All quiet on the beachfront

By DENNIS LADAW

The gardens at the Montemar Beach Club in Bagac, Bataan stretch from the gate entrance on up to the beachfront. (Photo by MICHAEL APOSTOL)

 The forecast for Valentine’s Day is heavy traffic on streets leading to hotels, motels, malls, and restaurants.  Limited space to move about is also expected as couples squirm their way into musical concerts and other trendy dating venues.

Many couples  may escape to the hills (read: Tagaytay City). For bed-and breakfast trysts, Tagaytay is the place to go. Yet even this cool, picturesque city isn’t exempt from traffic gridlocks. Couples are doomed to spend more time on the road then on water beds adorned with countless red roses scattered on red silk sheets.  So if you want to run away from the madding crowd, choose a place where there actually isn’t a crowd.

The quiet town of Bagac in Bataan province isn’t the next best thing to Tagaytay. For this writer at least, it’s the only game in town.  The drive to Bagac just takes two hours on immaculate roads that offer spectacular vistas. To get there you only need to traverse the NLEX and then the SCTEX. Take the national road at the SCTEX Dinalupihan exit and you drive on well-paved highways that gently wind through such scenic hills, where Bagac is situated. Traffic is non-existent. The population isn’t dense and the countryside remains rustic.

Back in the Seventies, Bagac was the place to go to. Several businessmen started building mansions in an affluent neighborhood located on the hilly outskirts of Bagac.  Many of these houses overlooked the South China Sea. Adjacent to this enclave is a plush resort club called the Montemar Beach Club. Montemar was best described as Bataan’s version of Cavite’s Puerto Azul. It’s an apt description: both were luxurious country clubs and they seem to be situated on the opposite sides of the mouth of Manila Bay.

But Puerto Azul has been put on mothballs. Montemar is still kicking and it’s looking as good as new. We still remember the first time we visited the place almost a decade earlier.  The resort looked well-preserved and the rooms and the clubhouse still featured the original architecture. It terms of appearance and design, it was very Seventies. The ceilings were low, the windows tiny. If privacy was your priority, then the guestrooms were perfect.  The rooms were comfortable though they felt gloomy.  Varnished wood was the dominant accent. This was a reflection of the era  when the rooms were designed.

Last year, the resort had two structures housing several guestrooms refurbished. The new look is pristine, with the style following current trends in architecture and interiors: clean and minimalist with earth colors accentuating the lighter, modern environment. Higher ceilings make the place feel more airy and relaxing. Sliding glass doors that open to a veranda help bring in natural light.  They also offer a panoramic view of the expansive gardens in the property. The suites do follow the current trend in architecture, which is to bring the outdoors indoors.

Guests will also enjoy the outdoors. Montemar is virtually a garden spot with a lot of grand old trees and other foliage. The greenery stretches from the main entrance and on to the beach. One of the old acacia trees is large enough to hold a wooden tree house.  It’s an ideal venue for children to frolic or for couples to bond. The place has all the sports amenities a beach club ought to have. It’s also equipped to host weddings, corporate events, and team-building activities.

The best thing about this place is the privacy it offers. As you relax in the serenity of any of the several well-appointed guestrooms, you feel you’ve put one over everyone else stuck in traffic in Metro Manila, or Tagaytay
.