With the long, hot summer still upon us, our natural gravitation is to look to the sea and head off to the beach to somehow beat the scorching heat. Beaching around these has become more complex these days, with the advances in resort development, amenities and the social media which will chronicle the seaside getaway.
Families with millennial and Gen Z children have to level up and no longer settle with the beach resorts of the minimum acceptable or “pwede na” standards.
The good thing is property firm Millennial Resorts Corp. has felt the pulse of today’s generation and has developed unique hideaways for a consummate experience.
Located at the far end of San Juan, Batangas is Laiya Beach which has been a favorite dating back to the 1960s because of its powdery shores and scenic seascapes. Over the past decade, this once-remote colony has become easier to reach with the roadworkd and the influx of trendy resorts.
A classy playground in the area is Club Laiya, a sprawling beach township of Landco Pacific Corp., which has been luring the younger set with its unorthodox lodgings—Cocoons and the Camperisti.
Cocoons is a huge cylinder accommodation with minimalist features and amenities, with the sala placed outside the unit and the common toilet and bath located a stone’s throw away.
Camperisti, meanwhile, is a cozy trailer van which is like a self-contained house on wheels with home elements such as a bedroom with a queen bed, dining-slash-receiving area, mini kitchen and sink, a working or dining table by the window, an automated toilet, and a bathroom. Its perimeter, which is shaded by a parasol, can also double up as a receiving area and grillery for evening barbecues.
Despite its seeming compact floor area, the American-style van can comfortably sleep 5 persons as the sofa sets are converted into beds. It will also give you that snug and exciting outlander experience without having to own one.
The best part is that the sparkling sea and Captain Barbozza, a Pirates of the Caribbean-inspired resto-bar, are just literally just a few steps away. The beach is teeming with water recreation facilities such as jetski, banana boat and kayak so you can explore the vast expanse of Laiya’s coast. And if you simply prefer watch the world go by, you can laze at multi-level swimming pools and cabanas.
On the other side of Batangas is Calatagan South Beach or CaSoBe, another township which is inspired by its popular namesake in Miami, Florida. It also has the Cocoons capsule lodging, and the more spacious Crusoe Cabins which are stylized log cabins made out of steel container vans.
Named after fictional character Robinson Crusoe, the Cabins is a comfy family suite with a compact kitchen and pantry, sala, a day bed, and a multi-purpose veranda which looks out into the sea or the courtyard.
The resort complex will keep you occupied with its Acquaria waterpark, beach volleyball courts, a tournament-grade basketball court, and water recreational facilities. CaSoBe also lends out bikes for leisurely pedaling within the enclave.
Down south in Mindanao, the Island Garden City of Samal has been the excursion place of many mainlanders from Davao City for the longest time. But with the progress the proverbial “Land of Promise” has been undergoing in recent years, the leisure lifestyle experience of the locals has been taken a notch higher with the entry of prestigious players in the tourism industry.
Beach bums can now hie off to Playa Azalea, a master-planned exclusive seaside community which is modeled after its sister first-class properties in Batangas. Situated just a few minutes away from the island’s port, this township is punctuated with towering coconut palms, fruit trees and mangroves, stunning rock formations, and a sweeping view of Davao City’s Lanang district across the tranquil Davao Gulf.
Named after the brightly-colored fragrant flower that grow abundantly in the area, its main lodging is the signature Crusoe Cabins which are clustered within a landscaped garden, with Captain Barbozza conveniently located at the center. Across it is the Aqua Water Park for pool lovers, which overlooks the crystalline water just a few meters below the cliff.
Guests can circumnavigate the island on a motorcycle and swing by the Monfort Bat Sanctuary, the world’s largest colony of Rousette fruit bats at 2.3 million, Mangongawong and Hagimit Falls, and Sanipaan Marine Park which is popularly known as Vanishing Island, a sandbar which is submerged by high tide.
While it doesn’t have its own dive center, Playa Azalea can arrange underwater expeditions for scuba dives around Samal and the adjoining Talikud Island.
With the new and novel beach concepts out there for the taking, families can now beach around like a millennial.
Image credits: Bernard L. Supetran
