Away in Sipalay
Manami Resort reveals some of the best-kept secrets of Negros Occidental's southern coast
By AA Patawaran
Published May 4, 2023 03:16 pm
I’m in Sipalay, where I’ve never been. It’s as far from my life by plane as the usual places—Boracay, Palawan, Bohol, Cebu, Iloilo—but it’s much farther, over two hours by van from the Dumaguete airport through dense forests, rolling fields, scenic coastlines, and pockets of coastal and mountain towns.
It’s not just romantic—how the senses are refreshed, rejuvenated, restored when we spend even just a day out of life—it’s also scientific, the bedrock of environmental psychology, defined in her paper “What is Kaplan’s Attention Restoration Theory (ART)” by research scientist and positive psychology specialist Courtney E. Ackerman as “the sense of being separate from one’s usual thoughts and concerns.”
ART is founded on nature’s power to positively affect our mood, state of mind, even relationships. It was developed by environmental psychologists Rachel and Stephen Kaplan in the late 1980s and early 1990s, which Ackerman described as “a time period characterized by rapid technological advancement and ever-increasing indoor entertainment, which also increasingly estranged us from nature.
Being away does not need to be physical, according to Ackerman, but it certainly helps to physically remove ourselves from what wears us out, especially now that we are just emerging from almost three years of lockdowns.
This is why this trip is essential. Sipalay is part of what is better known among Negrenses as CHICKS. It stands for Candonu, Hinoba-an, Ilog, Cauayan, Kabankalan City, and Sipalay, which make up Southern Negros Occidental, particularly the sixth congressional district of the province. Only a few years ago, this area was off-limits to tourists, infested as it was until lately with insurgents. So while its history can be traced back to the pre-Hispanic settlements of the Tumandok, a culturally indigenous Visayan group also known as Suludnons, it’s a relatively virgin tourism site.
Manami Resort, perched on a lush cove on the shores of Sipalay Sea, is the first and only luxury resort in the area. Not only is it the first resort on soft open under the Signature Collection of Discovery Hospitality Corporation, it is also a part of Kiwi Collection, “the curator of the world’s most exceptional hotels,” whose careful selection includes the likes of the Brunelleschi Hotel in Florence, Thompson Playa del Carmen Beach House in Mexico, and the Hotel Lutetia in Paris.
Arrival at Manami Resort, more than the journey, is a giant leap out of life, as you are escorted down from the airy reception area to Lingaw, the main dining hall with breathtaking, soul-stirring views of the infinity pool extending across Sipalay Sea and across Sulu Sea to the far horizon.
Lingaw is Hiligaynon for “entertain” and, as I find out later, as the restaurant welcomes me with a late lunch of local Negrense and Spanish dishes like Kinilaw de Negros or just-caught tanigue with onion, cucumber, tomatoes, salted egg, local vinegar, and coconut milk and Chicharon Bulaklak or twice-cooked pork flowers served with housemade sinamak, it is the very heart of the resort spread over five hectares of forest, where breakfast is served, meetings are arranged, and sunset cocktails are spent.
Next to it, adjacent to the main pool, is the sunset deck and bar named Hunas, “low tide” in Hiligaynon, where over whiskies and summer cocktails, served with pintxos and tapas like handmade croquettes with Spanish chorizo, scallop ceviche, and the Spanish version of Russian salad with seared shrimp and foraged microgreens, I am welcomed by the resident peacock, one of few that consider the property cascading down a hilly terrain to the shore their home.
Manami in Hiligaynon means “beautiful.” Given to this estate, the name is an ode to the beauty of nature, where the resort has been built, 16 stunning villas and suites cocooned, even secluded amid lush foliage, in natural paradise. Each of these accommodations features restorative nature views, whether sea or landscapes, and amenities for the ultimate in privacy, comfort, and relaxation.
The one and only two-bedroom villa, where I stay, has a private infinity pool of its own and immersed in it we find ourselves enveloped in the sounds of nature, the water burbling, birdsong on the treetops, the whispering breeze accompanied by the rustling of leaves, and our hearts stilling to the beat of nature’s meditative rhythms.
Manami Resorts—so named as a heartfelt wish, drawn from the Hiligaynon greeting Manami nga pangabuhi, meaning “beautiful way of life”—is comprised of this one two-bedroom villa, eight oceanview suites, four poolside suites, and three detached deluxe villas, each of which is designed as a refuge even for the most weary soul.
The design of the resort, owned by Andrei and Cris Corro, who took personal charge of designing it, is a balm to the senses. Wood is a predominant element, used generously for both its practical and aesthetic values. Studies conducted recently in Norway, Austria, Japan, and Canada, according to British company Heyl Interiors, have found that “environments with wooden structures cause a drop in blood pressure and pulse and have a calming effect,” leading to the conclusion that the presence of wood in our surroundings has a positive effect on our mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing.
“Majority of the wood we have here is gemilina. It’s sustainable. It needs no treatment. Anay (termites) doesn’t like it because it’s acidic, but also I like the look, I like its color,” says Cris. “The railings in the lobby are from floorboards we got from an old house in Leyte. They were kamagong and balayong that we mixed up. The chevron pattern along the ramp and on the accent walls is from wood shavings. At the pool bar, the countertop is made of ipil that Andre found in the river while he and his team were doing the culverts. There’s also so much acacia used here, such as on the bar and the buffet table, from the huge trees that fell during Odette (Super typhoon Rei, which struck the Philippines in December 2021). So many acacia trees fell—sayang (what a pity!), but at least we got to repurpose them.”
Cris also shares that all the weaves, such as the solihiya on the dining chairs, have been sourced from the artisans of Negros Occidental. “We wanted it as natural and as local as possible,” she adds.
As a result of the sensibilities that built Manami Resort, it is both a getaway and a homecoming (to our primal state). I suppose I could just stay at the resort to get the reboot I need, but then Sipalay has so much more to offer. It’s a secret that seeks to be revealed.
There’s an in-property cave, for example, demanding to be explored. Of course, there’s Sipalay Sea, which we sail, the wind on our faces, islands and islets beckoning around us, and the water turning from cobalt to sapphire to emerald, the sun bouncing off it in diamond glints.
We are headed for Tinagong Dagat (Hidden Sea), but the tides keep us from getting there, so we turn to Campomanes Bay on a snorkeling stopover, which gets us up close and personal with schools of fish swimming in and out of a forest of coral reefs.
Five days are not enough to uncover the secrets of Sipalay, but I’m not one to be bothered with too many activities. I spend more time just lying in the sun, watching the views, and thinking aloud with my friends in the pool or on the poolside with all-day cocktails in our hands.
Plus, there’s also Linong Spa nestled atop the hilly forest of the resort. It promises to be the finishing touch to this healing sojourn, although I skip it because I prefer staying in the water while the sun bakes my skin, all my worries evaporating in the Visayan air.
I am away from my life, undergoing attention restoration therapy, and I wish to make the most of every minute of it.
manamiresort.com