Behold the Philippines; Beautiful Bohol and Alluring Alona Beach
Only an hour and 20 minutes after leaving busy Manila behind, our plane was landing in the remote and tiny airport of Tagbilaran on the island of Bohol. Our destination was on an even smaller island attached by bridge called Panglao Island, Alona Beach.
With Australia endowed with such a beautiful coastline, it could be forgiven that our standards for that perfect patch of sand and water are extremely high. After this visit to the Philippines I am delighted to easily add Alona Beach to a growing list of favorite beaches. Whilst some island paradises may wow you with rock formations or beach bar scene, Alona was quite simply as postcard perfect as you could get. No frills, no gimmicks, just a little slice of South East Asian Paradise.
Powder white sand lapped by crystal clear waters giving way to the deep azure of the Bohol Sea. Palm fringed shorelines swayed in the afternoon breeze and local restaurants offered sun soaked beach goers seafood and cocktails. For the adventurous; Panglao Reef Flat and beyond offers world class diving opportunities, while Alona beach has the viability and abundance of marine life to keep snorkelers curious for hours.
We were lucky enough to spend 4 nights wandering up and down the beach and between each of the two amazing pools, but only on a single occasion did we feel the need to venture any further. The Chocolate Hills are around an hour and a half drive through the wild and luscious greenery of this tropical island so we headed there by bike one afternoon. Through small local villages we were met with waves and smiles of kids along the way. The Chocolate Hills were an amazing anomaly of landscape and the journey itself made it well worth the afternoon trip! For us, Amorita Resort was the ideal base for our beach break and the resort’s infinity pool offered the perfect vantage point for the dying sun to showcase Alona in all its beauty. Four gorgeous nights were the perfect downtime to end a great few weeks away and an easy connection through Manila to get home makes it a highly recommended add on to any trip in the region.
Inspired to read more about the Philippines? Click here
Related posts
Short Escapes – Qualia Luxury Resort, Hamilton Island
Stepping off the ferry onto Hamilton Island, I felt an immediate sense of awe and wonder as the picturesque scenery unfolded before me. Nestled in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef, this tropical haven […]
Read on »
Short Escapes – Reef House & Spa Resort Palm Cove
Staying at the Reef house in Palm Cove made me feel relaxed and special. They focus on you as a person, and it’s like a little oasis with no outside guests. From the moment I […]
Read on »
Beautiful Bohol
Amazing diving, coral reefs teeming with wildlife, dolphins and whales, mangroves, a strange, rare animal and some unusual, unexplained hill formations. These are the things that drew me to Bohol while on holiday in the […]
Read on »
Queenstown; Tastes, Views and Thrills
Queenstown has always been known for adventure and right from the moment you dip through the clouds, the almighty mountains that flank the runway beckon. It wasn’t my first visit to Queenstown, and it won’t […]
Read on »