SPOTLIGHT: BOHOL
BOHOL’S PRIDE: (LEFT)The Peacock Garden is one of Bohol’s most luxurious resorts; (ABOVE) Known as the Boracay of Bohol, Alona Beach boasts a long stretch of pure white sand.
The best place to stay in Alona is Amorita Resort. Perched on a cliff at one end of Alona Beach, it is the perfect mix of privacy and proximity to the beach crowd, with the best island views. Guests who choose to stay in the villas with ocean or garden views have their own private paradise, with a garden Jacuzzi and an outdoor shower. Amorita’s infinity pool overlooks the beach; if one is tired of quiet and privacy, Alona is just a few meters away. For a more intimate dining experience, request to have meals served under a tree on a wooden deck overlooking Alona Beach. A must-have that is Amorita’s alone is the Boholano Menu, available in the Saffron Restaurant. It comprises uniquely Boholano dishes specially created by their chef. Ranked number 8 by TripAdvisor in its annual Top 25 Hotels in the Philippines award, Amorita is certainly deserving of the recognition, with its complete facilities and amenities, attentive staff, and its distinctly Filipino interior design. Rooms start at Php6,800 during the off-peak season. www. amoritaresort.com/ IslAnd-hoppIng From Alona Beach, hire a boat to Virgin Island, also known as Pungtod Island. Mostly submerged during high tide, during low tide it’s a good picture taking spot. Walk along its curved, white sandbar, drinking fresh buko juice (Php40) that enterprising 80 I Mabuhay Magazine I March 2013
vendors bring from Panglao, or try raw sea urchin (Php20 each), with or without vinegar. (Tip: Keeping it untouched, there are no huts or places to lodge on Virgin Island, so pack a hat for some shade and a mat for sprawling on the sand.) Dolphin-watching excursions happen in pamilacan Island or Balicasag Island. Pamilacan is an hour’s banca ride from Panglao, so try to stay overnight the day before; dolphin tours can start as early as 5:30 a.m. Book the pamilacan Island paradise Resort. Choose single rooms (Php3,000) or family-sized villas (Php12,000). There are no bars or restaurants on Pamilacan Island, so enjoy the silence and fresh breeze. Stroll
LIFE, OH LIFE: (LEFT) Bellevue Resort marries Filipino design with modern sensibilities. (RIGHT) A favorite chill out place in Amorita Resort is this viewing deck that looks out to Alona Beach.