My Story (1951-2010)

24 years ago Leeann Cruz, our founder, a British born Australian, found this unforgettable piece of NATURAL island paradise here in El Nido, Palawan
It is the last remaining undeveloped, isolated ”Raw Nature” and “Raw Food” islands in the Philippines. Leeann is now settling into semi-retirement,
writing detox fasting, guide books, living the life of Riley in her tropical paradise. As friends are asking if they can still visit her private island for their next cleanse we’re spreading the word
that on DONATION BASIS, (whatever one can afford, depends on frills taken) anyone seeking a CLEANSING or RAW FOOD health vacation, is welcome to share pristine beauty,
friendly staff and our detox space and Leeann’s experience. YOU are welcome to share it with us for YOUR special Self-Healing Retreat or our Naturopathy/Alternative Healing  Practicum’s.

Here is more about Leeann’s life experiences
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Hi I’m Leeann

When asked, as I am by many ” What made you decide to settle  here in this healing paradise of Mother Nature all alone 20 plus years ago?” “What were you thinking about back that guided you to beautiful El Nido?”  “What encouraged you to be a vegan, eating most of your diet raw and learning about holistic healing, weight loss and slimming programs?” I will stay “It was destiny”.  I feel that everything in life has been planned and I’m only carrying out a role that is already mapped out.  Some magic in the heavens is watching and guiding me along the paths of my life here in El Nido Palawan for a reason, and every year wonderful new signs of this healing magic is shown to me.  Believing that every moment of every day is a precious treasure,  I invite YOU to share my joy of living on the island and from your stay here, possibly turn your life around.

I sincerely believe that for these past 20+ years “The Goddess” (Inabuyatan Island) has been offering her guiding hand and shining main light for me.  During your cleansing detox fasting, healing retreat here with us, you will be learning from your current health challenge, be it obesity, Candida, Breast of other cancer prevention, or what ever illness you have;  and we hope you can feel her presence too and appreciate that “Our Goddess” does have a powerful healing magnetism of Mother Nature. (see Folklore for more info)

In order not to repeat my story to visitors on arrival too often,
I’ve slipped in this short article.

Often called a Wild Natural Earth Woman, I was born a Leo, Aug. 2, 1951, the year of the rabbit (some call it the cat), apparently a lucky star sign to Rogelio (cats do fall on their feet) to struggling parents in England.  I grew up in a quaint Tudor village called Stilling Minus, near Canterbury in Kent where they raised poultry and grew daffodils.  In 1956, after a fire destroying their chicken pens, losing what little capital they had, with 4 of us children, they were among some of the first British families to be given Assisted Passage (the famous 10 Pound Scheme) to come to Australia.

With my father’s love to trail-ride and rebuild motorbikes, they began managing service stations with a dream to own one freehold in the country.  Sadly for all their hard efforts, this always eluded them,  though they tried in different states.  Being the eldest of 6 other sibling was a heavy responsibility as my parent’s working schedule was 7 days a week, 12 hours a day.  After many schools and no real friends, I dropped out in the middle of 3rd year high and started work at age 14 saying I was older.  At the same time I lost any desire for marriage in the usual sense and children of my own.

In Perth, Western Australia, I became involved in a pyramid selling scheme for “Holiday Magic” ( I still love the name) among other sales job, built up a house and flat sharing agency called “Share a Flat”, and a friendship agency called “Find a Friend” which were quite successful. With a passion for rustic furniture I ventured into a wholesale “Casa Peppe”  furniture shop and dreamed of owning a Mercedes sports car. But from one day the the next, I lost interest, got the adventure bug and took off in my MG Midget touring Australia, picking fruits and veggies, sometimes sailing along the OLD coast and working on islands, doing what I love best: “living off the land of Mother Nature”. In the early seventies, I started a 14 - year sojourn, roaming abroad with an Englishman called Mark, seeking a paradise.

We traveled two years through Central and Southern America, sometimes using donkeys for hiking the Cordilleras in Peru,  visited places in India, Pakistan and other Asian countries, spent two years in Africa, a lot of  it on a bicycle.  We learned heaps about surviving in the wild, living off the land and appreciating Mother Natures wonders.  We sold a few travel stories and handicrafts along the way, and I luckily found well-paid work in Mammoth Lakes.

Mammoth is one of the most beautiful places in California, in the Sierra Mountains, near Yosimite and worked there 3 different times for varying amounts of time over a 9 year period.

In 1986, after almost 14 years of extensive global traveling, seeing many pristine places. including remote islands, plus lots of idyllic ones slowly destroyed by large, uncaring Commercial Tourism, I felt it was time to try to preserve a small piece of paradise from big developments somewhere in Asia.  I’d almost decided on Koh Tao, Thailand, but there were several small things niggling me about this, plus Mark (my English partner) was steering me towards Cape Tribulation, Northern Queensland, Australia.

While passing through Penang, Malaysia, at a sidewalk cafe, I overheard a well travelled Swiss couple rave about the pristine beauty of one of the best kept secrets of Mother Nature in Northern Palawan , Philippines. When I mentioned my goals and wanting it to be in Asia, but could not decide on mountains or sea, they said that somewhere around El Nido Palawan had to be the place, as it had both, plus a special magic and very fragile environment.

We arrived in Palawan in November 1986, just after the Marcos’ time, having stopped only briefly in the Philippine capital, Manila.  After Puerto Princesa, we traveled via a dilapidated Jeepney to a small town called Abongan.  In those days, except for a very bad track, main road transportation stopped here.  We walked 3 kilometers to a riverside village called Tabuan and being on a tight budget, waited the three days for the regular El Nido market boat.  This little town at the time was well known for its dangerous saltwater crocodiles. I hadn’t believed the woman who warned me not to wash or swim in the river until I saw a small croc surface not far from where I’d been swimming.

Although the small town of El Nido in the north of Palawan blew his breath away, Mark could not imagine living a long time with such a simple lifestyle.  The many surrounding islands, healing magnetism and call of Mother Nature made my decision easy. After only one week, Mark had parted and I was anxious to explore.

By September 1987 I was living on the island. To this day it’s still amazing to me how I knew deep in my heart that I would stay here for the rest of my life.

At that time what drew me deeply here was the sheer beauty or the area and friendly local people.
Also I wanted to help protect the Green turtles that visited the island to lay their eggs on its 220 meters long white sand beach; and because Morami, dynamite and cyanide fishing were rampant in this area and I felt my presence could make a dfference.

On my first visit to the island, though I found the striking cliffs with lush jungle backdrop beautiful, my very first impression of the beach with its “then’ difficult access at low tide was one of a little disappointment.
It just didn’t have everything,  however I soon created my little  channel mostly by hand.

In 1988 the Palawan Governor initiated “Bantay Sa Dagat” (Protect the Sea) policy, which was very supportive to those of us who lived on the islands of Bacuit Bay in discouraging illegal fishing practices. Then later in 1989 a Philippine WWF ‘Debt for Nature Swap’ was introduced and now with continued funding from the United Nations, a working Park Policy with fees collected from visitors, our fragile island paradise is now better protected.

Some say Robinson couldn’t have found a better adventure island paradise to get back to Mother Nature and clothes-optional freedom. In those early years however, life was a little dangerous. The name of the ‘Strange Island Lady’ (among others) given to me by the local people not long after I arrived was not just because of my weird exercises on the beach, odd diet and fasting habits. (read more about this in Marine Reserve)

Thankfully over time and with much muscle power and voluntary support from caring guests, we’ve been able to create a clean channel just wide enough for our boat to pass, even in low tide. Sadly there were a few little creatures that lost their watery home and had to also rebuild. Now with our permanently floating access line, boats are discouraged from dropping an anchor in our reef and new growths abound.

With almost zero capital, I slowly created a small farm with pigs, chicken, ducks, goats, quail, guinea fowl etc. Finding the income near impossible to live on, I took to El Nido’s quaint streets, inviting backpackers to the island. For only P150, one could sleep on a stretcher bed, on the beach (I had no blankets or towels, not to mention many other things) and  visitors had to help with meals in the kitchen. Ah! the start of my Robinson days were a challenge to say the least!

Several visitors, over time, have offered financial support to build simple, cute cottages and very slowly I have improved on it.

Life, like a snakes and ladders game, has been a wonderful challenge and  an interesting learning experience. Sometimes during my slow rainy seasons when I hadn’t seen a visitor for and weeks and even months at a time, I did wonder if it was all worth it, as the difficulties seemed insurmountable at that time . Now I can look back and be thankful of my strong commitment to support this pristine wonder of Mother Nature and  to allow my life to unfold into the arts of healing, encouraging connectedness, love, peace-building and stress release that my path is taking me.

Not having close ties, being the eldest, leaving home early with very different plans than most, plus my extensive traveling in 3rd world countries has helped me adapt to the natural and holistic life here in paradise at the end of the earth,  in South East Asia.

To say it’s been a  challenge is an understatement, both emotionally and financially. Yet, with my continued thirst for alternative knowledge and nature cures, plus my delight to share this beautiful island my goals are unwavering. May you too find Mother Nature’s caring and nurturing peace here, allowing you to find more inner balance. Maybe you will find, like myself, a deeper spiritual path to walk.

Current situations:

2003 - 08: From our very simple and humble beginning, it’s been a great delight for me  to more recently have met many wonderful people, like Frank Jensen and Anne Karina Moinhos Velhos, Portugal, Algarve.

It was Frank who bought FASTING and DETOX to my island.

Another powerful connection has been knowing and learning from Farida Sharan owner of her own Naturopathy and Iridology School Of Natural Medicine in Boulder Colorado USA and Dra. Elizabeth Micaller with her similar school here in the Philippines.

With their knowledge and guidance I became tuner into stronger paths of holistic work that I now share with others. Together with other wonderful visitors over these years we have shared our skills, learnt from each other and are better able to offer our wonderfully needed service of help for self healing

Hopefully from your Personal Health Evaluations and any Distant Self-Healing Modules you have taken before you arrive, together with a simple MILD cleanse you can start at home with our suggestions you will already be ahead with your connectedness to the island and our guides.

Once you are here, we will encourage you to share our magical tiny island, drop your emotional stress, not to mention kilos, (assuming your are ready to let go); view life from a different perspective and get closer to a natural basic existence in this tranquil Garden of Eden from Mother Nature.

So consider yourself a student on a unique healing and learning JOURNEY. Use this opportunity to come ready to learn and to receive. Once here your daily island program will be woven with Alternative Spa Therapies and some Adventure Trips.

With the right intentions of self-healing, you will be aiming at removing lots of your toxic build-up, deep seated emotional stress and physical pain and quite probably several kilos, not to mention years of troubling worries.

Transformation is the gift and goal you should be offering yourself from this stay in our magical island.
Start out on your NEW journey of nutritional health and surprise yourself by becoming a radiantly NEW, vibrant and alive person, ready for your positive journey from this day forward.

Consider finding a little more time, as the longer you are able to stay away from the que’s of normal living, the easier it will be to keep to your new plan of Natural Health and Nature Cures.

Our Retreat Goals ……(A Foundation or Trust)

Our Retreat objectives, goals and future plans are dedicated to understanding and  helping our environment, and the community and  learning about, and sharing, the basic principals and benefits of optimal health. Plus to offer our unique paradise to special female guests seeking Mother Nature’s naturally enriching spiritual energy of our healing Goddesses. We are here to support individuals take Control and Responsibility of their own lives through the principles of natural living.
Our approach to nature and health can help anyone seeking new experiences and discoveries, allowing you to feel younger and full of more natural vitality.

It is for this reason that we consider you a ‘Student’ rather that just a ‘Visitor’.

We sincerely hope that visitors with this new direction or recharged batteries (so to speak) will pass on the message, especially to those in the healing arts themselves and need time just for themselves.

Our private island retreat center will always stay small and continue to offer specialized healing programs for mostly women only.

We could also not be here today if not for the interaction we share with the friendly people who live in our small simple fishing village and nearby community.

A small part of the Retreat’s income is contributed to maintaining small projects in our fishing village and on the main island.
We look forward to the future when we might be able to create a simple low key ‘Health Center’ here on the island for these local people, that allows them to also afford alternative holistic health.

So if you have been putting off starting a healthier body, mind and spirit transformation; give yourself a delightful gift NOW. Visit us at one of the most beautiful and now affordable detox fasting retreats anywhere in the world. Experience a Juice Fast, Water Fast, Deep or Gentle Cleanse or Raw Food Vacation here, before I fully retire.

In GRACE and GRATITUDE you’ll be supporting a nearby fishing community to maintain our Retreat facilities for more people like YOU on DONATION BASIS

Leeann