Ang Pagbalik Sa Balicasag (Return To Balicasag)

early morning start  for our Balicasag Journey

Our day started quite early as our tour guide told us that we had to be at the dolphin watching area by 7 AM. Based on previous experiences with dolphins and whale sharks, we knew beforehand that once the water heats up as the sun rises, they move deeper into the sea, where it's much colder. and where we won't be able to see them, unless we're diving.

Luckily, our hotel, Henann, packed for us heavy portions of Filipino and English breakfast plus drinks, at no extra cost.

beautiful day to go sailing

We met our tour guide at Alona Beach, Panglao in Bohol. There are a lot of them offering mostly the same stuff offered at the resorts. It's up to you to haggle and get the best price there is.

pushing out to sea at the crack of dawn

Here's a rundown of the prices originally quoted to us by our guide, what it would have cost us and what we paid after all the haggling. I must inform you though that I put the "HAG" in haggling :).


10 pax  2850 - boat rental, with 2 boatmen. There were 10 adults and 3 kids in our group.
snorkel rentals P150 /pax = 750
shoe hire P100/pax  = 700
Entrance Fee to Marine Sanctuary /Life Guard Fee (didn't see one in the area, except for our own guides) P100/pax = 900
Swimming with the Sea Turtles (boat rental + boatman fee): P200/pax  = 1000
Lunch: approximately P300 pesos per head.

the boat we rented out and its crew

The itinerary included the round trip boat ride from (a) Alona Beach in Panglao Island to Balicasag Island and vice versa; (b) dolphin watching in the bohol sea; (c) snorkeling at the Marine Sanctuary; (d) swimming with the sea turtles (pawikan). We were suppose to pass by the Virgin Island (a long sandbar on the way back to Alona, but the kids were too pooped to party). There are also giant clams in Balicasag and great dive spots.

aside from catching the dolphins when you sale early, the waves are much gentler too in the mornings

I think we paid around 3000 php for lunch and around 4000 php  total for the whole adventure after all the haggling.  At a little over 500 pesos/pax for the food, boat rides, rentals and entrance fees, it was quite cost effective given the fact that we were there during the peak season.

we saw several pods of dolphins that day

20 minutes from Alona Beach, our boat slowed down and soon enough, we were chasing wild dolphins. The experience NEVER gets old!!

Around 8-ish in the morning, we caught our first glimpse of Balicasag

docking at Balicasag

For those who who don't plan on renting out aqua/swim shoes, think again. The beautiful island is a marine sanctuary, unspoiled with nature allowed to grow wild. The reef will cut you should your flip flops come off. As you can see in the pic above, getting off the boat takes a little more caution as the stones are also slippery. Shoes are a must to those who aren't familiar with the island's terrain.

our big group

If you were like yours truly and are most likely to bring extra clothes and towels, extra food and drinks, not to mention swimming gear (we brought our Easy Breathe masks which aren't as light as snorkels) and toiletries, don't you worry about where to store your stuff. The boatmen are usually related to the islanders, who have, in turn, made make shift "cottages" and restaurants on the island. We ended up leaving our stuff on that wooden table pictured above.

 a shallow reef teeming with marine life, followed by a sudden drop into a watery abyss that has bigger marine life hidden under its depths

 First up after we got ourselves sorted out in Balicasag, was going to the marine sanctuary.

our boatman takes us out to the reef

Walking a short distance down to the beach, our boatmen took us to smaller boats and paddled us off us a short distance away. The corals were indeed teeming with life. Do watch your step as the waves may carry you off to taller corals that could cut you. Yes. I speak from experience.

it's a (coral) jungle out there!

 the shallows have a lot of these fellas and their bigger counterparts swimming around . Buy some bread from the store at the shore and be swarmed as you feed 'em

at the end of the reef, you will see this sudden drop. Even though we were equipped with life vests, my acrophobia kicked in as I looked over the edge. For sure, I've been in deep water before, but stepping over the edge is literally a leap of faith in my book

Luckily, our boatman and Phil didn't have my issues, and dove under to take these spectacular shots:

The water in the area is quite buoyant. Our little swimmer MAX, took off his life vest and insisted on swimming after his dad, who was, at that moment, chasing/swimming towards a 5 feet long sea turtle.

 MAX getting a scolding for his refusal to wear his life jacket

Dad cut him some slack..besides, he does know how to swim. I just worry too much given that it's open water :p

After all the activities at the Marine Sanctuary area, we were starving! Lunch was selected off a menu before we went swimming. We had grilled pork, fresh fish ceviche ( fish so fresh, it was caught in the surrounding waters after we ordered it), pinakbet (veggies), soda, rice and one more viand I can't seem to remember.

MAX asking Papa to save him from the fishies ticking his toes

After lunch, it was time to go see the sea turtles in their watery feeding grounds. Another paddle boat took us to another side of the island. Unfortunately for us, we have nothing to show for that part of the trip as all our batteries were drained at this point. Still, it was always my dream to see sea turtles in their natural habitat. Our 30 minute stay in that side of the island allowed us to see, happily swimming around (one beside and under out boat even), 3 or 4 turtles.

Before we knew it, we were back on our bigger boat and headed back to Alona beach. For the curious, the paid public bathrooms in Balicasag were too rustic for my taste. If you gotta go, you gotta go, but  if you could hold it in, do so. For showers, just do take one when you get back to your hotel.

Soda, water, chips, shampoo and what have you are sold in small stores in the island. They will cost you an arm and a leg, but  you really have no where else to buy. The locals also sell trinkets - souvenir items, coral and pearl jewelry and many more. Haggle away :) I got a good deal on a  set of turquoise blue coral bead jewelry.

luckily, Hennan Resort had a nurse and a clinic in their facilities. Got my cuts treated, but I still have the dark spots on my legs from the cuts :P

We had the time of our lives, and would probably revisit the place if given the chance in the future. Yes, it was lovely! A must see if you're going to Bohol!

From TMW, may all your wanderings be better than ours!!!

Henann Resort - Bohol : Is It Worth A Visit? (A Hotel Review)

The usual post-holiday slump that happens after an awesome vacation, hit me longer than expected. I am now here to talk about the biggest beach resort in Panglao Island (Bohol) - Henann Resort along Alona Beach.

our big group goes exploring..Henann style!

With a big group of 15 that spent a whole day exploring Bohol right after we landed on the island, our crew was quite beat and looked forward to finding ourselves in a room..any room to dump our bags and rest our weary heads.

All this changed when we our hired van brought us the resort...

the hotel lobby...spacious eh?

Amazingly spacious (despite all the people and activity in the hotel), tastefully decorated and cool and breezy indoors...I was instantly recharged upon arrival!

We had arrived close to 5 PM already, but still had to wait a bit for our rooms to be made available. Luckily for the management, no one was complaining as everyone wanted to check out the place. That and the added treat of being served cool and refreshing welcome drinks.

Iced tea and guava juice for the weary traveler

With my seemingly lethargic, writer's block-challenged mind, I bring you the key points on how we arrived at our highest possible rating of 5/5 for Henann Resort.

1. SERVICE - Props to Henann for hiring efficient, courteous and professional staff and crew. From the folks at the front desk, the drivers of the golf cart that ferries us from and to the beach front down to the waiters, kitchen staff, the bellhop, the salesperson at the hotel shop and the nurse who gave me first aid after that small incident with a coral reef, we felt that we were truly valued as customers.
Allow me to enumerate, in bullets, some of the highlights from this category:

• While lounging by the poolside, near their beachfront resto, the waitstaff were always on hand to take our orders. Food and drinks arrived on time too. The staff for the breakfast buffet waited on us hand and foot, and made sure that we were promptly seated and had everything we needed.

someone's waiting for his fries and diet soda :)

• The short walk going down the beach or back up the hotel  and even to the main gate, was made simple by the more than willing golf cart drivers that were on standby to pick guest up.

getting to and fro in the resort, made easy

• My favorite person was probably Nurse Marie, who, as mentioned above, patched up my wound efficiently, and with a smile.  SCORE: 5/5

for immediate medical attention, the resort has a basic medical facility. Nothing fancy, but nonetheless, I am grateful that it exists =)

2. CLEANLINESS AND AMENITIES - this beautiful resort lies on a 6.5 hectare property, along the beautiful Alona Beach. It houses 400 spacious rooms and 12 pool villas.

the convention center is located right across the hotel

 along Henann's beach front : this here is the Philippines' version of paradise - Alona Beach, Bohol

The beach is so clear and pristine that you are bound to see schools of small fishes, starfishes and a whole lot more along the shallow parts.

our MAX enjoys some pool time, as always

If that's not your thing, the resort has 3 huge pools to beat the heat in. A spa, a mini shop (reasonably priced stuff), a gym and fitness center, a bar and two restaurants may be found in the premises too as well as a convention center that can accommodate 1000 people.

a small balcony for hanging your wet swimwear or enjoying a cuppa

2x a day clean up service rocks!

I hate living out of a bag. Unpacking was such a joy with Henann's storage spaces

The place, and all it's nooks and crannies were well maintained and clean. Our room was no exception.

These were our room's amenities:

• Individually-controlled air-conditioning
• Cable television with international channels
• Safety deposit box
• In-room dining service
• Telephone with IDD and NDD (charge)
• Bidet spray
• Bedroom and bathroom phone
• Hair dryer
• Daily complimentary drinking water
• Personal refrigerator
• 300-thread count duvet
• Twice - daily housekeeping service
• Coffee and tea making facility with complimentary coffee and tea
• Henann Group of Resorts toiletries

SCORE: 5/5

3. LOCATION- our group knew that Panglao Island was the place we wanted to be so we really had no issues that it was a good 30 minutes away from the airport. That being said, we got to see the sights in Bohol before going to Henann. Should you need supplies, withdraw cash and many more, worry not, there are lots of those, including various restaurants, right outside the gates of the resort and along Alona beach. SCORE: 5/5

The Bohol Bee Farm's Buzz Cafe is just a stone's throw from Henann's. Aside from good food, you could also pick up treats to bring home :)

4. RESTAURANTS/ROOM SERVICE: We got to try the food from 2 of the resort's cafe: Sea Breeze Beach Club and Coral Cafe.

at the Coral Cafe

Coral Cafe housed the complimentary breakfast buffet. The place tends to fill up fast, given the amount of people in Henann. No need to worry about it though, a hostess will find you seats no matter what :) (Great service, I tell ya!).

Food is quite varied, with more than the basics, covered. Continental, Asian and Filipino breakfast staples and additional viands were available. Should you run out of yoghurt, fruit and what have you from the buffet, ask for more. The Coral Cafe houses the kitchens of all of Henann's food stations.

 

The Sea breeze, on the other hand, offers grilled fresh seafood and many more, in their dinner buffet. We opted to take all our dinners outside the resort, but have had lunch and snacks here, along with drinks from their poolside bar.

Food is a hit or miss experience. However, with all the food choices, you're bound to find one to your liking, which, in my book, is essential. Try the crispy pata and meat lover's pizza at Sea Breeze. It's delish! Speaking of Sea Breeze, you may check out their menu at this link: SEA BREEZE MENU SCORE: 5/5




5. VALUE FOR MONEY: With all the 5/5 scores that we've given to Hennan Bohol, it won't be surprisingly how we find the place to be worth every penny spent. For more information on the rates and room availability, check out their website here: HENANN BOHOL WEBSITE.

We would definitely come back to Henann in Bohol if given the chance. It's a perfect place for romance, a great location to start off an adventure with the family and wonderful resort to spend your r&r.

From TMW, may all your wanderings be better than ours!!!