Bohol - Alona beach area, has a certain charm that not a lot of beaches have. It's quiet and a chilled, laid back kind of fun.Ed and I spent a weekend in Alona Vida resort along the Alona Beach area. We took the 8:00 am flight out of Manila via Cebu Pacific so we got there on time at 9:15 am. I must say that we did not encounter any problems in our flight to Tagbilaran and since we opted not to check-in anything (also it takes off P200 from your airfrare if you don't have any check-in luggage), we breezed through the check-in counter and was by the gate in 20 to 25 minutes of arriving at the airport. We had a lot of time to buy some breakfast at the food stalls at the departure area. They have Jamaican Patties, Delifrance, Cinnabon and a couple of other coffee shops there.
The flight going back to Manila was delayed for about 20 minutes which is not so bad but if you are flying for business I suggest taking a more reliable airline.
NAIA Terminal 3 has the makings of a nice presentable airport for Manila. It's sad though that some parts of it is obviously unfinished. I hope that the government can get its act together and complete this project. Since the airports are the first area the foreign visitors see, it leaves quite a big impression on them.
Since we booked a pick-up from Alona Vida, our driver, Ronnie, was waiting for us already by the exit of the Tagbilaran airport. The 35 minute drive from the airport to Alona Beach was a breeze since the car is well-maintained and the aircondition of the car was working perfectly well. I suggest that you book an airport pick-up with your resort since there are no (or rare) cabs that go all the way from the city to the beach area.
ALONA VIDA RESORT
Boy, am I glad that we chose this resort and this area. It's situated in the middle of a row of resorts fronting the beach. The fine white sand greeted us as we checked in to our hotel. Alona Vida's room is cozy and perfect for a couple of nights stay. They have a bar, diving school, swimming pool and a restaurant that serves good food.
The beds are wide and the bathrooms are clean. They provide for towels but not soap or shampoo so bring your own. They have hot/ cold water for showering and cable tv. The water pressure is also strong so you can wash off the sand from your body pretty well.
The staff was great too... except that there was a glitch in their credit card payment system as we checked out and Rachel was not able to provide a better alternative for us. (On a side note, I think this is one of the weakness of filipino service... for the staff to be more proactive in providing their clients options when its their system that does not work.) The people in the restaurant were all friendly and corteous. If you want to have a good person to coordinate with in that resort, look for Fatima. She's fantastic!
ALONA BEACH DIVING HAVEN
Alona Beach is a haven for divers but since I did not dive on this trip, I enjoyed the quiet mornings just lounging around and enjoying the sun. If I had one more day though, I would have sneaked in a dive to Balicasag. I actually felt a little sad leaving Alona Beach on our second day to tour the city. Hahaha! That's how badly I wanted to just lounge around.
BOHOL CITY TOUR
The city tour was nice but not something I would want to do the second time around. Ronnie offered us his service of touring us around the city. The tour includes 7 spots but if you don't want to hit some of the spots, its fine too. The areas are:
a. The Blood Compact Shrine- This is a monument where the ritual sealing the friendship of Sikatuna and Legaspi.
b. Baclayon church - One of the oldest churches in Asia with coral stoned walls run by Jesuits. It was started in the 1500's so the old feel is so prominent. It's interesting too how they are able to preserve the walls.
c. Man-made Forest - This is Edgar's favorite area. This you should not miss! It's on the way to Chocolate Hills so you really won't miss it. Make sure though that you go out of the car and feel the cool and crisp air that these trees create. This project was started during the Marcos administration where they planted mahogany trees to 300 hectares of land spanning a couple of baranggays in the area. Great idea, Mr. Marcos! I hope there are more of these done in every area of the Philippines.
d. Chocolate Hills - Not to be missed since we've been studying this since we were in grade 3. You have to climb about 50 steps to get to the top but the view is worth it. There will also be camera men offering their services for souvenir photos.
e. Loboc River Cruise lunch - Honestly, I would've skipped this since the food was just ok (compared to the food in Alona restos) and the cruise is nothing great but it was a new thing so might as well. The most popular of the floating restos is the Riverwatch. I loved their puto so if you go on the buffet, please get more than 1. I was surprised that everything was gone when I wanted to go for the second round. You eat on the boat and they take you on a breezy 20 minute cruise and stopping for a few minutes for a show prepared by the locals. It was nice to see the lolos and the lolas dancing their traditional dances. All the river cruises costs P300/ per person including lunch and entrance at the Tarsier Farm.
f. Tarsier Farm - These creatures are so cute I want to bring them home. Don't touch them, ok? They get suicidal when stressed. We also saw flying lemurs on a mango tree. I was surprised though that it was only a small farm. I thought it was bigger but the few minutes with the tarsiers was a nice experience.
g. Hanging Bridge - We were too anxious to go back to the beach that we didn't go to this spot anymore.
You can rent a car for P2,000 for the tour. They said that you might be able to find cheaper ones being offered around but they are not part of a cooperative which can provide assistance just in case your car breaks down in the middle of the tour.
There are also tours being offered by the resort but they are often more expensive at P1,800 per person.
DINING ON ALONA BEACH
Now comes the part that I enjoy talking about. THE FOOD EXPERIENCE!!! :-)
We didn't get to eat at the city where they say the food is cheap and good... but I was so satisfied with my gastronomical experience on Alona Beach that I did not mind.
There are a number of restaurants by the beach to choose from! When its not raining, the restaurants set up tables and chairs closer to the water for a more relaxing and beach-like dining experience. Here are some of the restos that we've tried and loved. Most of these are recommendations of our friends Melody and Bing who went there a couple of weeks before us.
A. Coco Vida in Alona Vida Resort - What to order:
- Try their Banana choco shake - its good and refreshing! - P110.00
- Mixed fruits pancake - they serve two huge pieces so its really good to share
- Garlic rice - They use fresh garlic!!! - between P35- P50.00
- Pancit Canton - Its tasty but oily...
- Omelette - This is also good for two.
- Chopsuey - they used fresh vegetables and is also good for two people
Just like most of the restos in the area, they offer freshly grilled seafood at night. We liked their variety best and we ordered freshly caught tangigue which was served with a nice presentation.
B. Hayahay Pizza - We had a snack here ordering Margherita pizza with extra garlic. Boy! They did not scrimp on the garlic at all! The whole pizza was filled with toppings from the side to the center! YUMMY! - P230
C. ISIS Restaurant - THE BEST SEAFOOD TOM YUM SOUP!!!
Melody was right. If only for the Seafood Tom Yum Soup with big noodles, I would go back to Bohol!!! This is the tastiest Seafood Tom Yum Soup I have ever had! Be careful with the lemon grass and herbs though since there a lot which makes the soup really good. This dish is meant to be shared. Big serving.
We also tried their Egg in Tamarind Sauce which for me is another to die for dish!!!
The chef is Thai so no wonder their food is delicous and tastes authentic thai!!! :-)
Also one thing I noticed in this resto is they have nice dishes and serving plates. Not the plastic types that you normally see in beach restos. Interesting!
D. Pyramid - This restaurant is about two restaurants away from Alona Vida. They serve the yummiest Bam-i!!! Its so good and plenty that I brought them back to Manila and had them for lunch at the office!
What we kept on going back to is their Split-up Banana with Ice Cream. The first night we went there they served it with Chippy all around. I loved it but Ed didn't so the next time we went, we requested to have it topped in cereals. It was heavenly! The warm banana with cold ice cream topping... Fantastic!!!
Break down of costs:
1. Airfare - Cebu Pacific P1.00 promo, bought two seats and insurance - Total cost: P3,150.00 roundtrip
2. Hotel - Alona Vida (they just increased their rates) - P3,200 per night
3. Airport pick-up and drop-off - P500 one way- Total of P1,000 per car
4. City Tour - P2,000 a day for 7 spots
5. Loboc River Cruise - P300/ person with lunch
6. Food - P2,000/ head for 3D/ 2N - that's if you're super matakaw :-)
We were sorry to leave Bohol but we know we will be back! If you have questions on Bohol, feel free to email me at lyshiel@yahoo.com.
Hope this helps!!
