Matabungkay: Seaside Nirvana

Kabalikat! I got another beach destination for you! This time, we are off to Matabungkay, what people consider to be the Boracay of Batangas.



Matabungkay was once just a measly fishing village that attracted campers and beach lovers. However, since the boom of the establishment of resorts in the area significantly increased the number of visitors and local tourism. Because of the sudden fluctuation of guests to the beach, the once small fishing village instantly turned into a local, and eventually national, tourist spot.

To get to Matabungkay, take Santa Rosa exit at the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX). Turn right and follow the sign to Tagaytay (Woot! Hometown!), and from there, follow the signs to Nasugbu, Batangas. Huge directional sign boards along the way with the “To Lian and Calatagan” signage would be your guide to arrive at the right place. Continue driving along the Calatagan road until you see the big “Matabungkay Beach” sign at the right side of the road.

Situated right along the Matabungkay beach strip in Lian, Batangas, is the famous Coral Beach Club, which was named after the traces of coral pieces that are scattered along its sandy shorelines. With dozens of rooms that can accommodate up to almost a hundred guests, the resort has clusters of differently themed cottages that all shoot up a comfy and tranquil atmosphere. You can choose from the Japanese inspired rooms, to several golf club named ones (like Alabang and Canlubang to name a few), and to even local themes. Each one of these rooms is furnished and styled with native and native-inspired interiors that add up to the serenity and laid back ambiance that welcomes every guest. The ceilings are made from sawali and nipa, the bed railings and headboards from bamboo, the windows and wall panels from capiz shells, and other fixtures such as the lamps from woven rattan. Almost everything is wooden and natural.

At the center of the resort, you can find a restaurant and a bar, where all the other supplemental structures surrounding the resort were patterned. The flow of the native theme from the center of the resort is very eye-friendly, with the continuity of the mish mash of the past to the present. One thing that the guests notice first among the other décor is the basket woven chandelier that hangs from the restaurant’s center. Just the intricacy and the detailing of the piece of art give joy and amazement to those who get a chance to behold it. Other fixtures that are worth noticing are the wooden oars, or sagwan in the vernacular, that hang on the walls and ceiling and the wood carvings that add to the aesthetic charm of the place to the guests of the resort.

The clustering of the resort rooms is suitable for companies that would like to hold seminars and/or team building activities. Their function room is fully equipped with up to date and high end technological amenities like a digital projector, sound system, internet connection, among others.

To go perfectly together with the homey and cozy atmosphere of the resort are varied home-cooked dishes which can be chosen from a wide selection of intercontinental carte du jour, from European to Asian cuisine that suite the astute taste buds of every resort visitor. Nearly all dishes are served in bighearted portions, which are not only satisfying but in the same way delectable too. You can choose from their verdant greens, bruchettas, curry sausages pesto pasta, pork aloha chicken sticks, blueberry cheesecake and other dishes, guests can be guaranteed of having a mouth-watering dining experience here.

The resort also has its own mini green house that houses all their diverse vegetables, herbs and spices such as lettuce, tomatoes, basil, rosemary, among others are grown so as to preserve the eminence and flavor of the food that they dish up to the guests.

Special arrangements for aqua sports and other facilities such as paddle boats, jet skis, fishing bangka, balsa (floating wooden rafts) for picnics while afloat on the water, and diving equipment can be made at the resort. For relaxation after a long day’s work, or probably after an exhilarating but exhausting day at the beach, other services like massage is available upon the guest’s request.

Interestingly, even if it is not peak season in Matabungkay, Coral Beach still retains a usual number of regulars. For them, they consider as one of the major factors in order to gauge success is the fact that almost all of their clients come back to the resort at another time. And given that more or less everybody are familiar with each other, the atmosphere of ease and familiarity among their clientele provides for the resort an advantage for having regular customers who stay at the resort whenever they visit Matabungkay all year round.

Yet another attribute that marks Coral Beach as one of the best beach resorts to visit and sets it apart from the other resorts lined up along the Matabungkay Beach is the because at their resort, accommodations are set no more than to a minimum, with the purpose of guaranteeing the paramount level of service. Their resort personnel are also trained on a regular basis to ensure that they never get out of aptness and appropriateness. Aside from that, Coral Beach also operates all year round as if it is peak season at all times, making sure that all facilities and services offered by their resort are operational, functioning and always accessible to guests that wish to avail of them. Contrasting to other resorts that are over and over again under construction all throughout the off-peak season, they, on the other hand, do not compromise service and maintain continuous checks to a minimum so as not to disturb or interrupt the resort’s businesses and operations throughout the year.

Coral Beach Club coalesces the magnificence of nature – the breathtaking sunrise, the soothing sunset for the ever romantic, the cavorting waves as the splash the shore, the tender sun rays – and the embrace of your own little nirvana, as you relax and unwind by the seaside.