Arena Island: Palawan’s secret revealed

Holidays are best spent away from the crowded streets of the city, and for people who want to get away, Palawan province is often the place they think of. Not surprising, since top US travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler named it the world’s best island last year.

Among Palawan’s secrets, the best-kept is Arena Island. It offers a serene setting that’s perfect for getaways, whether you’re alone, with someone you love, or with a group.

This four-hectare private island, off the coast of the municipality of Narra, is three hours away from Puerto Princesa City. Arena Island boasts of a unique blend of privacy and comfort, because guests can have it all to themselves during their stay. Visitors get great value through the personalized services of a highly trained crew, composed of professional chefs and butlers.

The Casa and the native-themed Casita, best for honeymoons, are the premier accommodations on Arena Island. Group travelers, meanwhile, can relish their stay in the Pavilion, which accommodates up to 15 single mattresses.

The appeal of Arena Island extends to its culinary treats. Guests can choose what will be served on their tables. They can select from a wide range of home-cooked meals of fresh seafood caught around the island.

Moreover, they can choose either the Casita’s verandas, the beachfront, the treehouse, the sandbar or the canopy of trees as the backdrop for their meals.

A stay at Arena Island will not be complete without trying out different water-based activities, such as snorkeling, diving and kayaking. Guests will have the chance to get close to a 30-hectare aquatic paradise that features vibrant marine life.

Besides providing exclusive services and fun activities, Arena Island is also practicing eco-conservation and sustainability in its operations to promote ecotourism. It strengthened its efforts by taking part in the Zero Carbon Resorts (ZCR) project under the European Switch-Asia program and initiated by the GrAT-Center for Appropriate Technology and its partners.

The project aims to enable small and medium-sized enterprises in Palawan and other parts of the Philippines to switch from using fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy.

With that, Arena Island encourages its guests to conserve energy by switching off the lights during daytime. The island has been using solar panel units for lighting purposes, even before it opened its doors to guests.

Arena Island is also known to be a breeding ground for the pawikan, the Philippines’s native sea turtle. The island continues to promote the protection and conservation of these precious creatures through its advocacy program, Pugad Pawikan Pilipinas, which seeks to preserve endangered species of sea turtles.

At least 200 eggs come out after 45 to 50 days of incubation. The custodians of Arena Island take care of the hatchlings and release them back to the sea after a month. Guests can join in the releasing process and sponsor related costs to ensure the protection and health of these turtles before they go back to the sea.

“We, at Arena Island, strongly believe that we have responsibility to the environment and we have to continue with our efforts to make the island more sustainable for the years to come,” said Roland Rodriquez, a native of Cuyo town and the island’s proprietor and protector.

With its right mix of privacy, personalized service and commitment to the environment, Arena Island is perfectly made for travelers.

For more information, visit www.arenaisland.com.