Panglao Island, Bohol

Even as early as a week before our little weekend in Bohol, we were bracing ourselves for testy weather since all forecasts pointed to gloomy, if not all-out typhoonic weather altogether. So we were surprised that although it was as bright and sunny as we would’ve wanted it to be, the weather at least wasn’t foul. It was mostly cloudy, with some decent sunny periods every now and then. Plus, we were mostly there to dive, so rain wouldn’t really be a problem when you’re 60-100 feet underwater. We stayed at Amorita Resort in Panglao Island, at the very end of the quaint Alona beach. The digs were nice enough, not as luxurious as the fancy resorts we’ve been to, but more than sufficient for a nice weekend out of town.

The food was also okay; you can see the effort that was put in presenting the food. Nothing exceptional, but every now and then they like to spring a surprise, like their unique version of kare-kare, which was a pleasure to explore.

For me, more than the rooms, it’s the outdoor stuff that far outshines what the interiors lack in punch. The highlight of the resort is the pool area, which is right outside the dining area. Either swimming in the pool or just lounging in those wonderful cushions on the wooden pool decks is a lovely way to chill, especially at sunset when the winds get a bit chilly, and you’re wrapped snuggly in a blanket as you read a book or just watch the sun go down as you look over a beautiful view of the beach and the ocean.

It’s such a lovely place that I spent more time in the pool area than I did inside the room. They also have a nice view deck, just to the side of the pool, also overlooking Alona beach, where you can just chill, have drinks, and whatever it is you like to do as you look at the ocean view. They can also set up a romantic sunset dinner at the deck for a special touch.

And of course the beach. We didn’t get to explore the lovely Alona beach until the afternoon of our second day. What a shame, because given how much we loved it, we would’ve wanted to spend more time there. It’s supposedly even better during the amihan season because the winds blow away from the beach so no sea grass washes ashore, unlike now, during the habagat season where there was quite a bit of vegetation on the seashore. It’s like a smaller, less harried Boracay. Or maybe a finer, less bedraggled Puerto Galera. Actually it reminded us more of Koh Samui in Thailand. I promised myself I’d return soon to spend more time at the beach and enjoy that little piece of white sand shore.

Of course we had our little scare on our way home. We were supposed to take the SuperCat ferry from Bohol to Cebu, spend the afternoon and evening there, then take the last flight out to Manila. When we got to the port, all ferry trips to Cebu were cancelled due to bad weather. We had no choice but to rush and see if we could still get plane tickets from Bohol straight to Manila. The last Cebu Pacific flight back was already about to take off. PAL was already fully booked. Our last chance was Zest Air. Funny, they had TWO LAST TICKETS LEFT. So we immediately booked, albeit begrudgingly, since we forfeited our AirPhil Cebu-Manila tickets and lost a half-day jaunt in Cebu. But I guess better that than stranded. On our way back, we were welcomed with open arms by Juaning, the whole flight engulfed by billows of clouds, quite awesome to see actually, but thankfully deposited safely to the ground, just the way we want it.