bicycle, or ride a buggy to different locations around the island, get friendly with the resident crows, swim at the infinity pool, feed the fishes, etc.— but on this morning, the unanimous choice was breakfast at Sun Cafe where we feasted on a full spread including ube champorado (purple yam porridge) and some native fare.

It is important to know that the resort is also a marine park and your vacation will be filled with awe as multicolored fishes of different sizes will greet your mornings from your glass-bottom floors or every time you go to your balcony and see marine life beneath your feet. Those who stay at the Sirakan Villas, those charming suite rooms, don’t have to go out from their bedrooms as they can just peer down at their floors and see the fishes below from their vantage point of thickened glass strategically embedded on the floors. For a more up close encounter, take a ride on a glass-bottom boat and go fish-feeding.

Not to be missed is the sunset cruise, an activity we didn’t let pass on the second day. Taking advantage of the good weather, we boarded the Sea Dragon yacht that was loaded with snacks and drinks. We drank our choices (mine was martini, shaken not stirred) with careless abandon, and enjoyed the amenities and the relaxing invitation of the deck that felt like drifting downriver on your back.

Island hopping was the itinerary on our third day and we were up and ready early to visit several islands on a speedboat highlighted by lunch and swimming. We visited Kayangan Lake, Twin Lagoon, Twin Peaks and Coral Garden, and had a sumptuous lunch at one of the islands.

What’s a perfect end to the perfect day? Sunlight offers plenty from its F&B outlets. Culinary offerings range from Korean, Filipino, Japanese. Each location offers its special time-out for a sunset cocktails, or maybe just a romantic dinner al-fresco, and of course, a spa will always be top of mind

For us, seeing the ocean at its best is happiness redefined. Like living inside a large aquarium of big and small creatures of different varieties living together- Napoleons, Pomfrets, black-tipped sharks, stingrays, even turtles. On land, there are also different varieties of birds and we get amused with the antics of the resident crows. But It is not enough that it presents the perfect view or even mouthwatering cuisine. What we found is peace in its privacy, and that is luxury enough.

For inquiries and reservations send email to rooms@sunlighthotelsandresorts.com or visit their website at sunlighthotelsandresorts. com/setir/ to know more. Follow them on social media FB: @sunlightecotourismislandresort and IG: @sunlight_islandresort