But the quirky bed and breakfast owned by Romeo and Ann Trono can actually be found in a popular diving destination in a coastal town at the tip of Batangas.
The Ifugao-inspired cottages of the Bontoc in Batangas Bed and Breakfast (or BBBB) in Bagalangit, Mabini is an eclectic blend of mountain charm and laid-back beach vibe.
Owned by Trono, who also happens to be the executive director of the environmental group Conservation International, the BBBB is a unique retreat for Batangas divers looking for good food and a homey place to stay the night. It’s also proving popular with families and the NGO crowd who use it for planning sessions because of its excellent food and the surrounding scenery.
“The plan was just to put up a bahay-kubo [nipa hut], but it just kept getting bigger and bigger,” says Trono over a glass of deceptively harmless rum-coke (the house specialty) and some crispy chicharon (pork rind).
He says it took several years to buy off the land from a local boatman. When the land was fully paid, they started building the house in 2005.
The resort gets its inspiration from his wife’s roots, says Trono of Ann who hails from Bontoc, Mountain Province. Ann’s mother was an anthropologist who wrote the book “Culture of the Bontoc Igorots,” and the couple spent a lot of time there before relocating to Manila.
“We thought of Bontoc because the land here is sloped, similar to the geography in the Mountain Province. The design of the building goes upwards,” Trono explains.
One must climb several flights of concrete steps to reach the entrance to the bed and breakfast. A large dining and living area decorated with heavy wooden furniture, plants and colorful ethnic details, is located on the lowest level.
Numerous paintings, wooden stuff and coffee table books adorn the walls and fill up the shelves. Meanwhile, a small area covered with stones, adjacent to the kitchen, houses all the diving gear for rent. An outdoor terrace provides a great view of the ocean and is a favorite place for guests to chill out at night.
“The structure itself, the stone walls, the wood carvings and other details are all Igorot-made,” says Trono.
The glass beaded curtain leading to the kitchen and the carved wooden posts give the place a distinct charm not seen in other dive resorts.
Initially, the couple would invite only friends to stay, but eventually, the Tronos were persuaded to open the place to the public. Now even the local tourism council recommends the resort to visitors. They don’t have a marketing arm, only a Facebook page, the owners say, but business is brisk. Good feedback from previous guests, most of them foreigners, has certainly helped.
“Right now we have two French guests who learned about the place through word of mouth. Last month, several Argentines came over. It was their second time here because they love the place,” says Trono.
The reasonable rates certainly don’t hurt. The weekend rate is only P2,500 per person per night, which includes accommodations and on-board meals, including snacks and drink all you can rum-coke until 10 p.m.
The most sought after rooms are two Ifugao units on the top floor, which contain a lavishly decorated master’s bedroom and loft room. From the roof deck right outside the rooms, one gets a spectacular view of the ocean and a cluster of colorful houses nestled on a hill known as Mt. Gulugod Baboy (Pig Spine). The rooms, which can comfortably accommodate four to five people, are given on a first-come, first-served basis.
Several other twin sharing and single rooms decorated in splashes of color and stuffed toys of marine life are also available. A common bathroom with a quirky coconut shell showerhead and stone paved flooring are shared between rooms, though the owners plan to put up private bathrooms for the best rooms. Rooms aren’t air-conditioned either, but the cool ocean breeze more than makes up for that. All in all, the resort can accommodate a maximum of 12 to15 people.
Guests who have stayed in the resort say that the couple is great at entertaining and Ann is an excellent cook, which keeps people coming back. Despite not having any formal culinary training, Ann would experiment with different recipes over the years and has come up with an impressive array of dishes that could rival successful restaurants in the city.
When we stayed at the resort, we were served sumptuous food that was beautifully presented. We started off with freshly sliced tuna sashimi and peppery dinakdakan (grilled pork) as appetizers. The buffet dinner consisted of soup, delicious pako (fern salad), banana blossoms, grilled prawns, a tender grilled chicken, inihaw na liempo, and one of the best garlic and beef dishes I have tasted. The meal was capped off with a dessert of fresh fruits and homemade cookies.
While diving is seasonal because of the weather, with peak season starting in October, the resort’s sheltered location makes it ideal to visit all year-around. You don’t even need a boat to get to good dive spots. A few meters from the resort are good diving spots.
Staying at the BBB feels like staying with friends who prove to be gracious and generous hosts, rather than business folk. The Mountain Province ambience and architecture certainly help recreate the experience of being in a small closely-knit rustic community. •
For more info, check out the resort’s Facebook page: Bontoc in Batangas Bed and Breakfast.
Visit the author’s personal blog at www.travelingup.wordpress.com