Story & photos by Jun V. Lao
OBSERVATION tells this writer that expatriates based in the Philippines are better pampered here compared to their counterparts living elsewhere.
Beyond being spoilt by having fashion malls and weekend bazaars that are just a stone’s throw away from their offices, having a quick ocean sojourn is but a two-hour drive away down south.
Pier Uno-Anilao in Mabini, Batangas, offers expats a quiet weekend away from the city with the option of enjoying hearty buffet meals in between scuba diving in one of the world’s top submarine sites.
When its doors opened in 2005, founding divers built the resort from ground up by having only huts as accommodations. As the scuba-diving community in the locale further developed to welcome a more discerning set of clients, the property kept pace with the changing times as it added a pool first, restructured their kitchen, then expanded their room sizes and numbers.
Currently, Pier Uno-Anilao is a full-fledged dive resort which can accommodate several groups of divers at the same time, while keeping everyone’s personal space in check.
The resort is well-known for its excellent accommodations, sumptuous buffets and impressive dive operations, but would-be guests will be pleased to find that the charming resort is blessed with a prolific house reef which is home to a diverse marine population.
The base clientele of Pier Uno-Anilao is a split between inbound Asian dive tourists and expats who found themselves living in the Philippines for quite some time. They kept coming back for the great food and the excellent diving experience.
It is quite notable that Pier Uno-Anilao has become one of the top 5 resorts in its locale, notwithstanding its humble beginnings. Twelve years later, it is in the forefront of the scuba-diving attractions in the country.
Asked what keeps the resort as the preferred gateway for diving in Anilao, Janneth Cubacub, who currently oversees overall operations, said, “Expatriates are one of the most demanding clients on the planet. They worked hard for many years to get to where they are and, in return, hope to be accorded with a level of pampering similar to the service they have given to their company and clientele.”
Cubacub and her crew know this by heart and it is in their DNA to serve every visitor on a highly personal level. She is proud that they run one of the few resorts which keeps an “on call,” 24-hour bar operations, while most of their customers keep coming back for their global cuisine delights. (This writer met Cubacub as a newly certified diver eight years back and has personally experienced her level of service with a personal touch.)
Beyond a delightful gastronomic weekend, guests can expect longtime and experienced dive professionals to provide them the best diving education, which is comparable to having a holiday in the Caribbean or Maldives.
Scuba diving is currently experiencing a renaissance of sorts, where certification levels in Asia have been increasing yearly like never before. And by teaching scuba for close to three years now, this writer vouches for Pier Uno-Anilao as one of the best dive resorts to stay in: from trying out scuba-diving sessions to open-water certifications. Definitely, it will be a great jump-off point for Philippine-based expats who want to explore diving and go underwater photography around the world-renowned dive site.
For more info, visit pierunoresort.ph. Contact the writer through paparazsea@gmail.com.
Image credits: Jun V. Lao