Panglao Island, Love at First Sight...

After exploring the beauty and wonders of Bohol countryside, my husband and I headed off the following day to our next detination - Panglao Island! It was love at first sight! We enjoyed the long stretches of white sand and the pristine waters in Panglao Island. 

DUMALUAN BEACH

We headed first to Dumaluan to spend some generous time at the beach while waiting for our 2 pm check-in time at Panglao Regents Hotel which is located at Alona beach. We had to enter Dumaluan Beach Resort first for an easy access to the beach. ( We had to pay Php 30 for a day pass). The resort was so generous to offer their locker for our baggage so that we could easily explore the beauty of their beach front. 

The sand in Dumaluan beach is powdery white and the water is turquoise blue.  I love the quiet and peaceful ambiance of the beach. It perfectly suits our mood as a couple traveler. The beach was not too crowded that time so we grab the privileged of being "alone" at the beach by taking some pictures and videos, chasing the waves like some silly rascals and day dreaming of wanting to come back here with our two kids. Indeed, the picturesque Dumaluan Beach will be one of many reasons why we wanted to visit Bohol in the future.

 

The beauty of Dumaluan Beach. Picture perfect.


ALONA BEACH

After a pleasant mid-day escapade at Dumaluan beach, we traveled an hour riding in a habal-habal going to Alona Beach. We checked-in at Panglao Regents Hotel. Before the sun sets, my husband and I had the chance to walk at the famed Alona Beach's stretching white sand. The shoreline here is shorter than that of Dumaluan beach but the ambiance is more lively because of several shops, restaurants and other establishments that are located here. More tourists, mostly foreigners, can be seen swarming around the area because most resorts and hotels in Panglao are strategically located in Alona beach.  

Alona beach at sunset.

After our sunset walk on the beach, we went back to Panglao Regent Hotel. We had dinner at the nearby barbecue grill/eatery that me and my husband enjoyed together. Then we took a nice dip at the hotel's swimming pool before dozing off. (I have a separate post about Panglao Regent).

We woke up early the following day to have an early morning walk at the beach. Alona beach was serene that morning. We greeted the sunrise and savor the calmness of the sea breeze.We picked up some seashells and corals as souvenirs. We took some pictures. Everything was pleasant. 

That was our last day in Bohol so were making our last hours a sulit one. 

Sayonara, Panglao Island! I will never forget your beauty and wonder.

My husband asked me which beach is better and I thought it depends on the person's liking and personality. If you're the reserved type and love some quiet place to unwind, Dumaluan beach will be much to your liking. But if your'e the party nuts and love socialization, you might prefer the lively atmosphere of Alona beach. I can't have the best of both worlds, why? But altogether, Panglao Island is a must-see while you are in Bohol.

~ GDA

Exploring Bohol (The Do-It-Yourself Edition)

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Yey! My husband and I had a splendid 3-day vacay at the land of thousand hills and friendly people - Bohol! Since it was my first "do it your self" getaway, there were some little mishaps occurred and therefore lessons learned about traveling. But a DIY adventure will offer you feelings of joy and independence so I regret not the experience I had during our stay in Bohol.

DAY 1: BOHOL COUNTRYSIDE TOUR

We arrived in Tagbilaran Airport at around 9:14 a.m. via Zest Air. It was a hassle-free flight which is completely different from what I've read about reviews and feed-backs in dealing with Zest Air. We were just 4-minutes delayed from our estimated time of arrival which is not so really bad. As I expected,  many cab drivers infiltrated the terminal's main gate. They were offering airport-hotel transfer or countryside tour which I guessed is too pricey for a shoestring budgeted travelers like us. Thank goodness, I've already contracted a low priced rent-a-car service prior to our arrival at Bohol so our driver/tour guide was already waiting for us outside the airport. 

A little mishap occurred when our rented car suddenly was running out of gasoline. And it happened even before we leave the airport complex! My husband was already faced-palming but my anxiety was due to the hazy weather that day. I really don't want our trip to be a messed up.  To make the story short, we were 40-minutes delayed for our countryside tour and I anticipated that we will not be able to visit all 10 tourist destinations in Bohol countryside.  But its okay with me for as long as the sun will grant my wish. Due to our limited time, these are the places we've visited in Bohol Day 1. 

**drumroll  please!**

BLOOD COMPACT MONUMENT

The monument of the blood compact is located in Tagbilaran City. I think its a 15-minute drive away from the airport. The monument depicted the sandugo between Datu Sikatuna of Bohol and the Spanish conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi as a sign of their friendship. This is considered as the first treaty between Spaniards and Filipinos. 

Entrance Fee: none

BACLAYON CHURCH

Considered as one of the oldest churches in the Philippines, The Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception or Baclayon Church is a must-see tourist destination in Bohol. If you're a history nuts like me (well, I'm a history teacher by profession, that's why) this place is unmistakably for you. 

Entrance Fee: Church - none ; Museum - Php 50

The church's facade

The church's interior.
FYI, wala pong misa na nagaganap. Hehe.

LOBOC RIVER CRUISE

Loboc River is one of my favorite spots in Bohol. You don't want to miss Loboc River Cruise if you want to indulge in gastronomic lunch buffet while cruising inside a floating restaurant. 

Entrance Fee: Php 400 ( inclusion of buffet lunch, tax and entrance fee).

The river is murky green, if not clear, but one of the cleanest in the country

The guests are required to be at the complex 30 minutes before the cruise starts. We're a bit starving that time but the awesome sight gave pleasure to our waiting. You may choose from a variety of river cruising vessels that offer sumptuous buffet lunch before going to the dock. 

I don't know if it goes the same with other floating restaurants, but the vessel we chose offered buffet that basically comprises of fried foods (pork, chicken and sea foods), veggies, salad and variety of malagkits and fresh fruits for desserts. My personal favorites were fish fillet and cucumber salad. The taste was not so especial but not so bad either.  But my husband was quite delighted for it satisfied his roomy appetite that day. 

Some locals from surrounding barangays performed native Vizayan songs and dances to entertain the passing guests. You can buy souvenirs at their stations like native handicrafts and ukulele or just drop some pennies at their donation boxes to support their livelihood projects.

The cascading water of Busay Falls. 

This is life! Eating limitless foods while cruising in an unspoiled river surrounded with lush greenery and serenaded by a cruise singer. The weather was still hazy and it even rained before we finished the cruise.  Then I thought, the setting was a bit romantic since I always love the rain whenever I just sat idly with nothing else to do but observe. 

CHOCOLATE HILLS

On the contrary, the weather in Carmen, Bohol was a bit sunny when we arrived. Until lesser clouds hovered the sky so I was so grateful the sun finally heed my bidding! As you see, the long terrain of these sun kissed hills were marvelous to the eyes. Chocolate Hills is  indeed the queen attraction of Bohol.

Entrace Fee: Php 50

These cone-shaped hills are actually made of limestone covered in grasses. Rey, our driver, said that Bohol was once under the sea eons of years ago. The formation  of these hills are shaped by wind, water and erosion in the succeeding time. There was a legend too, about two giants and they had this little dispute and I think you know what happens next. Lol.

BILAR MAN-MADE FOREST

This is a man-made Mahogany forest stretching for about 2 kilometers along the border of the towns of Loboc and Bilar. 

Entrance Fee: none

 The  canopies of these mahogany trees on both sides of the road formed a majestic arch- an spectacular view that is worth a photo.

Lovers under the tree... <3

TARSIER SANCTUARY

Due to our limited time, we set our final destination at the Tarsier Sanctuary in Loboc. Its nearly 5 in the afternoon when we arrived. There were few tarsiers to be found because since they are nocturnal animals, a lot of them were already somewhere in the middle of the forest hunting for foods. Sayang talaga. T__T

Entrance Fee: Php 60

Me together with Leo and our driver/tour guide, Rey.

How many tarsier statues did you see? lol.

Oops, its bawal!  Holding tarsier is strictly prohibited. If stressed, these little primates are prone to self infliction or much worst, they'll commit suicide.

Which one doesn't belong in the group? None? lols. One of these tarsiers is the oldest in the sanctuary.

The Plan

Everything starts with a plan. I searched the net especially collective buying sites (e.g. Metrodeal, Ensogo...) to avail cheap Bohol tour package with airfare and accommodation. I have nothing against collective buying thingy but I just realized that I'm out of control on choosing our hotel accommodation or daily activities during the tour which I think is a little frustration on my part as a traveler. Even a good friend of mine assisted me in availing a tour package from her aunt's travel agency. But what it offers was too pricey for traveling couples like us. Probably, services offered by a travel agency is a must option when traveling in big groups. At the end, we decided that its a DIY tour or not.

First thing to do for a DIY travel is decide what part of the country (or overseas) you want to visit. Search for the tourist  destinations it offers. Definitely it all depends on your liking or what interests you. As for me, I dig for history and nature combined that's why I chose Bohol.

Second, book your flight at least 3 months in advance to avail the airline's promo.  I booked our flight via Zest Air last January but I only got the lowest fare because that time their promo for cheap fare was selling like hot cakes. Using credit card is hassle-free and cheaper, too.

Then I browsed the net for lists of hotels, resorts and even pension houses within Tagbilaran City and Panglao Island. Since the activities for Day 1 is basically outdoors, I thought lodging in a pricey hotel on that day is a big no-no. And so, I looked for a cheap pension house that should be within Tagbilaran City for our Day 1. I found Marcelina Guesthouse through Booking.com. On the other hand, our Day 2 was at Panglao Island (I have a separate post for this!). There were so many resorts and hotels to choose from via Agoda.com and Booking.com. I decided to choose and booked directly at Panglao Regents Park because of its reputations for quality rooms and amenities in affordable tourist's price. 

Marcelina Guesthouse at Tagbilaran City.
 I was surprised that its just 5-minutes away from Tagbilaran Airport  by foot!

Standard Room: Php 700/day

Panglao Rergents Park
A 10-minute walk from here  is the famed Alona Beach

Standard Room: Php 1800/day

Search also for directions and mode of transportation (and how much it'll cost) in getting to your chosen hotel or  destinations. This may help since some local drivers will charged you with tourist price so its better to be well informed to avoid such incidents. 

Sky is Fun in Tagaytay!

We hit the road to Tagaytay on a Holy Friday and saw this newly opened amusement park located beside Taal Vista Hotel- the Sky Fun Amusement Park in Sky Ranch Complex. I visualized this complex and amusement park to be very promising to local and foreign tourists alike cause this is a leisure park that will not only provide amazing rides and event venues but it is also a complete family and group destination with a panoramic view of the famous Taal Lake and Taal Volcano. Since the grand opening of Sky Ranch Complex will be sometime around May, we availed the entrance tickets for only half the price ( Php 100.00 regular fee/ Php 50.00 promotion until May 31). Kids that are below 3 feet can enter the park for free! Great deal, isn't it?

THE SKY EYE 

The amusement rides are already in operation though food courts and other attractions are still under constructions . The main attraction here is the Sky Eye which is currently the tallest ferris wheel in the country. It stands at 207 feet (63 meters) with 32 gondolas, beating the MOA Eye at 180 feet (55 meters). Each gondola can accommodate four people. Ticket price is Php 150.00, even for smaller kids. Infants are free of charge and its safe for them too.   

Behind is the colossal Sky Eye, tallest Ferris wheel in the 'Pines. This is our first out-of-town family bonding without Mama ):

..don't worry about the blistering heat, each gondola is air-conditioned.

Since the complex is elevated at 2,100 feet above sea level, you can see the panoramic view of the Taal Lake and Taal Volcano. What more if you ride the Sky Eye! The 360 degrees view of the surrounding area is simply breathtaking.

As a self-confessed acrophobic, my fear of heights was dramatically replaced with awe and wonder upon seeing the breathtaking view of the famed Taal Lake and Taal Volcano.

Its scorching hot that day but who cares after having experienced 
the tallest ferris wheel  in the country :)

The Super Viking

...other rides.

Except for the Super Viking, all rides are child friendly. My little Sabina enjoyed her experience at the Sky Fun Carousel. Here is the list of Sky Fun rides with their respective ticket prices. 

We do enjoyed our experience at the Sky Fun, Sky Ranch Complex a midst the scorching summer heat. We will be back there for sure and I guessed there will be so much additional attractions and shops that the park would cater in no time. I've learned that a Science Discovery Museum beside Sky Fun is currently under construction. That sounds interesting right? And, oh, did I mention that there is a horseback riding activity too?  Its so great to hear that they are brewing new innovations in Tagaytay like that of Sky Fun. I'm so glad though cause it will surely help the booming tourism here in the 'Pines. Kudos to the investors! 

beauty, serenity and peace... :)

                                                         ..........................................................

Enchanting or Not?

The first time that I've been to Enchanted Kingdom was last 2004 and I must say that I do enjoyed my EK Tour back then together with my former colleagues and students. It made me feel that I'm in the "happiest place" in the country. But when my family and I went to Enchanted Kingdom last Feb. 1, I was a bit disappointed from what we've experienced that day. I was so excited for this trip at first because its my Saab's first EK tour. I have nothing against the attractions (except for the expensive foods). But the main problem was the long queue of people from each and every ride. I don't know, its not holiday that time (and a weekday too!) but Enchanted Kingdom was so crowded! My husband waited for two long hours before he enjoyed the 2-minute-ride via Space Shuttle. It took my sister 1 hour for Jungle Log Jam and my all-time favorite, Rio Grande- well, never you mind. The swarming people on queue made us decide to just enjoy the grounds and took pictures and forget all those great rides. *sigh* This is not the way EK used to be :(

I hope that EK management doesn't allow more than the capacity of people it can take per day. People bought tickets to enjoy rides and not to wait in queue for hours! Imagine, you'll pay for a Php 350-500 entrance fee and then you'll be able to enjoy only 2-3 rides for a day. Isn't it a waste of time, money and energy? Costumer satisfaction should be considered if they want to prolong their business. Hello, we're in a capitalist country - business is a competition. EK must improve their service especially over the possibility of Disneyland Philippines, right?

Well at the end of the day, my little Saab still enjoyed her first EK experience. I still love EK and the enchantment it brings to a child-like heart like mine.   And so I hope EK will revamp, lets say in the old brand new way. =)