After countless feeble attempts to describe what
the country is all about, we have finally hit the nail on the head with a campaign that captures the essence of
Philippine life which is simply “fun”. The upbeat music and fast moving visuals with short text messages
capture the spirit indeed.
I mean what else can we hold on to . . . we are
not an ancient city, nor do we have
castles or royalties to boast of, we
have no snow for skiing or ice skating, our recreation centers or movie studios
are not as state-of-the-art as those of developed countries. But “Fun in the Beach”, we will take any
country on. First, show us your finest
beaches, only then we can advance to the “Fun” aspect.
So we also have some negative elements around
like some corrupt official here or there, bad traffic enforcement and behavior,
some unmaintained toilets, a roach crawling about, cheating on taxi
rates, and if you are careless with your
things, a cunning snatcher will be around. Which country doesn’t have these
pests? . . . But one thing is certain, we can live up to the “fun” image
because it is a synergy of people and places.
Call Filipinos shallow and corny because it may be true, but in our standards,
that which matter to us, we are having fun and if you don’t want to join us
then that is totally up to you.
Beaches, Fiestas, and Smiles , I believe, are
the key words to describe the
Philippines. If you want to beach and
you want to party, then you have come to the right place. We have them all over the place, and all the
time. Boracay is known with the
International community but that place is just the tip of the iceberg. We have lots more, some even unknown to the
Filipinos themselves as these places may still be underdeveloped. But let me take you to another growing
popular beach spot that can boast of powdery white sand as well. Welcome to Panglao, an island in Bohol
province of tarsiers and chocolate hills that is gaining popularity with the
European crowd.
After landing
at Tagbilaran City airport,
an hour and 15 minutes flight from Manila,
I was picked up by a service that took only 15 minutes to cross over the
bridge to Panglao where I stayed at The Glasshouse at Dauis Highland. This two-bedroom fully-serviced villa was my
home for the next few days as I explored the city as well as the beaches.
After getting comfy and settling in during my
first day, I was taken for lunch to a
nice, popular, reasonably-priced beach-front
restaurant called Linaw, managed by
its Belgian owners. They grow their own
organic vegetables and their meals range from P100 to P280.
We passed by the
town’s classy delicatessen called C.U.
Bakery for some cheese and bread on our way back. The ambiance was not something you would
expect from a province establishment but more of an international level type. I ravished the brie cheese with Tanduay Ice
after dinner while savoring the romantic view of the citylights from The Glasshouse veranda that overlooks the bridge and Tagbilaran
city.
The next day, I had the chance to explore what
the city had to offer. We had lunch, movie, and a gelato at one of
their biggest malls, BQ Mall.
The buko pandan gelato over crepes drizzled with chocolate sauce worth
only P100 was something to keep coming back for at the 3rd floor nook of the mall
called, Gelateria. It was
clearly a favorite hang-out place for the students and foreigners.
Come happy hour, we drove 15 minutes to a tapas
bar near Alona beach called Le Rendez-Vous. A healthy dinner of Ceasar’s salad with iced
tea was their specialty for me. This
place became a hang-out for me in the next few days because of its strong wifi
signal, nice friendly staff, as well as its proximity to Alona beach. I also had the
pleasure of meeting the nice French owner who also happens to be the owner of L’Elephant Blue Cottages and Cougar boat services for beach
activities such as snorkeling, sightseeing,
or island-hopping.
The next few days were precious as I woke up to
a daily dose of gorgeous sunrises by the main veranda or the upper veranda near
the room. Late morning activities
included swimming by the pool or doing some computer work by the settee beside
an inspiring glass wall.
This glass wall
framed a live picture of the neighboring island surrounded with water that flickered
by the strong sun rays, my constant uplifting view during my stay. Afternoons were either spent in the beach or sunset strolling or jogging
around The Glasshouse vicinity of rustic, rolling hills landscape.
Lunch out included a humble turo-turo, called Andreas, patronized by divers and some foreign
tourists which is walking distance to Alona Beach. Another nearby beach called Dumaloan, located beside Bohol Beach Club, is a cleaner and whiter alternative to Alona but charged an entrance fee of P50 per head as
well as parking fee. They also rented
out shaded tables which ranges from P250-P350 for whole day family or barkada picnics (They charge for excess
hours as well).
On my last night, we picked up a hot and
crispy Sicilian pizza for dinner at Alfredo’s Pizzaria along the bridge
from Tagbilaran City to Panglao island. Their pizza prices ranged from P120 to P370 for
gourmet type of regular pizza, you just have to drop by this little pizza shop
by the bridge.
Since this was my first
trip to Panglao, this is all the experience I can share for now.
If you don’t have any airport pick up service, there are nearby trikes
or shuttles that can provide special trips for you straight to the beach that
will cost you from P150 to P300.
Airport pick up and drop off as well as beach
trip car service is included in the package when you book at The Glasshouse. For more information and reservation, visit
their Facebook page at The Glasshouse in Bohol.
