Alona Beach, Panglao, Bohol

The second time I visited the beautiful island of Panglao was when we had our company's team building and as part of the organizers I suggested that we held it in Alona Beach.  This part of the island has plenty of accommodations, more commercialized than Dumaluan, active night life and has other activities that you can enjoy.  It's kind of little Boracay setup where resorts are lined up along the beach line and people can just cross from one resort to another.  Resorts here ranges from affordable to expensive rates depending on your budget. After a stressful scouring of affordable accommodation, we decided to stay in Bohol Divers Resort located in the extreme side of the beach.  The resort has the most number of rooms in the area which ranges from backpackers room,fan rooms to air-conditioned executive suites.  We find the resort most appropriate for our needs considering our budget, it has large swimming pool and wide area suitable for team building activities.  At night, you get to enjoy their band offering acoustic and party music for all the guests.  There is also a bar where you can enjoy your drink.  Good food here is expensive and its one thing that I find not amusing in Panglao.  Eat all you can here cost is Php450.00, imagine that! So, if you're on a tight budget, it's recommended that you buy in Tagbilaran before going to Alona Beach.  There are also affordable food such as barbeque along the sides that you can buy.

Beach line of Alona Beach.

 Bohol Diver's Bar.

Serenity in Dumaluan Panglao, Bohol

Panglao is a fourth class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. It is one of two municipalities that make up Panglao Island, the other being Dauis(wikipedia).  The island boasts of white sand beaches and a varying choice of affordable to expensive accommodations.  There are two famous beaches in the island Alona Beach and Dumaluan Beach.

I have been to this island three times, the first with my family where we stayed in Dumaluan Beach Resort.  This part of the island has long beach line, white and find sand even comparable to Boracay's.  At night, you can hear the waves, lie down in the sand and wait for falling stars.  This is one good place to relax and recharge. Food here is expensive and there are no  other food stalls or restaurants other than the ones owned by the resort. So, it's advised that you bring your own food.

That's me and my niece, enjoying the white sands of Dumaluan Beach Resort.

My brother, niece and nephew playing on the sand on a low tide. See the long stretch of find sand.

How to Get There

From Cebu City, you may ride a fast craft such as Ocean Jet, Weesam or SuperCat to Tagbilaran City.  Upon arrival, you can rent a van which is expensive will cost you around 700 one way or car 500.  More practical is you ride a tricycle to bring you to the city's church.  Beside the church area are jeepneys or mini buses that are going to Panglao island, fare is only 30 pesos. Unboard the vehicle when you reach the area where you will see a sign to Dumaluan Beach Resort.  The beach is a distance away from the main road so you may take "habal-habal" or motorcycle for 20 pesos each person. Another option is to pay the tricycle to take you directly to the resort. Cost for this is 200-400 pesos.   There are two resorts Dumaluan Beach Resort I and II, the other is public and the other is more expensive.  We payed Php 2500 for our room good for 4 persons and 150/person in excess.  Accommodation and food in Panglao is really expensive, even more expensive than Boracay's.