NARRATED BY NATURE, NUANCED BY NOSTALGIA

Travel magazines paint naïve pictures of Mactan as a tropical paradise—a skip and a hop away from Cebu City. What few will be candid about is that often the journey to Mactan Island is a laborious one. Vehicles ply through half-finished roads and traffic, but always eventually, concrete gives way to sand, and the long, arduous journey ends in a welcome drink or two.

To the younger crowds visiting Mactan looking for a weekend destination, the name Tambuli might sound unfamiliar. However, the brand is almost as emblematic as the province itself to those who have seen quite a number of summers. Tambuli Resort was an institution; an authority on slow Sundays by the beach or lagoon pool that shaped the childhood of many