BOHOL Summer Escapade (2): Beach Happenings

BOHOL Summer Escapade (2): Beach Happenings (April 10-11, 2010)

Summer is not summer without the beach. Even for someone who grew up surrounded by beautiful beaches, the mere sight of the sea still fascinates me to no end. There’s something about how the different shades of blue show off their glorious wonder – how the clear blue sky peppered with cotton-like clouds blend with the majestic sea. Everywhere you look, as far as your eyes can see, the sea stretches out vastly, in its stillness and beauty. The Philippines being an archipelago, I’ve done this so many times, but every single time, I still sigh at the beauty of it all. This is the reason why even if we had to wake up at 5AM and march our sleepy selves to the shore of Alona Beach, we gladly obliged. Because it was all worth it.

W H E R E  A R E  T H E  D O L P H I N S

Boats waiting for the dolphins to appear

We boarded a special speed boat (it was green, had no roof, and had “Special Forces Regimen: Airborne” printed on it) on our way to open sea in our search for dolphins. We looked like a special forces team on their way to rescue someone, except that we were wearing really colorful dresses. That alone warrants some attention. To make it worse, all the other pump boats around were WHITE, so we really stood out. Other tourists even took pictures of us, it was crazy. To our dismay though, the dolphins didn’t show up. Either we were too late, or they just didn’t want to show themselves that morning.

S N O R K E L I N G  A T  B A L I C A S A G

Feeding the fishes

After our failed dolphin-watching attempt, we went to Balicasag Island to see the corals instead. Balicasag Island is a world class diving site just around 45 minutes from Panglao Island. Divers from all over go to this island to marvel at the marine life, and we wanted to see the marine life for ourselves as well. 

A bed of corals

When we arrived at Balicasag Island, we settled down a bit and ate some breakfast. From the shore, we then rode a bangka to go to where the fishes were. With our snorkeling gear in tow and some pieces of pan de sal to lure the fishes, we went to the marine sanctuary and literally swam with the fishes. They were breathtaking, with their beautiful colors and varying shapes. The corals were also a sight to see, and the entire experience just proved that while the world is full of beautiful sights, the sights that can be seen underwater are just as jaw-dropping.

B E A C H  H A P P E N I N G S

Private beach

At around lunch time we headed back to Alona Beach to eat lunch at Panglao Regents Park and check-in at Panglao Tropical Villas. We didn’t realize how tired we were until we saw the bed, and that’s where almost everyone fell asleep for a good couple of hours.

The rest of the afternoon was spent swimming in the pool, sunbathing in the shore, playing beach volleyball (this was actually quite fun), and basically just enjoying the sun, sand, and sea. The good thing about the resort we booked is that it only has a few villas available, so we didn't get the throng of tourists that Alona Beach would have. It was like having our own private beach, and this is the part that we enjoyed thoroughly.

We enjoyed our little private beach until the sun started to set, and the sunset hues were just beautiful to look at. There were a few bangkas on the shore so it provided a very picturesque scene indeed. 

Sunset at Panglao Island

A L O N A  N I G H T L I F E

Seven girls and one bathroom is a nightmare, so we took a lot of time washing out all the seawater and sand and getting ready for night life. The Alona strip, on a Saturday night, is peppered with acoustic bands, a few bars, and a lot of people. We ate at Oops! Bar (where the midnight disco is) and chose fresh seafood to be cooked any way we want (grilled, fried, sinigang, you get the picture). It was a pleasurable dining experience, because we ate while hearing the waves crashing nearby and feeling the sea breeze on our skin. There were bubbles too!

After our very late dinner we decided to check out Bohol Divers Resort, where there’s a live party band and more choices of drinks. Initially we heard them play 80’s music, but to our relief the songs progressed towards the new millennium and pretty soon we were hearing Lady Gaga and the Black Eyed Peas. We had two rounds of cocktails and talked a lot. With seven girls who rarely see each other (even though we email each other quite often), you never really run out of topics. 

The night would’ve ended perfectly except for the fact that I left my camera for a split second, and the minute we turned back it was gone. After a lot of interrogation and staying there for a long time searching for my precious camera which just vanished into thin air (obviously, someone took it), I gave up and accepted the inevitable. My camera is gone, and it’s never coming back. By some miracle (thank God), I managed to squeeze in transferring the pictures from my camera to my laptop earlier that evening, so all the pictures of the trip were saved. It would’ve been more heartbreaking otherwise.

We went back to the resort sulky and tired, and we decided to forego Danao because there’s no way we could wake up at 5AM the following day after two straight days of activities. Although the Danao adventure was originally a huge part of the trip, I guess it just wasn’t meant to be.

V I R G I N  I S L A N D

Approaching Virgin Island

Having decided to just spend our remaining time in the beach, we made sure we got the most out of our stay. So after breakfast, we rented a pump boat and made our way to Virgin Island. Seven girls off to Virgin Island on board the “Mary Ann.” Interesting.

It was low tide, so we had to avoid the seaweeds and corals and took a longer route. Virgin Island is a crescent-shaped sand bar just a few kilometers from Panglao. Nearing it from the sea, we saw the unmistakable stretch of white sand stuck in the middle of nowhere, with a few coconut trees reaching for the clouds. It was beautiful. “Is THAT where we’re going?” Yes, indeed.

I’ve never been to Virgin Island, so this was a very pleasant surprise. And it was breathtaking. One of us even commented “I can’t believe we almost missed this.” I guess everything happens for a reason, and for some reason we were brought to Virgin Island. By the time we docked at the long stretch of sand, it was really hot already. The sun was burning down on our already sunburnt selves, so we dipped ourselves in the shallow waters to cool down. The sand was powdery white, the water was crystal clear, and there were a few starfishes around. It was the best way to start our Sunday.

The crescent-shaped Virgin Island

B E E  F A R M

We made our way back to Panglao Tropical Villas and checked out for the day. After that we went to the Bohol Bee Farm to eat lunch. This is my second time in the Bohol Bee Farm, and it remains to be my favorite place in Bohol. The concept is pure genius, everything’s so pretty, and the view is to die for.

Dining with a view

Flowers for lunch

The Bohol Bee Farm is a restaurant/resort on a cliff in Panglao, so we had a panoramic view of the sea as we ate our lunch. The only music we could hear was the sound of the waves crashing below us. The Bee Farm’s specialty is in organic, homegrown herbs and vegetables (even flowers!) which they infuse in all the dishes in their menu. It was a gastronomic adventure that left us all very full.

We didn’t have time to go on a tour of the farm, and spent the rest of the time buying all kinds of pasalubong, from camote bread to pesto spread to hill-shaped truffles to honey. Lastly, we had some homemade ice cream (on cab-cab cones) which was a delicious treat as well.

B Y E  B O H O L

For our last night in Bohol, we went to hear mass at St. Joseph Cathedral. We then went to Island City Mall to buy more pasalubong, and to make our Bohol experience even more complete we decided to watch a movie (Babe, I Love You)! That was a blast, because the last time I watched a movie with these girls was back in Manila when we were still in college. I rarely go to Manila these days, and our individual work schedules are just so packed, but the thought that we actually had to go to Bohol just so we can watch another movie together was so funny. It was the perfect way to end our Bohol trip.

After everything that has been said and done, I’m now sunburnt, I have an ugly tanline, I lost my precious camera, and I’m a tad broke. But that’s the thing about vacations. You never know what to expect. And even if we all have to march ourselves back to our individual realities and embrace the responsibilities and work-related stress that we shoved under the carpet for a weekend, I would not have had it any other way. There’s nothing I regret about the weekend, except maybe that it had to end. God has truly blessed us with such a wonderful world, and it’s our responsibility to discover and experience ALL the beauty it has to offer – with the equally wonderful people He has blessed us with.

‘Til the next great adventure.