Who said that backpackers always have to follow the rules and watch their budget? With the great excuse that Josep was celebrating his 30th birthday, we decided to take a 3-night, 4-day luxury vacation in paradise, and it was above and beyond our expectation and imagination. Although we are not married and were not on our honeymoon, it almost felt as if we were on one! So, following the line of our post “Underwater Marriage”, we thought it was appropriate to call this one “Honeymoon in Paradise”.

Have you ever wondered if Paradise, that is to say, that idyllic location seen in advertisements with a pristine white sand beach, transparent blue water that slowly becomes turquoise in blocks of darker shades, where you look around and see nobody else there but yourself, actually exists? Well, after having seen our fair share of islands on this trip, we were positive it was all photoshop. However, the place we are going to talk about proved us wrong. To us, Paradise does have a name, and although we prefer not to tell so that we can keep this gem to ourselves, we will be generous and share it with you! Ready…? 3…,2…,1…, Apulit Island!

Apulit belongs to El Nido Resorts, and simply exemplifies perfection. It is beautiful from the exotic decoration with the water cottages, club restaurant, lounge bar, sports zone, massage center, and infinity pool, to the very nature itself, surrounded by transparent water, colorful marine life, limestones, and lush green vegetation. It is all thought of and maintained to perfection. Every morning, the entire beach and walking paths are swept and leaves are raked. In the nighttime, the decorative lighting gives the area a magical look. The food is like eating at a 5-star restaurant, with a large variety of choices including fresh and exquisite seafood. An ample selection of activities are offered, from island hopping, snorkeling, kayaking, paddle surf, wind surf, rappelling, and cave exploration. In addition, the staff is extremely professional and takes great care of all guests.

We had four breathtaking days filled with all sorts of activities (having done almost all of them!), and discovered a side of nature we never thought we’d see. There were baby sharks under our cottage that also swam by us when we were snorkeling, not to mention the beautiful blue and yellow dotted sting rays… Two afternoons we climbed the 60 meter limestone rock and rappelled down the cliff, overlooking the main bay and transparent waters. Everything was excellent, even the goodnight leaf and story that we were brought every evening. It was like being in a dream, in a fairy tale, and really no better way to celebrate Josep’s 30th birthday.

We hope one day to come back to Apulit island, but for now, our trip continues to a new location. Next stop: just two hours north to El Nido.