We arrived at the gorgeous Alona Beach and headed straight to the Hotel to costume up-and catch some rays. We were a bit too early to check-in so had a little wonder around the beach strip then cooled off in the hotel pool (that had a great view of the beach) and enjoyed the locals prefered drink of Rum and Coke (I will just refer to it as R&C from now on as it will feature a lot!)
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| The picture postcard Alona Beach |
Our Hotel was just off the main strip and right in the middle of all the action. The room was lovely, a bit small, but hey you just need a bed and shower when on hols! We were upstairs across from the bar area (more about this later!) and with easy access to the beach and pool. After quite a few R&C time, we headed to the beach for dinner. There was an array of colorful sea-food on display, massive fresh lobsters and gigantic crabs! Aargh - crabs! After my last crabby experience I decided to stay away from sea-food all-together! We opted for the BBQ Pork, a popular dish in the area and let's face it... nothing beats a BBQ on the beach! Out table was literally on the shore line with tiny waves lapping our toes as we ate. The beach entertainment was awesome - fireworks galore (in our honor no doubt) local kids singing the latest pop hits and shirtless men throwing fire-balls around and banging drums! After dinner a few R&C's at the Beach Bar before bedtime!
The next day, sleep deprived and both slightly moody we hit the beach and hit the beach hard! We found a cosy posi under a palm tree and spent the day playing with sea urchins, working on the tan, napping and sampling yet more R&C! When we got back to the Hotel we were moved to a fantastic deluxe suite, with outdoor balcony and best part of all - far away from party central! From then on we were 'that' couple the staff stayed away from from fear of complaints - oh well -at least we slept well for the remainder of our stay!
For our second last day in Philippines we booked an Island Tour and set out bright and early with 2 other couples on a boat names Jesus...I kid you not...
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The boat named 'Jesus'
First on the tour was Dolphin watching, and Jesus did not disappoint! He found loads of them...and they put on a spectacular show for us! There were about 20 other boats (all biblical named) also out Dolphin watching and at some points it kinda felt like we were herding them. The boats would all stop to admire them jumping out the water and when they got too far out, engines on and the dolphin chase was on. There is something truly special about seeing Dolphins (not that i wanna be getting a dolphin tattoo or anything) but they really are amazing creatures. These were the smallest I have seen yet and their flick-flack tricks were top notch!
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| The Dolphin Show |
Jesus then headed to Balicasage Island - a tiny Island near Panglao renowned for its exquisite diving and snorkeling extravaganza. I was never one for snorkeling, or swimming for that matter - don't like getting my hair wet! But a few years back when we were in Cuba I tried snorkeling for the first time and loved it... couldn't believe the underwater feast that awaited the eyes - I've been hooked ever since! We equipped ourselves with snorkeling gear and off we went. OMG...and I will say it again...OMG!!! One of the best snorkeling experiences ever! Not only did we find Nemo but we saw so many underwater creatures it was unbelievable! I swam with a turtle...well there were quite a few but one took a shining to me...'Hayley the Turtle Whisperer'!! They were massive and much faster than you would think..and there were starfish galore...bright blue ones, pink ones and yellow ones! Then there was...bzz...bzzz...jellyfish...the kind that go bzzz and sting! Not a bad sting but still enough to turn you red and make wanna get out! But to take in more of the amazing underwater spectacular and hang out with the turtle dude we braved more stings and soaked in as much as we could of this one in a lifetime experience. Sadly we couldn't take phones (aka the camera) with us so I couldn't capture just how beautiful and amazing it really was - we will be investing in one of these for our next beach getaway for sure! After about 1 hr in the water, we chilled on the beach taking in the views and sunshine, then set off in Jesus for the last tour stop. |
| The Turtle Dude! (found this pic online - i'm pretty sure its him!) |
Jesus then sailed the waters for about 40 min until we reached the Virgin Island of Panglao, known as the 'hidden oasis' - when the tide is low a stretch of white sand is viable. Locals come along and 'set-up shop' for the tourists, they sell an array of sea-creatures that they will fry up for you, you can buy coconuts, boiled eggs, noodles and fried bananas in brown sugar - that's what I opted for! And it was yum! (so random to be eating fried bananas in the middle of the sea!) The Virgin Island was small and full of tourists, but pretty amazing to be in the middle of the sea on a little patch of sand! We stayed there for about 30 min, star-fish hunting and cooling off in the water before we headed back to Panglao where we spent the remainder of the afternoon around the pool bonding with our new buddy - R&C! |
| Heading back to Panglao Island |
On our last day in Philippines we set off to the Capital, Manila. Our flight wasn't until late in the evening so we spent the day at SM Mall - the biggest mall in Asia! They have a free bag drop facility, so we ditched the luggage, had some breakfast and had a short wander around Manila before walking the mall flat! The airport was probably the most exciting part of the day as we had the most amazing food there! Throughout our time in Philippines it seemed like we were searching for a distinctly Filipino flavor and...wham...we found it at the Departures Gate! It was a rice based dish with pork in the most unusual, yet amazing sauce - it was delish and a perfect way to end the trip!
Philippines - you were awesome!
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