Tidings of joy in paradise
How do you like to spend your family Christmas vacation on an island paradise? There, you listen to the jolly carols in the form of the humming nippy breeze and the unbridled laughter of the kids frolicking under the sun, their elders running along the 330-meter-long stretch of white sand?
How do you like to celebrate the gift of family, what the season of merry is all about, at Auhana in Boracay?
This is an invitation to a paradisiacal experience. After all, Auhana, a Polynesian word for “family,” is where the sun kisses the sand to keep every member of the family warm.
Auhana is a joyful escape to a paradise where priceless moments become priceless memories. The resort, along Boracay’s Station 3, creates these instances of happiness in the heart and lets them grow inside you as mementos to cherish for a lifetime.
The seven-hectare resort is colonial in design and grand in scale with more than 500 rooms but it maintains its warm, convivial appeal. (Staying here will not cost you an arm and a leg, what with Auhana’s introductory rates.) The lobby, high-ceilinged and spic-and-span, is welcoming. From the well-appointed room, be it Premier Panoramic Suite, Junior Suite, Family Suite or Presidential Suite, the joy of the sea is seen, felt, imbibed. A celebration is created just by looking at the sea. Much more happiness is achieved once you experience frolicking on its 330-meter powdery white beachfront, the widest beachfront in the whole island.
Family members can enjoy themselves in any of the resort’s three pools. The shell-shaped main pool overlooks the blue ocean. The little ones have the Tiki Hut Kids’ pool where they can meet new friends.
The soul is pampered at Auhana Spa, which takes pride in its collection of essential oil. Opt for the signature massage, which is a relaxing and delightful combo of Swedish, shiatsu, hot stone and Thai massage.
The soul, too, is kept warm by the resort’s Chapel of All Blessed. Auhana is the first and only resort in Boracay to have its own chapel within its vicinity. The 51-sq.-m. chapel dazzles with a stained glass altar and can seat 80 guests. The entire family on Christmas break can say a prayer here. And stay together in spirit.
(When I was in Auhana a few months ago, the Chapel of All Blessed was the focal point of my romantic imaginings. There, I could see a bride walking down the aisle, her groom waiting by the altar. Since wedding by the beach is not allowed anymore in Boracay, the chapel is a perfect venue for island weddings.)
Because Christmas is also about sumptuous food, Auhana delivers excellent dining options. All-Day Dining is an open-air restaurant with the picturesque view of the sea. Asian Eats offers classic and contemporary Asian fare. Don’t miss dining at The Porch, where family members are up not only to having a good meal but also a glorious view of the famous Boracay sunset.
This Christmas season, Auhana promises to serenade the family with carols and tidings of joy. *
(Auhana can be reached at +6336286-3900or e-mail reservations@auhana.com.)
(E-mail me at bumbaki@yahoo.com. I’m also on Twitter @bum_tenorio and Instagran @bumtenorio. Have a blessed Sunday!)
