Buenavista mon amour

IN MAY I received this text message: "C'mon! jst hop on dat plane and get on d 3PM flight!"

It was sent to me by my dear friend, Mike Ayala, who was inviting me to his family's beautiful island retreat, and who was aware that I had just lost my grandmother and was trying my best to deal with the pain. I've saved that message to remind me that escape is just a text away when I'm ready.

YOU open the doors of the duplex and behold the poetry of sea and mountains.

Mike-a businessman and son of the Davao-based industrialist Chito Ayala and his wife Fe Ayala-and I are kindred souls, sharing a love for the sea, scuba diving and music, among other things. So, despite the attack two days earlier on the Barcelo Pearl Farm Beach Resort and the dire warnings about the Abu Sayyaf, true to my nature, I went.

The "garden isle" of Buenavista-a vision surrounded by the whitest sand-is 45 minutes away from Davao City by motorboat. Upon landing you are met by smiling attendants in sarong-type pantaloons, who welcome you with exquisite necklaces hand-made from indigenous materials. You instantly feel that you have just come home.

As you enter this paradise, you will notice the trellises with bougainvillea that lead you to the main building that looks like a pavilion or a family sala. Facing the ocean, it is an architectural masterpiece of massive logs and wood planks roofed by intricately woven cogon. The furniture, so comfortable, is done in wood and white canvas, with bulky cushions. You realize all the roofs in the island are made from the same woven cogon grass sheets.

There are shady trees, flowers and plants everywhere. Birds chirp from the trees, and surprise of surprises, peacocks (originally a gift of one pair and now numbering 14) stroll on the Bermuda grass (growing where it was once all white sand, thanks to Mike's mother Mafe, whose green thumb is legendary in Davao).

I was led to the family villa, which opens in several directions for a full view of the sea. It was designed to be comfortable, with three air-conditioned bedrooms plus two hot and cold baths. Some meters away, immediately facing the sea, is a duplex composed of two suites, each with air-conditioning and the most attractive outdoor garden baths equipped with hot and cold water.

I thought how wonderful it was to be surrounded by all this foliage even in the bath, where plants and vines "drip" from the sides of the walls and the ceiling! It was hard to choose, but I decided to stay in the family villa to be with my two young nephews and niece who, along with their parents, came with me.

For those who want something different, something more exposed to the healthy sea air, there are three other beautiful "outdoor rooms" with their own baths.

The architectural design of these beach huts was inspired by Mike's trips to Bali. Each allows one to just lie there, stare at the ocean, and marvel at the vista for as long as one wants.

Moveable feasts

In the middle of the island, hidden by a cluster of trees with drooping branches, is a swimming pool filled with fresh water especially brought in on a barge from the springs of Mt. Apo, Davao's highest peak.

There is a staff composed of two chefs and three waiters who constantly fed us, so that I had to tell them to take it easy on the food that would appear on trays wherever we were.

Interestingly, every meal was set up in a different location, maximizing the wonderful ambience of this island-under shady trees with the blue ocean in view during the day, and on the beach at night, complete with torches. It led us to look forward to each dining occasion.

The staff took pains to make every guest feel happy and at home, and we were served hand and foot wherever we found ourselves.

The island is truly comparable to the best private retreats in the world. It is so private that when you and your party are there, there is literally no other guest present.

The Ayalas purchased the tiny island in 1987. Time was when the family spent each Holy Week there with friends and other guests. The stations of the cross were placed on the surrounding trees, making the ritual all the more meaningful during Lent.

The dynamic combination of Mike's parents-a visionary father and an artistic mother whose contribution to the cut flower and orchid industry in Davao is no secret-made the transformation of the island almost complete.

Four hectares during high tide, its size is perfect: not too big and not too small, enough for one to be able to circle it in an hour or so, depending on one's pace.

The family aptly named it Buenavista, which is Spanish for "good view."

Marine sanctuary

The Ayalas have always had one of the best but unobtrusive security forces in the area. With the constant patrols, the family has been able to protect the marine life from poachers and dynamite fishing for years. Now, the waters surrounding the island have been declared a marine sanctuary.

Not doubting, yet not daring to believe, I slowly discovered the marvels found underwater. What we saw there was truly breathtaking.

We were well cared for by the island's operations manager, Lester Salinas, who doubled up as my dive master. Reminiscent of the character portrayed by the young Robert Shaw in "Jaws," he educated my companions on the temper of the water currents surrounding the island and the different marine creatures before we went in to snorkel or scuba dive. Mostly, his tips were on what and what not to touch.

Big or small fish, long or short, flat or round, striped or spotted, Lester knew them all.

At certain times of the day at the other end of the island, you can observe the eels just dancing with the currents. And no matter how deep these colorful creatures were, you could see them because the waters were so clean and clear you could see as far as 15 feet below.