Back in Panglao to recharge

We're back at one of our happy places. We've been to Bohol 4 times before including twice with our daughter. This is the fifth time and third straight at our favorite place in Panglao. I have been in Bohol five times before including the first time when I went to Bohol to promote a graduate scholarship sponsored by the Japanese. That was in 1996 when The Bohol Beach Club was its original size and when the cottages were still quite basic. The place was so rural including Balicasag Island, which at the time was already a snorkeling and diving attraction.

Panorama of the beach in Panglao

It's always a good getaway and change in environment when we come here. We make the most of these short vacations and end up re-energized or recharged for the challenges ahead.

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Breakfast at South Palms

It's been almost a year since our last travel to Panglao in Bohol. The last two times we were there, we stayed at the South Palms resort. The resort used to be part of the expansive Bohol Beach Club; at least half of the largest resort in Bohol (I think it may still be one of the largest if not the largest now based on the land area and beachfront.).

South Palms' buffet has an excellent spread. It actually reminded us of the buffets at Shangri-la hotels and Sofitel's famous Spiral.

There are many choices for everyone including those who might be on certain diets or who prefer to be vegetarian.

It's very tempting to get so many items and indulge (i.e., overeat).

Local dishes include humba, camote (sweet potatoes) and dried fish.

You an even have pasta or noodles for breakfast

Breads include pan de sal. There are also pancakes and waffles.

Various kinds of sticky rice delights.

Puto Maya is basically glutinous rice served with minatamis na bao (sweetened coconut).

Puto maya, mangga at pritong saging na saba (sticky rice, mangoes and fried saba bananas)

You can have a heavy breakfast in case you're touring afterwards and don't want to worry about getting hungry and finding somewhere to eat. Or perhaps you opt to have a light lunch later instead. What is definite is that the buffet is well worth it whether you're staying at the resort or visiting for breakfast. 

 

Note: South Palms recently changed their name to Oceanica. I hope they retained the buffet and the quality of service at the resort.

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Back in Panglao

Even before I've written about some recent trips, I am posting this short one about being back in Panglao, Bohol. We had booked our flight and made reservations at a resort back in November 2022. This was our first out of town vacation on a Holy Week and we made the most out of it.

The arrival message in our room set the tone for our vacation in Panglao.

The view from our room invited us to go out and enjoy the beach.

More on this trip in the next posts!

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Beachside meals at Panglao Island

The trip to Panglao last April was reinvigorating as it was our first long vacation after spending some weekends in Laiya, Batangas and Caliraya, Laguna. We were able to go around Bohol for the usual touristy things like going to Chocolate Hills and seeing the Tarsiers. The best memories though will be the trip to Balicasag where, along the way, we saw dolphins and then got to enjoy snorkeling and swimming with practically the waters to ourselves (only our boatmen and the local guide were there with us in the water). Then, of course, there are the beaches both in Balicasag and the resort where we stayed at. The South Palms was carved out of what used to be the expansive Bohol Beach Club. I had stayed at the BBC twice before including the first time I traveled to Panglao back in 1996. South Palms I thought was able to get the better part of the property and 'leveled up' on the food and accommodations. And so we enjoyed really good meals that we ordered and were served beachside - refreshments and nourishment as we enjoyed the waters.

Fries and dips

A loaded pasta bowl

Barbecue and chips

Fish and chips

More on our trip to Bohol in future posts!

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Snorkelling at Balicasag

I have several unfinished articles on our recent trip to Bohol. This is one of them and about our visit to Balicasag Island, which is just off Panglao Island. I remember my first time in Balicasag was in February 1996, weeks before I was to leave for my first international travel (Tokyo, Japan). If I had not written about that, I will be writing about it soon. Meanwhile, here are photos around Balicasag taken last April 2022.

Our guide towed the boat himself rather than paddle, as he searched for aquatic life around Balicasag Island.

Our daughter was fearless the first time she snorkelled. She swims very well and the monocle seemed to fuel her enthusiasm and confidence.

She could easily go on her own but knew when to return to the boat. Our guide was surprised at how she was very good in swimming as well as following instructions where to go and where to look.

A sea cucumber

The cucumber and the starfish

Words are not enough to describe how happy she was with the experience

I included this photo to show how clear the waters were around Balicasag. We went there on an afternoon and the weather wasn't the best so we ended up being the only guests there! We were lucky that the weather 'cooperated' and it was just perfect for swimming and snorkeling.

You can compare this photo to a previous one where we were closer to the beach. These are deeper waters and beyond the buoys delineating shallow waters from the deeper ones. Our daughter didn't mind and happily swam around.

Deeper waters do not deter a good swimmer who is also brave

We thought her first snorkeling experience was most enjoyable to her. We promised to return to Bohol soon if only for this. Of course, there are other places to visit like Palawan and Cebu.

Sunset photo near the border to even deeper waters.

We will definitely go back to Bohol, Panglao and Balicasag in the future (hopefully near future). There's a lot to see and do there and these are happy places for us where we have lots of happy memories and experiences.

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The trip to and from Balicasag Island

It's been about two months since our trip to Bohol and I haven't posted about it for a while (despite the promise to do so). Here are more photos, this time about the trip to and from Balicasag Island. I think this was my fourth counting back to the first in February 1996.

Panglao Port's pier

Outrigger moored near the mangroves surrounding the port

Outrigger boats at the port of Panglao - most if not all of these boats are for tourism purposes, bringing visitors around the island's attractions including Balicasag Island

There's an extension to the pier to maximize the number of boats

The floating structure that extends from the pier is built like a pontoon bridge. Its buoyancy can support many people but should not be overcrowded considering its load limit.

One of our boatmen spotting for our departure for Balicasag, which can be seen in the horizon. One of this guy's tasks is to check if there are lines or debris that can get entangled with our boat's propeller.

A beached boat at the Balicasag Island Dive Resort

The resort seemed deserted but for a few people who likely might be the caretakers of the still closed resort.

Beach front seats with no one to use them

Approaching and leaving the island takes the boat across from the Balicasag Island Dive Resort, which was the only formal accommodations on the island. It was practically deserted except for some staff who probably stay there to keep things in order.

The Balicasag Island Dive Resort was not yet operational (i.e., haven't reopened yet) when we visited the island. The first, second and third times I was there, there was no dive resort at the island.

A buoy marks shallow parts of the waters between Panglao and Balicasag

The port and the old watchtower. You can also see the roof of St. Augustine Church.

Approaching Panglao Port, our spotter positions himself at the bow of the boat. The boy is the son of one of our boatmen and tagged along for the trip.

The old watchtower is just across from St. Augustine Church

Mangroves surround the Panglao Port

Approaching Panglao Port

Other outriggers have been idle that afternoon, with most tourists apparently not going island hopping due to the weather. We practically had the island to ourselves that afternoon and the light rains did not deter us from snorkeling and just having a great time with our daughter (she was a natural according to our swimming guide there).

Another boatman, who was in-charge of running/driving has turned of the engine and joins in maneuvering the boat into docking position at the pier.

Final docking procedures at the Panglao pier

As mentioned previously, we practically had the island to ourselves (of course, with the exception of the residents and the marine detachment stationed there). The usual tours were scheduled in the morning when the tides are usually low and sandbars emerge from the waters. We traveled in the afternoon and in gloomy weather. Still, we were able to spot and gave short chase to dolphins en route to Balicasag. That was after we floated for a few minutes as our engine stopped. The propeller got caught in a line our spotter failed to see. And we like to think the dolphins appeared as they detected our predicament.

More on our Bohol trip soon!

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Dive watches @Panglao

Part of my collection of watches are dive or divers' watches. My first diver watch is a Swatch that I bought in Japan. It is a veteran of Batangas, Panglao, Palawan, Cebu and Glan where we have enjoyed swimming in the past. I also brought it for the typical staycations at hotels that we treated as breaks from our usual work schedules.

I have been using a couple of dive watches in recent trips to Batangas and Bohol. One is the first official Philippine dive watch release by Seiko, which is nicknamed the Tubbataha - referring to the coral reefs on the country. The other is a Swiss dive watch from Mido, which is part of the Swatch group. Both are rated for 200m but that doesn't really matter as I don't dive. I brought both to our recent trip to Panglao, Bohol.

The first official Philippine release divers watch is a Monster Prospex - the Tubbataha or SRPF33K1. This was a Christmas gift from the Clairvoyant.

My very reliable Mido Ocean Star Caliber 80 has a potential 80-hour power reserve.

I have a couple of Seiko divers - the SKX 399 and 401 - that I have used swimming in Cebu. They are still water resistant despite being over 20 years old. I also still have my Swatch diver watches, one of which I usually bring as a back-up watch. The wife used one during our recent trip to Panglao. I will feature these Swatch divers in a future post.

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Ice cream from the Bohol Bee Farm

One of the highlights of our recent trip to Panglao was eating at the Bohol Bee Farm. We had wanted to go there in our previous trips to Bohol but somehow failed to visit and have a meal there. We have heard and read about how good the food was and that they also made their own ice cream. We made sure to go there this time for an early dinner and ice cream.

Ice cream on display at the Bohol Bee Farm restaurant

Close up of the Malunggay ice cream tub. Beside it are chocolate and mango ice cream tubs. Above it is a melon ice cream tub.

Ube and mango ice cream tubs.

Our ice cream on cassava cones - Dragon fruit for the daughter, Malunngay for the wife and Ube for me

Ice cream stall for those only interested to get some treats or dessert

Chocolate ice cream cup

Ube ice cream cup

Malunggay ice cream cup

Ice cream cup from the Bohol Bee Farm

Information on the maker - Bohol Bee Farm

The Malunggay ice cream was the surprise for us. Of course, we know about malunggay pandesal and malunggay pesto but this is the first time we encountered malunggay ice cream. The taste and texture was refined. The wife says it tastes like a variant of pistachio and I would agree. There is still a hint of the malunggay in the aftertaste. I think this is in the same category as the sili, durian, charcoal and other exotic flavors you will find around the country.

The ice cream retails for 70 pesos per scoop (cassava cone included) at the Bohol Bee Farm. At other places like resorts, a cup (equivalent to a scoop) retails for 100 pesos. While it is expensive, we thought it was really worth it and part of the experience.

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