TURTLE ISLAND BUSUANGA

This 75-acre red-marble and volcanic-rock island, surrounded by coral reefs, is in the Mindoro Strait connecting the South China Sea to the Sulu Sea, about a 40-minute flight southeast of Manila. Dumunpalit is a last frontier of the Philippines, a timeless land of awe, wonder, sea and stars.

In the Cuyonin language, Dumunpalit means “the place which never changes,” but the island is also known as Turtle Island because the 150-plus-foot-high volcanic towers that rise on both its ends resemble fins flipping through the turquoise waters.

On the reef-protected eastern shore, larger boats are anchored and draft boats pulled in. Here, about 2,000 feet of pristine absolute-white fine sand beach gives way to coconut palms and, farther, the verdant island’s high point, more than 300 feet, with extraordinary views to all points. Here, 10 to 50 miles out, is just water, with distant slivers of land.

Just off the beach, a metal-roof, hardwood and bamboo caretaker cottage, with a porch, includes a septic toilet, kitchen and a shower; 200 yards inland, a larger more sturdily constructed guest cottage on a private lagoon, also with a porch, has a tiled kitchen, tiled shower, septic tank toilet, rain catchment system, a stainless holding tank and a beach bench.