From Pier No. 4 in Cebu City, we boarded the 2GO fast ferry, and in 2 hours we arrived at the Port of Tagbilaran, the main city in Bohol island. The journey was fast and comfortable, and you can pre-book your ferry tickets at any 2GO Travel office outlets throughout the city of Cebu.
Then it took us another about 40 minutes travelling across Panglao Island to arrive at Alona Beach in Tawala, in the southeast corner of the island. It is quite isolated from the nearest main road and is a small cozy seaside village. The hotel we had selected, the Bohol Casa Nino Beach Resort, is a quaint little 2-storey building with 8 rooms, about 50 metres from the beach. Good value for money for people on a budget.
Alona Beach is a beautiful stretch of white sandy beach, lined with coconut palms that runs for about 1.5 kms, with no obstructions. It faces the relatively calm Bohol Sea, sheltered from the Pacific Ocean by the northern tip of Mindanao Island. It is almost like a tropical paradise. The water is so clear you can see right to the bottom, and there are hundreds of star fishes on the seabed. Wonderful sunlight for suntanning, cool, clear sea water for swimming and snorkeling, the constant slightly breezy conditions make for a lovely island boat ride or an island hopping tour.
When you get tired, thirsty and hungry, just walk up to the numerous stalls and cafes behind the beach for the deliciously refreshing Buko Juice (coconut) or Mixed Fruit Shake, a Hawaiin Pizza, a Beef & Kidney Pie or simply cut fruits. The food is not particularly fantastic but still very edible. Or, if you feel like being pampered, you can always choose to have a 1-hour body massage right on the beach. Absolutely relaxing.
Then it is back to the beach for more swimming and lazing around. We also met a group of young college students who were clearing the beach of trash as their community service. Such a bunch of happy teenagers. Then it is time for a tattoo. This time I had a pretty dolphin tattooed on my arm.
For a sumptuous dinner, there is always the Saturday Grill Buffet at the Amorita Beach Resort which costs only 750 pesos per person excluding drinks. We opted to sit in the garden which overlooks the northern section of the beach. It is truly a beautiful view, as dusk turns into night, the lights from the beachfront restaurants sparkle like twinkling stars, while the moonlight and candlelight coupled with the distant sound of waves washing to shore, creates such a romantic atmosphere.
The buffet spread is quite varied and includes salads, soup, BBQ baby ribs, satay, grilled seafood, chilli crabs, sambal huge prawns and dessert. The food was good and the mixture of tastes blended well together. To top it off, somewhere from the pubs below, there was a party going on and the saxophonist was playing such wonderful old songs. It just made the night perfect.
On the way down from the Amorita Resort, we walked past the pub and I just had to go in and congratulate the saxophonist for his wonderful playing.
The hotel breakfast was simple and quite good. Ham or bacon with eggs and toast, plus local fruit of either mango or pineapple. The pineapple was the sweetest I have ever tasted in my life. Then we saw an old lady walking by selling Calamay, a type of sticky rice dessert that is only available in Bohol. Of course I had to have some. Bought the peanut and the ube (yam) variety. Very tasty, not too sweet and I simply love the chewy texture of the mashed sticky rice with brown coconut sugar. Too bad the custom officers stopped me from hand carrying them back home. Next time I will pack them into my check-in luggage.
Another wonderful restaurant along the beach front is the Isis (pronounced as "eye sis") Thai restaurant at the Isis Bungalows Resort further south along Alona Beach. The food was above average, especially the Mango Salad and the Fried Chicken with Lemongrass. The salad was tangy and spicy yet sweet at the same time. The chicken was well fried, the skin still crispy but the meat was juicy and tender, and the thai sweet chilli dip went well with it. The Beef in Red Curry and the Gung Phat Kaprow (Sauteed prawns with crushed hot pepper, basil leaves & onions) were passable. As usual San Miguel beer is so inexpensive here.
Another great restaurant you must visit while in Bohol is Gerarda's in Tagbilaran City. The food and the ambience of the place is simply fabulous. The decor is very homely and has shelves showcasing fine china. The Guyabano Shake (soursop shake) was excellent. I also enjoyed the prawn kropek (crackers) with vinegar dip which was very appetizing.
The Chicarong Bulaklak (fried pig intestines) was crispy and tasty. The Dinakdakan (grilled pork face meat with mayonnaise vinegar dressing) was quite wonderful, tender and the dressing was exceptional. The Adobong Nokos (squid in adobo sauce) is cooked along with the squid ink giving it a tangier flavour. The squid was cooked just right, chewy yet not tough. Another dish we tried is the Chow Pott Chin, stirred fried cauliflower, mushrooms, baby corn, squid tentacles, shrimp and pork fat. It was tasty and the gravy went well with the plain steam rice.
After that excellent meal, we headed back to the ferry terminal and waited for our trip back to Cebu City.
I thoroughly enjoyed my few days' stay in Bohol, but there is so much more to see and experience, that I will certainly be back again in the near future.
