In all honesty, it was more than a decade ago when I had the chance to set foot on this pristine white-sand beach, Dimakya Island. There, where I soak in the paradise blue-green waters and breath the fresh, unadulterated air, ate fresh seafood, and enjoyed days and nights with good friends. It is one of the many islet scattered around Coron, Palawan.
Dimakya Island is maintained by Club Paradise,
How to get to Club Paradise, Dimakya Island
It is reachable via a one-hour plane ride from Manila to Busuanga. Then, there’s a jeepney ride to the pier and a boat ride to the island via a stretch of mangroves which is a really relaxing experience. It’s the best time to camwhore with friends too! So let me recall how it was back then…
Upon descent into the island (handled by Club Paradise), I remember one would be welcomed with white sand, nipa huts and if you go directly to the clubhouse, friendly attendants will serve you coconut juice in husks decorated with those cute, colorful parasols. ^_^ You’d feel all summer-y and ready to plunge at the pool in front of you.
I was with colleagues from our school paper and back then, we were just using our old SLR cameras. So now, I’m scouring the web for photos and I’m glad that the island still is the paradise it was 12 years ago.
Relax in the Main Island
The island is relatively small, like less than 20 hectares, you can go around it in less than an hour and go up the highest peak, and back without getting all worked up. It’s really a wonderful beach to explore and collect seashells, which I think is prohibited. 😀 The resort provides such entertainment as karaoke, video room, billiard tables, darts and table tennis for the sporty. (There’s a giant chessboard with life-size pieces if you fancy challenging both your mental and physical capacity.)
There are several bars to hang out for the night, a pool if you must and of course the cottages are equipped with Satellite TVs, so there’s no boring minute. You could always spend time at the balcony hammock and watch the clouds too, lol.
For the more adventurous ones, go up the peak – it’s not too high up but still worth the experience. We went up and down in less than an hour, even stayed at the peak for some photos. ^_^
Scuba for beginners
If you are the more adventurous type, scuba diving would be a pleasant experience. Palawan is known for its diving sites and Coron holds one of the 10 spots as the best diving areas in the world. The Housereef is the famous area around the island known for its thriving fish life. There is also a feeding ground for green turtles and the dugong (sea cow). A few more reefs can be accessed from the resort within 20 minutes or so, like the Japanese freighter Kyokuzan Maru.
Update: Dimakya Island is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, it serves as a sanctuary for green sea turtles that comes along the shore to lay eggs.
FoodForFoodies
You can also idle by the pool, do a bit of swimming, and play with friends at the clubhouse to bond. If you ever get hungry from all those activities, food is readily available at the resort’s restaurant. Fresh seafood, abundant fruits and yummy desserts await guests. You can never go hungry in this island paradise…The various bars offer smoothies and cocktails, too.
Island-Hopping
Club Paradise also offers island-hopping tours. There are smaller, uninhabited islands which were just there like nature’s tease for you to buy and have your own get-away beach house when you get filthy rich. 🙂 One is the Isla Walang Tao which literally means island with no man, it’s a strip of island where you can have a bonfire or a picnic at noon and do some snorkeling around. Just make sure to smother yourself with sunblock! There are other two islands called Isla Walang Lang-Aw (island with no trees) and Diatoy island – which I don’t know the meaning of.
Safari Tour
Another highlight the resort offers is the Calauit Safari tour – you get so close to wild animals while in this island situated 1 hour away from the resort. To add excitement, you travel via a bamboo raft or flat bottom boat. 😉 Don’t be surprised if a giraffe or a zebra welcomes you as you dock by the shore.
A visit to Dimakya island is one I’d definitely recommend – apart from another island paradise in Palawan, Amanpulo. Simply because it’s a slice of paradise that has remained unadulterated all these years, I would want to take photos again – this time with a DSLR opposed to my then SLR – oh, yeah that was the time I was a photographer having my photos published for real.
Dimakya Island Accommodation
As mentioned above, Club Paradise Palawan maintains the island and provides guests with accommodation. You can choose from the following villas:
- Sunrise Villa: villas facing majestic sunrises
- Sunset Villa: villas facing sunsets.
- Garden View Room: situated within the greeneries of the resort – cool and breezy
- Garden Suite: standard hotel rooms with a private balcony
This island is simply beautiful.