Panglao - Alona beach

The sundown, the shallow water and lying on the beach. The water isn't good for snorkeling but ok for dipping ones toes - the wind almost always blows towards the beach >

Quick Tips:

Best Way To Get Around:

You can hire a tricycle from tagbilaran when you arrive with the boat (Supercat/SeaAngels)and drive directly to Panglao island. They are ready for your arrival. Tagbilaran is noisy and quite "trafficy" whereas Panglao is quiet and relaxed.

The bungalows/rooms rates from 800 P (about $15) and up to 1500 P. The resort has no pool, but is situated right on the beach. They have "deck chairs" and beach service. If you stay in one of the luxury houses on the beach the sea is only 5 m. from your veranda and the sea lulls you to sleep. The houses are quite small, big bed, a nice bathroom, and everything is made out of bamboo and wood. The beach is "cleaned" every morning and the staff is VERY nice and helpfull and can arrange trips around the island of Bohol. The place is perfect for relaxation. There are no "salesmen" on the beach and if you just want to relax, you don''t have to go anywhere. The restaurant offers great food especially vegetable curry - but the meat is boney and dry. The resort is owned by the mayor of Bohol - a woman. If you''re into diving, there is a diving center on the resort owned by a guy from Switzerland and several others along the beach.

When we stayed on Panglao Island, we were so fortunate to get invited into the local chapel, where a lady we had met did voluntary work as a teacher in song and knowledge about other cultures - such as ours. The children aged 4 - 14 were practicing for the annual "music festival" and as a kind of trial run we were invited to see them. It was a very special experience - on one hand we felt fortunate to sit there and see these very enthusiastic children sing at full throttle - I have never heard anything like it - and on the other hand we felt a bit self-consious because the children payed SO much attention to us- staring, learning the feeling of being different - so different. As the children sang the tears almost came to my eyes and I went goosey all over. These children had POWER and were perpetually smiling - even though they had no Playstation, TV, computer and so forth. It is so great to experience this when you live in a country were most children complain or cry their eyes out if they can't get the new edition of a stupid videogame or the truck they want.