Luxury eco tourism

by Chit Juan Originally published in Philippine Star, February 8, 2026

It might strike you as improbable because eco tourism conjures up images of backpacking and trekking in the forests. Eco tourism may also suggest living in a spartan way, in a pitched tent, cooking over portable stoves.

But can you imagine luxe eco tourism? That has been the life of Janet Oquendo, a Palaweña who first got a job at Amanpulo, the famed luxury destination, over 30 years ago. Aman is known for its luxury hotels, and the Philippines is lucky to be host to one. Other Aman resorts are in India, Morocco, Bhutan, Indonesia – exotic countries that make Aman resorts different and in a class of its own. 

People who experience Aman – like say Amanpulo - get their standards raised in terms of personalized service and attention to detail. But what if you mix that with sustainability efforts and add a lot of passion and creativity? The result is a new project where Janet is again involved Banwa private island. 

Janet’s chairman for this 12-year-old eco tourism site takes sustainability to heart. They do not just desalinate water, they look for it from the depths and bottle it on site. First things first water. You can have still or sparkling, but all this water comes from their very own island. 

Second is food. Over at a nearby island, Banwa grows its own vegetables – for guests and even for staff provisions. They have local vegetables as well as salad greens. Chef Miguel also gets kamias as a souring ingredient and he gets my vote for using local tultul salt as a final ingredient, even for desserts. 

Next are the flowers on all the tables, nightstands, centerpieces. They’re your usual santan, frangipani or kalachuchi, bougainvillea and odds and ends of herbs and island vegetation that they manage to use for floral arrangements. 

Did you want bread or a pastry? Banwa has a resident pastry chef to spoil guests with croissants, pain au chocolat and various rolls to accompany soups and salads. The desserts are original and very creatively done, as they also make their own ice cream and sorbets. A quenelle spoonful of coconut ice cream is served with a baked pastry or cake.

And check out the amenities they are all sourced locally, from VCO soap to various bath accompaniments. 

Besides the sustainability room and dining checklist, Banwa makes sure you have choices of tourist activities that have conservation in mind. I saw a tabon (bird) get waylaid near my room and quickly the well-trained staff took the bird and returned it to the gardens. There are baby sharks near the dock and the area has been confirmed as an ISRA important shark and ray area which my veterinarian and shark expert friend Dr. AA Yaptinchay has validated. 

It is also admirable that the management set up a non-profit named Aquos Foundation to ensure the conservation of flora and fauna found on the island. The foundation has the help of experts in ornithology, marine sciences and other disciplines concerned with environment protection.

Luxury has its benefits, as the resort has the personal touch of well-trained local staff attending to your every need, even before you think of calling for assistance. I was impressed they knew what drink I prefer, even buying coffee from our store to make sure I had Philippine coffee for the duration of my stay. They take note of your eating preferences, as I saw some had plain rice, some had steak rice and each order quietly taken while you all eat together. Each personal preference was noted as my companions and I had varied choices for eggs, coffee or tea and even choices of fruits. 

More than just enjoying the amenities of a seven-star place (if this country had one), the island is mindful of even mosquitoes and bugs that could ruin a beach experience. Besides their innovative mosquito traps, the island can be enjoyed as naturally as possible as every staff is aware of living with nature, wild flowers and pretty floral arrangements included.

They do not use expensive floral pieces but source their decor from just around the island. While admiring the floral centerpieces composed of flowers from their garden and the nearby organic farm in Tumarbong, you get to know the different beach species of grass, exotic greens and other flora that are adapted to seawater.

You will not even want to watch the news or a movie as the scenery from any angle is refreshing and invigorating. And that is what eco tourism is about – to enjoy what the island offers and not to recreate city lights and sounds. Enjoy the peace and quiet just listening to the waves slapping the shore or the sound of rain trickling in the pool area. 

It’s a combination of leisure and conservation. After all, every tourist experience now hinges on experience rather than shopping or going to tourist traps. This is an experience in nature while having the luxury of comfort and pleasure in a well-appointed property. 

There are places we remember because the staff was great, the food was good and the accommodations were comfortable. I think I have found that paradise on earth here in our very own country. 

How I wish every investment in tourism would consider the conservation of Nature and the preservation of the environment while welcoming guests or tourists. It can be done – from the water you drink to the waters you swim in. The “no to plastic” dictum is practiced all over the island. And the sea creatures roam free underneath you in the water. 

This is the tourism experience of the future. It's eco-friendly and helps protect the natural habitat of all creatures found in it. Imagine if many more islands are developed this way and we become the country with island destinations for eco and luxury tourism. That may mean more tourist dollars per person than volumes of group tours which violate carrying capacities of tourist destinations.

It’s luxe. And it’s beautiful. An experience one can keep looking for as we travel our 7,000-plus islands. Food for Thought by Chit Juan

Chit Juan, sustainability advocate and Slow Food champion, shares her insights every Sunday in the Philippine Star, one of the Philippines’ leading newspapers. Her latest column explores Banwa Private Island, highlighting mindful design, local sourcing, and conservation-led experiences.