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| brace yourself for a whole lot of zen |
I left my heart in Anda. Yes. That pretty much sums up my feelings as I write down this blog.
We've been to Bohol in the past. Tagbilaran... Panglao... Balicasag Island... The Loboc River. ...Chocolate Hills. It's always been a delight to go and visit this island that's why, when Phil's law school batch mates suggested that they hold their reunion here (with family in tow), we were positively psyched to fly out. Unfortunately, the section reunion didn't push through, but by then, we had already bought our plane tickets.
Another good thing that came out of the planning stages of their reunion was us being introduced to the East Coast White Sand Beach Resort. After securing our reservations at the resort, I found out that they were recently bought by a hotel chain, Parklane. This would account for why my social media posts have those two places as the location.
As with the TMW norm, I shall breakdown our Parklane Bohol experience into 5 categories, for a more objective scoring.
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| come join us as we head out to Parklane Bohol. CLICK TO VIEW VIDEO HERE |
1. LOCATION
Parklane Bohol is anywhere but near from the airport; the more popular city of Tagbilaran and the resort town of Panglao.
Upon landing in the new Panglao International Airport, a van (which we had arranged with the resort) picked us and our belongings for a 3 hour ride (roughly) to the resort.
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| Manong Dante's van (ask the resort to make arrangements for ya) |
We passed through 12 towns and yes, the route is quite scenic, dotted with historical churches and landmarks.
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| every town we passed by had one church built during the colonial times |
A rough road leading into the general area where Parklane Bohol and Anda Cove Resort is the only underdeveloped path going to our destination.
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| my planets have aligned. This is going to be a great vacation! |
Fuel is pricey in Bohol, so bear that in mind when booking transport and buying stuff. The one way charge for getting us to Anda was PHP 3,500 for a 107 km trip.
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| Anda, unlike Tagbilaran and Panglao, is much closer to Camiguin (Mindanao) than to Cebu (Visayas) |
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| because of it's close proximity, Camiguin lanzones are roadside treats that you can purchase when in season |
The thing is, like childbirth, you have to go through something painful to see something magnificent. Pain, being the cost of the trip and well...you get the rest. It's really a toss up, because, my goodness, Anda is seriously one beautiful destination. I'll give 1/5 for the cost and a 5/5 on where the place is situated in. That's 3/5 average for location.
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| Sandugo - the site of the first blood compact between the Spaniards and the Filipinos. One of the many historical sites you could see as you drive through highway route 850 |
For more information, message your queries to: 09287628730 or parklanebohol@parklanehotel.com.ph
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| my favorite person at Parklane Bohol :) |
2. STAFF and SERVICE
Can I just say that the staff of Parklane Bohol were all just AH-MAH-ZING?! Endless smiles, attention to detail, thoughtfulness, I could go on and on about how they made us feel like VIPs for the whole 5D and 4N that we were there. Service was second to none. So yeah, they get a 5/5 on this category.
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| the Bam-I is soooo good. It's got pork, shrimp, squid and a whole of yum in it |
3. SERVICES/AMENITIES
a. FOOD and DINING
This was a rough call for me mainly because the kitchen staff were super accommodating to our food requests. Especially to Chef Anna, who went above and beyond the call of duty. To Allan, Ginell and our favorite waitstaff, Efren, you are all superstars!!
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| the breakfast buffet is available when the resort is fully booked. Ala carte breakfast is served when there aren't that many people checked in |
The thing is, food at the resort was a bit pricey, and not all of it was good. For sure, we loved the fried chicken, the bam-i, the ceviche, the adobo and the humba...but the rest...not so.
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| the mango salsa is now my favorite condiment |
Food can be a tad oily and salty, so if you have issues with either, you'll have to speak up, or forever hold your peace.
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| spot the bits of fish |
Portions weren't consistent in a sense that some dishes had generous quantities of meat in it, while some (like the ceviche) had you playing hide and seek (lots of veggies, and tiny bits of fish) with your protein.
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| they don't serve snacks at the resort. Fish and Chips are the closest, but will set you back by PHP 450 |
This rating does not, in anyway, reflect the performance of the staff. Portioning and menu were decided upon by management. Score: 3/5
Kananan's Menu:
On a side note, I would love to offer my services for free as your f and b consultant, if I get to visit your resort more often . LOL
b. FACILITIES
When traveling with kids, ESPECIALLY when traveling with kids, cleanliness is simply a basic requirement. Parklane Bohol has this in spades! There's always someone cleaning the pools, the surrounding areas, the floor at the resto, so yeah, I'm pretty happy about it.
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| pool no.2 |
I've gushed endlessly about the whole set up of the place. The pools are beautiful, the view decks give you the best vistas ever and the pathways in and around the resort give you access to the beauty around you.
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| pool #3 with the massage hut at the back |
Massage services can be availed in your room or at the massage room by the pools. At PHP 400, it's not a bad idea to get one.
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| powdery white sand |
They also offer canoe rentals if you want to paddle on out over the pristine waters just below the resort. Scuba diving is also as simple as walking down to the beach and getting in the water. Lots of live corals underneath plus lots of fishes and urchins too. Score: 5/5 or 4/5 for Services and Amenities.
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| standard rooms |
4. ACCOMMODATIONS and AMBIANCE
We booked through the resort directly. At PHP 4500 a night, we got ourselves a queen sized and a single bed, all bundled up in a quaint standard room. Room wasn't bad, just so basic.
The glass back doors allowed us to get a good view of the pool, view deck and ocean , so that was a bonus.
Bathroom was clean, but a bit dated. Hot water in the shower and a bidet can be found, along with toiletries.
Complimentary water, tea and coffee making facilities are also available.
Cable TV and a really cold AC are sweet additions.
Mattress and pillows are hypoallergenic but nothing special. Blankets are available upon request.
Ambiance, however, is another thing. Serenity abounds in this resort. Zen practically claims your entire being, the longer you stay here.
For the price over what we got, I'd give this category a 3/5 but for the ambiance, wow, seriously 100/5!! SCORE: 4/5
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| the perfect beach wedding venue |
5. VALUE FOR YOUR MONEY
Value is relative. If you factor in how beautiful the surrounding of the resort is, then it's top marks all around for Parklane Bohol. But when you count the cost of meals and the meh rooms, I'd probably score the place a 3/5, which is a fair way of rating the place.
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| our Justice Killian Lex is a fan of Parklane Bohol |
So there you have it, a 3.8/5 average score factoring in the cost AND the beauty of the place. But regardless of the score given, we enjoyed Parklane Bohol / East Coast White Sand Resort IMMENSELY. If cost weren't a concern, live a little and visit this resort. I swear, you won't regret it! BTW, here are a few more quick videos of our Parklane Bohol experience:
From TMW, may all your wanderings be better than ours!!
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