In all of my wanderings, I have come to learn that the places we go are not very much different from the people we meet. Like people, each place is different. They have their own personalities. And like with people, we become drawn to places that resonate with us. Places that ignite something in us, or whose presence make us feel good, or perhaps put us at peace. Or for many, the standard is quite simple—they are drawn to places that make them feel quite at home. And as they say, home never really is a structure. It is a feeling. A vibe.
I would leave it to you to judge for yourself, but if this indeed is the case, then I would say that I have definitely found home at Palawan. At a charming little beach club there called Blue.
Opened just in February, Blue Palawan Beach Club is just 15 minutes away from Puerto Princesa airport. It’s a little far off from the main road (take the tricycle to get there if you haven’t arranged for a pick-up), but only fitting if you ask me, as its proximity to Puerto Princesa’s city proper is what gives the place an air of tranquility. Blue Palawan is a chill, charming beach resort nestled at the edge of Hidden Beach. And it is brimming with good vibrations.
Blue gets it. It does. The design of the place, modern yet inspired by traditional Filipino homes that commune with nature, gives guests a sense of blissful escape. The rooms, spacious and with comforting white walls and sheets, are topped with high ceilings and roofs made of nipa. The entrance to these elegant nooks are full-frame glass doors curtained with drapes that, when pushed back, gives you a relaxing view of a little paradise—sand, trees, and the blue sea awaiting in the distance.
With only a little more than 20 beach huts, a suite, and a surfer’s room for the young budget travelers, in Blue, it’s so easy to converge—with nature, with other guests, and sometimes, even with the elusive quiet in your head.
You step out of your room and there are no fancy zen landscapes most beach resorts are going after. At Blue, you step out and it’s sand that greets your feet. And a light breeze from the sea that will be grazing your cheeks, as if a plea for you to throw caution to the wind. A kind reminder of what you are in Palawan for—a break from the concrete jungle that is the city, and the pretentiousness that sometimes goes along with it.
Because in Blue Palawan, there is no space for negativity. Only positivity. Positivity which will arrive in the form of cold welcome drinks a smiling staff will serve as you arrive. Positivity which echoes as you listen to the soft chill house music playing by the poolside all day long. Positivity which will be lighting the faces of your friends as they take the first bite of Blue Palawan’s famous lechon kawali so epic, songs could be written after it.
Positivity that will continue to pour in as you meet new people, make friends, make memories. And you will. You will make friends here. With other guests. With the owners. With the people who cook the food, mix the drink, make the music. This will occur perhaps by the poolside bar, over deliciously sweet cocktails (or beer if that’s your poison) while engaged in loud, hilarious conversations like you’ve all been friends for a while. Because that’s the kind of place Blue is.
Because it’s not always about the luxury (though you will definitely also have that at Blue). It’s about the real sense of vacation that occurs when you’re away. And it’s most certainly not about how you leave a place, but how a place leaves you.
If you come here, be sure to be all here. Be present. For the only flaw there is in this chill beach home is the one weary tourists carry in their stressed out city minds as they arrive. Drop those. Drop those before you enter because in Blue Palawan, there is no space for negativity. Only positivity. A hefty supply of good vibrations to last you even after you’ve left.
And if you do come here, come prepared. Because as many have experienced—it may be very hard to leave.
Blue Palawan Beach Club
www.bluepalawan.com
www.facebook.com/BluePalawan
Instagram: @bluepalawan
