El Nido Resorts’ newest luxury island now on the radar of world’s affluent travelers

MANILA, Philippines - El Nido Resorts’ Pangulasian Island was recently endorsed as a top destination in 2014 for affluent, frequent travelers by Travel + Leisure’s US and Southeast Asian editions.

Travel + Leisure has a global readership of five million and is one of the world’s most influential travel magazines catering to wealthy individuals with a penchant for new places to see and experience.

Along with 24 other destinations in the world, Pangulasian was featured in an article “Best Places to Travel in 2014.” The island resort with 42 villas is in Palawan’s Bacuit Bay, considered one of the world’s last ecological frontiers.

The three other El Nido Resorts are each named after the islands wherein they are located, namely Miniloc, Lagen and Apulit.

Along with historic Warsaw and Iceland where the northern lights are expected to be the most vibrant in 11 years this year, Pangulasian was named “one of the places that will appeal to travelers seeking what’s new and notable in 2014.” It was the only Philippine resort featured in the article.

Travel writer Peter Jon Lindberg painted a blissful picture of the private island with thatched-roof villas “just steps from a ribbon of soft white sand.” He wrote: “Behind you lies a thrumming canopy of green. And before you is the limpid blue Bacuit Bay, where outriggers ply the glasslike waters… swim just 20 yards out and you’ll be floating with turtles and parrot fish above a pristine coral reef.”

Prior to Pangulasian’s inclusion in the 2014 must-see list, Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia also named El Nido as one of two Philippine resorts in a “Best of the Philippines” article.   

El Nido Resorts visitor and acting ambassador of Romania Mihai Sion attributed the newfound appeal of Pangulasian to its pristine surroundings in a UNESCO biosphere reserve combined with delightful service and accommodations designed to allow the visitor to appreciate the surrounding sea and flora and fauna. “It’s a piece of paradise,” he says.

The positive comments garnered by Pangulasian from highly respected influencers in the world of travel are expected to boost the Philippines’ tourism prospects. El Nido Resorts director of sales and marketing Joey Bernardino points out that Pangulasian’s reviews are helpful not just to El Nido Resorts. “It also catapults the Philippines into the luxury travel niche and opens opportunities for other top resorts that focus on sustainability and authenticity to catch the attention of this special group of travelers.”

El Nido Resorts president Laurant Lamasuta says, “We are pleased that when we decided to build Pangulasian in 2012, we chose to keep it sustainable, authentic and rustic but to pay close attention to guest preferences such as giving them the option to sleep with air conditioning or al fresco.”

Moreover, Pangulasian’s designers and builders took great pains to respect the natural cycles of the island. Prevailing winds, for instance, blow the sand on the beach in different directions at different times of the year. So as not to interfere with that cycle, the buildings were constructed away from the beach and behind the treeline.

In addition, heavy machinery that could disrupt the natural habitat was not imported into the island during construction. Fabrication of large pieces was done outside Pangulasian, brought in through sleds and barges, and assembled onsite.

The focus on nature is further emphasized by the materials incorporated in the interior finishes and furnishing: woven cogon as roofing material to facilitate the escape of hot air as well as to create a sense of place, recycled Indonesian teakwood flooring for richness and durability, and fiberboard walls with rice husk for texture. All emphasize the new face of luxury as defined by travelers who put a premium on environmental concerns.