Camp Netanya: My Kids' First Time to Snorkel in Anilao

With Metro Manila on Alert Level 3, I had to prepare extra requirements to for our weekend trip to Anilao, Batangas. Confirmed booking, vaccination cards, negative Covid test results, health declaration forms, and valid ID's.  It was tedious, but I was motivated to take my kids on their first snorkeling adventure, and for that, I booked a stay in Camp Netanya in Anilao.

Inspired by the architecture of Greek coastal villas, Camp Netanya stood out, a glowing white structure perched on a ridge that had a commanding view of Balayan Bay.  My husband and sister who joined me on this trip questioned my choice of resort at first - being divers, they preferred the classic and homey dive resorts which made use of vernacular design elements and materials.  Normally, I share their preference for regional tropical architecture and blending with the natural environment, but this being abnormal times, I wanted to feel like being transported elsewhere - being trapped in community quarantine conditions made me want to capture the feeling of traveling somewhere far away. Many years (2 decades) ago, from 2020-2021, I lived in the beach town of Benicassim along the Spanish coast of the orange-rich region of Valencia, and I had a taste of life in the Mediterranean region. I missed it.  I lived in an apartment complex done in the same style as Camp Netanya.

The view from our room brought me the feeling I was hoping for.  Our balcony offered a feast for the senses. There's the sea and sky, with the pool in the foreground in varying hues of white and blue.  There's the cool breeze which energized me and calmed me down at the same time, I couldn't choose if it was lulling me to sleep, or beckoning me to jump into the sea. I figured, if everyone got dressed in swimwear, we can lounge by the pool and sleep on the recliners if we wanted - or swim as we pleased. So down we went. 

To my utter amazement, we had the whole pool area to ourselves (a plus during a pandemic!) We ordered food to be served in a gazebo by the pool, and booked a snorkelling session for after lunch. While waiting for our meal, we swam in the gorgeous infinity pool which had varying depths enjoyed by kids and adults alike (shallow end for me, deep end for the kids).  Camp Netanya has its own house reef and dive shop. Their super friendly staff, John-John took care of guiding the kids through their first snorkelling experience, especially Lauan, who at four years of age, seems to have covered quite a distance!  Good thing the resort had a life vest for small children, and a floating device perfect for snorkelling - enough to put the child (and nervous parents) at ease. 

With our snorkelling mission accomplished in the first couple of hours of our stay, we spent the rest of the time relaxing and enjoying the hotel's comfy beds, their in-house resto which had unlimited kapeng barako, and cocktails at sunset.  We had just the right amount of activity and rest - tamang tama lang ang timpla ng pasyal at pahinga. And the hotel's design played a huge role in setting the mood. Bright and airy, it simply lifted the spirits.

And when we checked out and it was time to go, I used the common restroom before hitting the road and I appreciated the tile work! I was reminded of the azulejos in Spain and Portugal and up to the last minute, Camp Netanya delivered on the promise of offering an escape.   

Date of stay: 22-23 January 2022

Camp Netanya

Anilao, Batangas