The Island Explorer

Apl.de.Ap of the Black Eyed Peas grooves to this groundbreaking campaign by the Department of Tourism in the Philippines. It's about time we had this kind of media exposure. Watch out for the video on MTV. This video is also a fitting time for the country, after being ravaged by devastating storms. Please support Philippine tourism! Whatever they say, this country still has everything the world has to offer.

I am a fan of Banofie Pies, or Banana Cream Pies. Thus, I was excited when I was brought to Kasagingan in Davao City. Located along Torres St, Kasagingan turns out to be a favorite cafe as well, since there is free Wifi. I like their Banana Cream Pies. The sweetness is just right, and the cream was smooth. I didn't like the crust however, I felt it wasn't firm enough. I also had a Roast Beef Sandwich, which was really good. I wasn't expecting anything, so I guess I was happy with what they served. The beef was tender and the ciabatta bread was soft and tasty. So, when in Davao, try out Kasagingan, perhaps the only banana specialized cafe in the country.

My choice of resort in Alona Beach has got to be Alona Tropical. We spent a night in a fan room that was facing the beach for only P1,100. Yes, that was a prime beach front location. Its patio had a great view of Alona Beach. Panglao has a lot of luxury and exclusive resorts like Eskaya, so Alona Tropical is a relatively inexpensive option. The aircon rooms range from P2,500 to P4,000, depending on the size. We were really surprised that the fan rooms faced the beach. I was told that these three fan rooms were the first rooms of Alona Tropical, and had sentimental value already. But I also heard that they were tearing them down soon to give way to a Presidential Villa, complete with a private pool. I wanted to convince them not to destroy their old fan rooms, but business was still business. What I liked about our bargain room is that we could use all the facilities. Alona Tropical had a huge pool, and landscaped gardens that made the resort so relaxing. But what I really liked about t...

Alona beach is the premier beach destination in the famous Panglao Island of Bohol. Fine white powdery sand is matched with a chill out ambience that Alona is known for. The water wasn't as clear, since the weather was quite disturbed. Nevertheless, Alona Beach had its fair share of visitors and bums. Alona Beach stretches for about a kilometer. A lot of resorts with restaurants and bars dot the shore, similar to Boracay. There are also more resorts and restaurants inland, like the famous Bohol Bee Farm, around 1 km away. Though it can't be helped that Alona is compared to Boracay, I conclude that Alona is more laid back and relaxed. Hence, there are really no loud parties left and right. There is a bar that plays dance music, but that's just it. Alona is perfect for families, or couples who just want to spend a quiet time in a nice beach. Though there are more beaches in the Philippines that are better than Alona, its more structured tourism facilities draw the crowds. Alo...

We descended from the Chocolate Hills, and realized it was too late to tour the other attractions of Bohol. So, we tried our luck in seeing the tarsiers near the Loboc River. When we arrived, the tarsier sanctuary was closed already, so we tried to talk to the caretakers to let us in for a while. We agreed to pay a higher than average price (P100) to have a glimpse of the world's smallest monkeys. We were surprised that we were allowed to hold the tarsiers! I knew it wasn't allowed, but since we were a special case (meaning no other tourists), the caretakers let out the furry little creatures and let us take pictures of them while they were in our arms. We took so long taking pictures, and I guess some of the tarsiers got stressed. I was even bitten by one, but it was just a shallow bite. The Loboc River was beautiful at dusk. It looked so mysterious and alluring. The sun has set, so we headed our way back to check-in in Alona Tropical Beach Resort in Panglao. NOTE: On the way ...

When I wrote about the Chocolate Hills landing in the Forbes list of most astonishing landscapes, I was so eager to book a trip to Bohol. One day, while I was in Cebu, we spontaneously decided to spend a night in Bohol. We travelled via ferry at noontime, hoping to see the hills by 4PM. From the Tagbilaran port, we hired a van for P2,000 to take us around Bohol in the little time we had left. The Chocolate Hills were our priority so we drove there instantly. It was also the furthest of the well known attractions in Bohol. We passed by the Baclayon Church, the Loboc River and the Tarsier sanctuary. We didn't stop though, and decided to just try our luck on our way back. We did stop to take a snapshot of the picturesque man-made forest (pic above). I didn't expect anything great from the hills, because I knew the photo I saw in the Forbes list was enhanced already. I was in for a surprise. As soon as the first hills rolled out into the horizon, my eyes opened wide. The landscape...

I never thought getting into Bohol would be this easy. Sure, I've heard from most Cebuanos that it's just two hours away by boat. Some of my other friends say you can even do just a day trip to Bohol and be back in Cebu by night time. Bohol has been an elusive destination for me. I've been meaning to go for so long. Unfortunately, all my planned trips to Bohol get messed up. So, one day, while in Cebu, we decided to be spontaneous and head for Bohol, just to spend one night. Our trip started by going to the Supercat terminal in Cebu (near SM City). The ferry terminal was efficient, and had ample security. It actually felt like an old airport. There are 3 to 4 ferry companies going to Bohol, and Supercat is just one of them. I heard they have the best fleet. Weesam is the next best thing. I was surprised to see a modern catamaran, much like the ones used in the Macau-HK link. And this one was quite new. We got business class tickets (P850 one way), because the economy seats ...