Perched like an eagle’s nest on the peak of a hill overlooking Varadero and Muelle Bays, Tanawin is only two km from Puerto Galera. Far from the bustle of Sabang Beach, Small La Laguna or Big La Laguna, it is ideal resort for those seeking secret and serene places.

The resort is surrounded by a magnificent tropical garden with stone paths lined with santan and habiscus. Coconut and fan palm tress dot the green, their trunks hosting orchids plants. An old jasmine tree has fleeting blossoms in April that perfume the pool area with its persistent fragrance. The gray marble pool has a pavilion that houses the bar. The view from the resort is bot spectacular and dramatic.

The houses, each one is unique in its own way, with store walls and imposing thatched rooks evoking a fairy tale-like atmosphere, are standing around the garden.

The Snail House is the most impressive of the guest houses with its turret, topped with a pointed roof, dominating the precipice. Its surrounded interior is composed of two levels, a ground floor with a mini-kitchen and a living room, and a second floor that houses the bedroom and a gray marble bathroom.

The rooms have big picture windows that look out to the sea. The wide place to sit and watch the enchanting view of Varadero Bay and the changing seascape. At night, the lights of fishing boats see, to besiege the tower.

Higher up along the pathways, on the other side of the crest, is the two-story Circular House. It has a thatched roof that reaches down to the ground. It is made up of two suites in a half-moon pattern. Each suite has two floors, with a small living room and a bathroom upstairs. All rooms have a view of Muelle Bay. A semi-circular terrace links the two suites, making it very convenient for a family.

The Sunset House is suffused with the warm light of the setting sun on Muelle Bay. You enter the house through a small bamboo bridge. Its interior, though smaller and simpler, is nevertheless very pleasant and cozy. Everything is either made of wood or braided bamboo. A French window opens to a small terrace.

The main house is where the owner – Herbert Wunnemann, a foreigner civil engineer who designed the resort, and his Filipina wife,Vangie – stay. It also shelters the restaurant, the sitting room cum-library and three bedrooms. Meals are taken in the terrace where there is a fabulous view of the garden and Varadero Bay. However, on windy evenings, dinner is served in the interior patio. Service is always elegant, and the bamboo tables are set with bowls of lovely flowers.

There is no beach at the resort, but it is possible to go swimming in a cove just below it. However, as the cove can only be accessed via a 200-step staircase, it may be difficult for the children of the elderly. An alternative is to rent a banca to go diving in the bay or explore other beaches, like the one in a nearby Encenada.

How to get there

By land, sea and land, 3 hours by car/van from Manila to Batangas harbor. The resort can arrange fir a private vehicle to pick you up from the airport or your residence/hotel in Manila, or you can take your own car. The route is via South Superhighway. Get off at Exit 50A to Lucena, turn right to the Star Tollway, to Batangas get off at Lipa/Tambo exit, turn left to Batangas. At Batangas harbor, leave your car at the parking area.

Resort banca, one hour from Batangas harbor to Muelle Pier. Resort minibus, 5 minutes from Muelle Pier to the resort.

More photos here