Remote Vacation Spots for a Covid-Free Summer (Philippines)

No cautious person would have gone for their usual summer vacation in 2020; the pandemic hit last year, and we were all required to stay inside. 

This year, the virus is still unfurling its claws. Only a small percentage of Pinoys have been vaccinated, but people are already moving about and around as if everything has gone back to normal. 

We're not really, strictly required to stay inside anymore (at least not where I'm from), but there are social distancing rules to follow once outside. 

Still - it's hard to believe we're about to hit our second summer with a global pandemic. I have not gone out once since March 14, 2020 - except maybe to the neighborhood store for some basic necessities.

I'd be lying if I said I haven't been living vicariously through YouTubers nearby - YouTubers who record their daily lives outside their homes, giving me a peek into what's going on in the world I had once treaded daily, and so carelessly. 

I recently found a YouTuber in my own hometown - a YouTuber whose lifestyle content I've grown to enjoy... Sometimes, I would shake my head when I'd see her eating so casually at Romantic Baboy, seeing the dense clusters of people around her. That's the kind of example I want to avoid... 

But sometimes, I just envy her adventures outside of the city, where she lolls around unpeopled resorts or spots - 

That is why I've searched around for 5 remote or secluded vacation spots that will keep summer fun, while keeping paranoia and Rona's clutches away. These are places I personally wouldn't have problems going to during summer - if only I had a car. Or maybe a private jet. 

5. Rock Island Eres Bella - Coron, Palawan

photo courtesy of booking.com

This place might have been popularized by famous travel vloggers Kara and Nate. For 10,000 php a night, you get to own your own private island. If you have no problem spending 10k, or 200$, a night - then summer would definitely be paradise for you. Just imagine it: waking up to the sights and sounds of refreshing turquoise waters lapping over soft white sand... Putting on your running shoes for a morning jog along the shore... Eating breakfast with your loved ones at the restaurant... Heading out to the sea you own for an entire day... 

It sounds blissful.

4. Pitcher Plant Farm, Malaybalay, Bukidnon

(Now this is a place I have actually gone to, and thus, the following photos belong to me.)

I went here twice with my family: first, when I was location scouting; second, during filming: I shot a large portion of my 2-hour thesis film here for film school. 

This place felt like a hidden gem then, and I believe it is still a hidden gem today. Back when we were filming, we were the only people in the whole estate. The probable reason? The place is hard to find. It's enchanting, it's beautiful, it's quiet, but it's hard to find. 

Today, I've just scoured through reviews of this place on Agoda; I found one constant complaint: they really couldn't find the place, so they had to cancel. 

In the midst of location scouting years ago, I was told to simply give up finding this place. 

"Just look for another area with a similar aesthetic!" they said. 

The car we had rented was going around in circles; we kept getting lost in the middle of nowhere. But I refused; the pictures of the farm I had found online had the exact look I needed for my film. It had that charming European vibe, the cabin looked crisp and pretty for the camera, the surrounding greens looked luscious. There was no way I was going to settle for anything else, there was no way I wasn't going to hit my target location just because it was difficult to find. So on the way, I called the owner. He guided us over the phone - 

Yes, it was tricky, but he patiently spewed directions as we navigated our way through the wilderness. There were shrubby twists and turns and then some narrow, unpaved roads. And then we were there. To get there, you certainly need a car. And you need to stay in touch with the owner so he could help you find your way. 

Pitcher Plant Farm has these beautiful log cabins surrounded by nature; these cabins have generous balconies that overlook mountains, ridges, and forests. Inside, it's a spacious but cozy world - on both the ground floor and the upper floor, gorgeous logs make up the walls. The rich, beautiful interior might fool you into believing you're rather at a luxurious cabin set in the middle of the woods in the U.S instead of at some unknown farm in Bukidnon. There's a lot of furniture made out of the same opulent wood - a long dining table, sofas, armchairs, balcony tables, coffee tables, vanity desks, even magazine racks. There's a fridge. There's a kitchen area. The bathrooms are comfortable. It truly feels like your own home away from home. There are beds below, and there are many more beds upstairs. The windows are large, and the views are magnificent. 

Outside, they have specific patches of land dedicated to venus flytraps and pitcher plants - carnivorous plants you could purchase. In between are charming stone paths that give off that European vibe I had been intent to capture on film. 

This is the perfect place to stay if you want to write a book, film a movie, concoct a million dollar idea, or simply have peace and quiet. There really isn't much about it in the morning - there are no pools, no slides and seesaws, no restaurants, no cafes. You just really have a beautiful cabin, as well as the nature surrounding it, all to yourself. This is probably not the place for families with restless kids - unless you have a bunch of games and activities that only require a large hectare of land. 

At night, it's very cold - and fascinating. Fireflies besiege the darkness; these are backed by utter silence, so that it feels as if you've stumbled upon a secret magical world. 

3. Nasuli Spring Resort, Malaybalay

This is another location we had gone to where we had shot a smaller portion of scenes for my thesis film. (The following photos still belong to me.)

This is a beautiful place to spend your second Covid summer in, but there are precautions to take. It's important to avoid the spring around noon until the afternoon, because visitors tend to come in droves around these times. To be safe from the virus, get out of your cottage only early in the morning, and then late in the afternoon until evening. That way, you can have the spring all to yourself. 

Better yet, scout the area first. Then only stay there when there's barely anyone by noon - because it means there won't be anyone the whole day.

This is a truly magical spot in the Philippines. Back then, the cottages were rundown - that was why we didn't stay there. But they are fully functional these days. 

Let me include this photo of Nasuli, shot and edited for purely artistic purposes. I was trying to color correct it according to the vintage, Italian, Malena-inspired theme I was going for back then; now I realize that the original looked so much better. Except I cannot find the original. So let me share this shot of mystical Nasuli instead. That fog was actually there. 

2. Lagos Del Sol Resort, Cavinti

(The following photos belong to me, again...)

cottage balcony

cottage interior

We fly off to Luzon this time around - 

Lagos del Sol Resort belongs here because the place feels remote. It's a very long tricycle ride from Pagsanjan Falls, a little way off Cavinti. When my sister and I visited, we were the only guests during the first night. The following day, there were additional guests - and it felt like we were still the only guests in this humongous estate. Why? Because the cottages were placed so far apart.

Lagos del Sol is stunning; it is a massive estate situated beside Lake Caliraya, a man-made lake. It's studded with beautiful cottages; similar to Pitcher Plant Farm's log cabins, Lagos del Sol's cottages have generous balconies - as you can see in this photo:

In here, the balconies overlook the stretch of the silvery lake bordering it. Surrounding these cottages are gardens, a field where guests can play volleyball, a decent pool, and dining areas by a gorgeous dock. There is a restaurant in between the sprinkle of gardens and pathways; when you go there, order their sinigang. It's one of the best-tasting sinigangs I have ever tasted in my life. 

At night, it can be a little frightening. My sister and I had chosen the cottage right beside the lake; even when there were other guests during the second night, it truly felt like we were the only people in the entire estate - there was no sign of staff, no sign of our supposed neighbors, not a single sight nor sound from anything other than ourselves. We felt very much alone on that decently-lit balcony, surrounded by total darkness and a pitch black lake that wasn't making a sound. 

What did it feel like? 

It felt like our cottage was floating on outer space. It also felt like there were silent monsters rising from the eerie, man-made lake. It was definitely fun. 

An attempt to capture that frightening night on the balcony

1. Eden Nature Park and Resort 

photo from sunstar.com.ph

photo from edennaturepark.com.ph

photo from edennaturepark.com.ph

photo from agoda.com

photo from davaocitybybattad.blogspot.com

photo from philippinetraveler.com

Eden Nature Park and Resort deserves this number 1 spot:

It is ENORMOUS, it is up in the mountains - about an hour via car from Davao City, and it is JAMPACKED - not with people - but with things to do.

First: the lodgings. If you want to ensure distance and safety, if you want to ensure you are following social distancing rules, choose the vista cottages, mountain villas 1 and 2, the pine lodge, and the log cabin. By staying in either of these specific lodging options, you can avoid bumping into other guests. The fourth photo above is an example of a vista cottage - it is a breathtaking cottage "on stilts" set in the middle of a thick, heavy forest. This forest surrounding it is so bewildering, in fact, that I will never forget how we once needed outside help to find my mother: she had gotten lost one afternoon, probably carried away by all the fascinating flora and fauna. The lodgings stated above are so far apart that you need a shuttle to get to and fro. 

Second: the dining. If there are no people, do dine at their vista restaurant or relax at their cafe vista. If there are people there, escape to the fisher's grill or the skyview cafe. If you just want to fish, there's a fishing village where you're allowed to do that... and eat what you've caught right after. 

Third: the fun parts. There's a skyrider, a skycycle, a skyswing, a skywheel, a kid's zipline called 'indiana jones', horseback riding, and a swimming pool. There's an amphitheater, a deer park, a bird park, a hiking trail, a vegetable garden, a flower garden, a butterfly garden, lola's garden, a playground, a bamboo maze, a cultural park within a park, else known as a wellspring of Mindanaon culture or "Tinubdan". 

The best part about this place is that it's extremely enormous, it's simply not possible for just one place to get crowded - especially at this time. In fact, I remember that I needed a shuttle to get from one vista to another lodging, and I needed another shuttle to get from the restaurant to the pool. Every lodging and every attraction has a lot of space encompassing them. Walking from one place to another is insanely tiring, to tell you the truth, that it's so easy to find exhaustion - and exhilaration - in here. You asked for distance? Eden Park and Resort has it for you. Just make sure you move on to another attraction if you see other guests already in one attraction - after all, there are too many to choose from. 

Feeling a little lonely from all this social distancing? Don't worry - there are peacocks strutting everywhere. In fact, every time I hear about peacocks, I think of Eden Nature Park and Resort. They're the real masters of this place. 

So those are five remote vacation spots I'd chosen for a hopefully Covid-free summer. If you're going on a vacation, please make sure you have all the things needed for social distancing: a good quality mask, a face shield, alcohol, sanitizer, etc. If you're still unsure - then take heed of your own cautious nature. Just stay at home until this all passes - then make sure to treat yourself to these places when you want to congratulate yourself for not going mad throughout the whole thing. Safe travels everyone!