After a week of island time on Siquijoir, it was naturally time for even more island time. We hopped on the ferry to Bohol and made our way across the bridge to Panglao Island. Here we spent as much time as possible in and around the water. We had the extra sweet bonus of our hostel having a pack of the cutest little fluff ball puppies greet us every time we came home.
Alona Beach
Many days and nights were spent on the white sandy Alona Beach. During the day, the beach is covered with people soaking up the sun, heading out for diving and snorkeling adventures, and playing in the much less gentle waves. We felt a little used by our new furry companions that became a little greedy with precious towel space. By night the whole strip of beach comes alive in new ways with live music being performed at what feels like nearly every beachside restaurant. Alona Beach makes it really easy for days to blend into beautiful evenings spent outside near the water.
Hinagdanan Cave
Our scooter adventuring here proved a little less successful than on Siquijoir. From flat tires to difficulty finding a snorkeling spot that didn’t require a “guide” (aka someone who stands on top of corals while pulling struggling swimmers with a string). However, we did find a gem on the North side of the island in Hinagdanan Cave. We went for a swim in the refreshing lagoon inside this cave and loved hanging out with the bats and enjoying the beautiful limestone formations. Definitely a unique and enjoyable experience!
Scuba
The time has finally come to get to dive together! We went on a three dive trip to Pamilcan island, which is about 45-60 minutes away by boat. This less traveled island compared to the ever sought after Balicasag offered a serene underwater experience. Our first dive at Dalit-Dakit took us down to 60 feet to admire the vibrant corals and schools of fish. Having the chance to experience a current and make it down to max depth on this first dive really helped quickly ease any jitters/nerves. Our second dive at the Spanish Tower let us experience descending down a slope and then swimming next to a coral covered structure. We got extra lucky to a sea turtle and then to be paid a visit by another during our safety stop. The colors of the corals and fish were truly unreal.
We enjoyed lunch on the dive boat while admiring the striking turquoise waters surrounding Pamilcan island before heading back towards Panglao for our last dive. The conditions aligned perfectly to allow us to dive at Arco Point and swim through the small archway. It was surreal to spend the day getting a glimpse into the life of the underwater world. I’m not sure if you could ever get sick of the feelings of flying and breathing underwater. It feels beyond exciting to have portions of the underwater world unlocked now to be explored together!
Eats & Drinks
Why change a good thing? We carried on with our delicious and reliable meals made up of lots of small plates and roasted chicken. The ultimate snacks in the Philippines came in the form of perfectly crunchy garlic peanuts (complete with roasted garlic chips) and ube everything. Ube is native purple yam that’s used in many dishes but especially sweet treats. With its lovely slightly nutty slightly vanilla flavor it was a perfect flavor addition to rolls and crackers! Definitely going to be seeking both of these back home.
We loved our beach vacation but the time had come to explore the mainland of Bohol!