Grandeur of Arreceffi isle

Arreceffi is the largest in a cluster of exotic islands that adorn Honda Bay northeast of Sta. Lourdes wharf in Puerto Princesa, Palawan. The other islands in the bay are Bat Island, Puting Buhangin, Snake Island and Fondeado Island.

All of these islands are unspoiled and truly worthwhile exploring. Only Arraceffi is pretty well developed with 10 bay cottages and 40 garden cottages in the resort known as Dos Palmas.

But Dos Palmas has been through a series of crisis which both domestic and foreign tourists are scared about to say the least.

First, there was the Abu Sayyaf kidnapings two years ago when 20 persons including American minister Martin Burnham (who was later killed), his wife Gracia and businessman Rhegis Romero II were kept hostage in the hinterlands of Mindanao.

This was followed a year later by the unexpected death in the island of well-loved movie star Rico Yan.

However, Dos Palmas will surely emerge from the crises with its reputation in tact if certain measures are adopted. Even now the resort people are addressing the problems of security, customer service and water-fun facilities.

Obviously tourist will find difficulty sleeping in Dos Palmas because of unwarranted fears of kidnaping, but the chances are slim if not nil that such a thing will ever happen again. After all, Dos Palmas has beefed up its security network.

Likewise the frontliners at Dos Palmas are now being trained to pamper every tourist guest regardless of race or job description.

It is true that our PR company president joined four guests to Arreccefi last week. He was picked up by a resort bus in Asturias Hotel in Puerto Princesa. From the hotel all the way to Dos Palmas, the resort manager who was with the tour group did not welcome my boss as tour guides in Boracay or Hong Kong would have done. But that is no big deal.

At lunchtime my boss was eating by himself and no one from the resort staff attended to him. The waiter just gave the set meal to him without much ado. After lunch he walked to a nearby gazebo to send text messages to Manila when a resort staffer approached him “ to vacate the place because it is for rent. “

“I felt humiliated but I guess the staffer was just doing her job as best as she could. Maybe she did not mean to offend me. Maybe I over-reacted”, my boss said.

All in all, Dos Palmas is a paradise on earth. You will enjoy snorkeling there because the multitude of multi-colored fish will play with your fingers as you offer them a small piece of bread crumb.

Next time my boss goes to Palawan, I have no doubt he will go back to Dos Palmas. Who knows, he may be invited as a special guest of the house.