Myself and two friends stayed at Terra Nova in July 2016 for 4 nights. It was one of the most incredible holiday experiences we have had, which happened mainly by coincidence. Looking for accommodation in El Nido, we debated pretty dingy options in El Nido town and very pricey isolated options on some of the small islands in the bay. Unsure of what do to, by chance, we stumbled upon Terra Nova on AirBNB without much knowledge about Guy Mazzoni or the foundation. Luckily for us, it turned out during our stay Guy was actually at Terra Nova, and we had the pleasure of getting to know him and hear his fascinating stories and vision for Terra Nova and the foundation. The foundation goal is to help and enrich the lives of the local fishing communities dotted along the Bay of Cataban which have largely been overlooked from the tourism and development of El Nido about a 45 minute boat ride away. Life in Limiangcong is tough, without many basic resources or opportunities, and Guy and the foundation have been involved in many facets of daily life from providing basic medical care facilities to employment opportunities and career training at the foundation. Seeing this and getting to immerse ourselves and interact with the local community made for a trip much more impact-full than just enjoying the beautiful scenery surrounding us at a beach resort.
During the days, we took the boat to go to the village of Liamiangcong, a small fishing village about 15 minutes away. We walked around the town and visited the schools and markets as the only tourists there and got a feel for a real, functioning local village. Many of the Terra Nova staff are from there and poking around the side streets we bumped into some of their parents, siblings and former staff. Other days we took to boat to other small remote villages in the area to explore, to different beaches in the area to swim and have a picnic lunch, or snorkelled at the new land Guy has bought for the foundation. Boating back we tucked into little bays and inlets along the way, taking in the view and scenery of Palawan. Once we stopped at a small island where we bought a basket of coconuts and drank from them on the boat, while in the evening back at Terra Nova the chef made a nice desert with the meat from the coconuts. Relaxing in the late afternoons back at the villa, we would swim or kayak in the afternoon waves nearby.
The villa at Terra Nova is beautiful, done to a very high standard, split into two well appointed rooms with a lot of attention to detail in the decor and cleanliness. We spent most of our time on the large patio right outside the room where we ate our meals at the dining table and relaxed in the recliners with a cold beer watching the heavy afternoon storms roll by.
The staff are absolutely fantastic, with the chef preparing fresh local fish and adobo dishes each meal. Jhove was excellent at coordinating our stay and planning our arrival and departure, which we changed several times during our stay. The rest of the crew were very nice and proud to show us Terra Nova and the surrounding area.
As one of the first guests of the foundation, we really enjoyed our stay and found it a much more enriching experience to connect with the local people. At the pricey resorts around Palawan, you can certainly enjoy the beauty of the island but you will miss the connection to the land and people creating a lasting memory. It was great to learn that the cost of our stay is treated as a donation to the foundation and used to further Guy's programs. It definitely turned out to be a special, unique experience and we hope to stay in touch with Guy and remain active in the foundation. My friends and I are already discussing some potential dates to visit again and see the progress Guy has made at Terra Nova and the foundation. read more
