STA CRUZ, MARINDUQUE | With thousands of islands to choose from in the Philippines, it is not a surprise that there are also a lot of travelers looking for unspoiled islands or places to explore in our country. One example of a pristine island that is now attracting a lot of tourists is found in the province of Marinduque called MANIWAYA ISLAND.
This island now offers a lot of activities which I will publish a little later, but what struck me most about this island, was the place we stayed in which was WAWIE’S BEACH RESORT.
From Sta Cruz, Marinduque port, we were picked up by the boats of Wawie’s Beach Resort. The boat ride took us around 1-2 hours depending on the waves.
The resort has several boats that were big enough to accommodate guests especially if you are coming in a big group.
Since we arrived at night, I wasn’t able to see much of the island and the resort, but one thing was for sure, I already had a good feeling about Wawie’s Beach Resort. The resort was so quiet, very clean, relaxing, and most of all the resort works harmoniously with nature.
It was a great idea to keep the palm trees intact instead of cutting them. I felt like I was a VIP being surrounded by these tall palm trees. Imagine having a candle-lit dinner with your friends or loved ones under these trees – the best!
Wawies Beach Resort has 7 beachfront cottages for day tour visitors. This place is ideal for any type of event that you can think of. The place is so unspoiled, it feels like you have the place all to yourself.
They have a total of 9 nipa huts where 4 of them are family rooms and the rest are good enough for 2 to 3 persons. The rooms are very decent and clean.You have your beds, pillows and a fan. A common bathroom is found outside next to the cafeteria and at the back of the kitchen. Beds and pillows are quite comfortable and we all had a great sleep!
If there is one thing you need to know about the island, it’s the issue of power interruptions. Electricity is available only from 3:00 pm until 11:00 pm (based from when we arrived). So make sure that you have your power banks handy and fully charged. Javee from GalaPh was so clever bringing those rechargeable led lamps, so even after 11:00 pm, fun was still on the roll!
If you are on the beach, the best thing to do is to RELAX! And that’s what we did. After our island hopping tour which was also provided by Wawie’s. All we wanted to do was just to lie down and enjoy this beautiful white sand beachfront all to ourselves.
It was a little bit overcast during our visit and just before lunch time, the sun came out and gave me time to get a nice tan.
Maniwaya Island has a beautiful coast with mangrove trees at the far end. The water was pretty calm and clear, perfect for snorkeling or any other activities. For me, I enjoyed my walk on the sand.
During our stay at Wawie’s Beach Resort, I had the chance to talk to the owner of the resort, Warlie Constantino. I must admit that he inspired me. His motivation and optimism led him to what can soon be the most visited and beautiful resort on Maniwaya Island.
I would never find out about this place without the help of my friends and also GalaPh who organized the whole adventure in Marinduque. It was the most fun adventure I had so far and I am definitely going to do more and will definitely go back to Maniwaya Island and stay at WAWIES BEACH!