Boracay’s Wonderful Lifestyle: Sea Wind Resort
Sea Wind Resort is laidback and chill, with perfect sunset views
Sea Wind Resort is laidback and chill, with perfect sunset views
It was the only beachfront among those beside it that was unpopulated, resplendent with white sand leading to the clear ocean. Unobstructed views of the picture-perfect sunset filled my sight while I enjoyed a banana-mango milkshake topped with tiny fruit. A cool breeze filled the air, and every day at Sea Wind Boracay, I could experience this incredible calm emotion and a field of vision made for the movies.
Sea Wind Boracay had a feeling of the old Boracay, the same one I had visited in the 1990s as a child, where you were served and surrounded by nature. In this place, it was the wild that you felt and saw, and not people nor grand structures. It was Boracay as if there wasn’t yet electricity, Boracay when you could practically see fish by the shoreline and Boracay that evoked emotions of the old-fashioned, dressed-down, all-about-the beach-and-nothing-else dreaminess.
Even Sea Wind’s sleeping areas at the back were built by National Artist for Architecture Bobby Mañosa—what more could you ask for in terms of a natural Filipino feeling? There are 47 Deluxe rooms, some with private swimming pools and communal swimming pools, at P4500 each and P11100 during peak season on the hill, on the other side of the resort across the street. There are six Premiere rooms by the beachfront at P8500 and around P12000 to P13000 during peak season, and there are two Suites. “We have our own thing. We have our own culture. We have our own aesthetic that we can be proud of. We wanted to represent Filipino design, so we got Architect Mañosa to do the rooms on the hill. We could have gotten the hottest new architect, who would have cost less. We could have been cutting-edge and attracted a lot of initial attention. But how far does that go until the next trend?” asked Sea Wind owner JJ Cocjin.
The beachfront area and its three lounging areas were spacious and full of sand, trees, and rooftops of husk; nothing had changed since it was first built. You were surrounded by bahay-kubo-esque structures throughout so as not to obscure your oneness with nature. According to Cocjin, it was challenging to maintain the physical integrity of the thatched roofs and structures, but it was a small price to pay for the feeling of expanse and connection with the beachfront, a continuation of the ocean and sand that lay in front of it.
Sea Wind is built for the philosophy of the slow life, the good old days, and down-home food the way your mother or grandmother makes it. Much of the values of Sea Wind stem from Cocjin’s own experiences. “I grew up in Davao and Iloilo, always near family,” said Cocjin. “Our concept here doesn’t stray far from the values of home. The beach was always five or 10 minutes away, and the food at the beach wasn’t fancy. It was hearty and done properly. The company and the conversation at the table were a big part of the meals. That was the ulam.” He stressed that when a place is too loud or too high-concept, it can be great—but can mess with the interaction of you, the people you love around you, and your food-filled plate.
Fresh kilawin and liempo
We enjoyed several meals in Sea Wind, all cooked as if from a home kitchen. The lechon kawali and the burger with twice-cooked fries were to die for. The lechon kawali was as simple as possible, with no frills, and eating two entire servings on your own was easy. Cocjin talks to his chef about keeping and maintaining this simplicity. Absent of any novelty except fries cooked twice—first fried then air-fried—to retain its crunchiness even after an hour (it isn’t overcooked, as those unfamiliar with it might think), the Sea Wind Burger was delicious and straightforward. You could bite into it without being distracted by fancy toppings or how it’s done (medium well) and enjoy your beach surroundings without fuss and fanciness. The fish kinilaw was fresh from the market. Best of all was the hopia bacon, made with tiny bits of pork and fried in bacon fat. It was innovative but nonetheless—consistently in keeping with the values of Sea Wind—simple.
“I always feel amused when those who lived in the provinces I grew up in come from abroad and say climate change isn’t real. I have observed the changes from when I was a child. It never used to rain in December, but today nature is very different,” observed Cocjin. “Things have changed. If you notice, there is no more Christmas caroling because it rains. These traditions from the past are fewer and fewer because of the changes in the climate. December used to have a few showers, but you could still enjoy the weather.” Despite this, Sea Wind has extremely high occupancy during the holidays.
Cocjin also stresses that nature has a way of doing its own thing. “If you keep the resort natural or set back from the beach, like Sea Wind, the ocean stays out of the way. But if you build too close to the water, it pushes away more than it pushes in. You won’t notice the changes on a day-to-day level, but on a month-to-month, year-to-year, and then a decade later—there is not much beachfront.”
“When you think of Boracay, what first comes to mind?” asked Cocjin at the end of the interview. “There are many things you could answer, but we should aim to keep the heritage of the beaches alive.”
These were some of the revelations of nature, history, and home-cooked meals of Boracay that Cocjin shared with us, and when we viewed the Museo de Roberto y Gloria Tirol on the premises of the resort, we learned even more about the beginnings of the glorious island. One of its original settlers and founders, the Tirols aimed to maintain the island’s natural prowess and strengths. Several generations later, the family continues to own and preserve much of Boracay’s beauty.
At the end of the day, ensconced in my bedroom on an antique-type four-poster bed, I marveled at the people who sought to keep Boracay the way it used to be when the sun, sand, and surf were treasures and not additions to its beauty. I had had a peaceful few days in the resort, and there was no doubt other guests had flocked to Sea Wind’s beachfront area when wanting to see the bright orange and light pink sunset underneath the vast sky.
"Sea Wind Resort is Boracay as if there wasn’t yet electricity, Boracay when you could practically see fish by the shoreline and Boracay that evoked emotions of the old-fashioned, dressed-down, all-about-the-beach-and-nothing-else dreaminess."
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