Bluewater Panglao’s Aplaya Restaurant and Bar

I'm still not over with my recent Bohol travel write up, it's just a fitting backdrop to ease your stress away.  Amidst the beauty and glory that is Bohol are hidden gems tucked away from the city's hustle and bustle.   One of which is Bluewater Panglao and I can't help but share all the grandiose experiences from the province.  

To see my hotel review of Bluewater Panglao kindly click on the link below:

Hotel Review: The Different Hues of Bluewater Panglao

The three-day tour I had with my new-found media friends was one that will stay in my memory bank forever.  With the adventure, warm welcome, the serene sights and of course the food that defines the culinary culture of Bohol, the accommodation chosen for us also summed up these things. 

All thanks to Bluewater Panglao for the unparalleled kindness they show to all their resort guests.  Of course the stellar stay were coupled with a gustatory delight from their in house restaurant and bar, Aplaya.

Customer service is superb, as what you can always expect Boholanos to show.  

Though I missed my kitchen and cooking for my family, their in house restaurant didn't fail to whet my cravings - the cravings I had for my Papa's and Lola's dishes since I've been cooking and writing about food.

I had several pleasurable experiences locked in my memory bank, and hopefully I could bring my parents here someday.

Dinner by the beach...

After touring some districts in Bohol, including Carmen, which happens to be the heart of the province (because it geographically lies in the middle of Bohol), we retired for the day with a romantic set up at the beach.  A cordon of light bulbs covered in bamboo tubes with decorative holes gave an obtuse lighting effect.  It was the only spot which wass lighted, except for one hut for the spa and the Aplaya building, about a few meters away from our dining table.

Many memorable and touching moments might have happened here.  Probably the same-weathered night with hidden speakers where a love song being played on while a man braces himself up to declare his love and asking for that ultimate relationship spectacle question, with which answer - I do, expected.  

But for now, we just savored first the hefty dinner that was prepared for us.  The Pumpkin/Squash Soup really prepared our appetite for a unforeseen meat binge.

Another hit among our group is the Grilled Eggplant Salad in Lemon and Bohol local vinegar, with tomatoes and onions.

Fried Rice for dinner?  Why not, as long as it had a couple of crunchy and sinfully delightful Lechon Kawali.

Fried Fish in Sweet and Sour soy based sauce, flavor elevated with ginger and leeks shavings.

Visayan cuisine is as usual highlighted in this dinner, thus Humba and Sinubang Manok with a licorice barbeque sauce.

Another perfectly done "sugba" or "sinugba", a usual dish during fiesta.  The Grilled Pusit made us all gasped and wailed "wow", how can you not!

Of course, a typical Visayan meal course is not complete without a stir-fried vegetables, in this case, Pinakbet. 

Dessert was astounding too.  I was overjoyed when I saw "Ube Halaya", one of my fave native delicacy served on a cassava wafer they call "cabcab".  On the same plate is a mango ball topped Cassava cake.

Buffet Breakfast

I remembered when I was at Camiguin, I had an absolute breakfast quite similar to what I had first at Aplaya - there's a stress there on the word "first", coz I was back many times at the buffet.

Tsikwate (in Camiguin) familiarly known as Visayan hot chocolate, has that distinct dark and rustic chocolatey flavor similar to Bohol's traditional hot chocolate drink, which they call sikwate.

Aside from the hot chocolate, I was also served with their local brew.  But you have to take note though that they have several brews, sourced not only from their locally grown coffee beans.  They also make coffee out of roasted rice and corn.  

Ala Carte Lunch

To see my hotel review of Bluewater Panglao kindly click on the link below:

Hotel Review: The Different Hues of Bluewater Panglao

Aplaya Restaurant and Bar

Address:  Bluewater Rd, Sitio Daurong, 

                Brgy. Danao, Panglao, 6340 Bohol.

Contact Numbers: (038) 416-0702 and (038) 416-0695 to 96

Fax: (038) 416-0697

Email: panglao@bluewater.com.ph

Website: www.bluewaterpanglao.com.ph

Manila sales office: Rm. 704, Cityland Herrera Tower, 

                Rufino cor. Valera Sts., Salcedo Village, 

               1227 Makati City, M.M.  

Tel: (632) 817-5751 and (632) 887-1348

Fax: (632) 893-5391

TRAVEL: Bohol Photo Journal 2014

One year on from the Bohol earthquake, the Boholanos have managed to struggle and survive the massive losses of loved ones, their homes, their profit and most of all visitors who used to come to marvel at the province beauty.

Tourism dropped tremendously!  Leaving more businessmen earning really less, jobs have been scarce and many, if not all, are still wondering whether they can still go back to their normal lives, back to where they were enjoying a comfortable life with their own roofs on their heads while having their faith in God intact through the antiquated churches that used to stood at their barangays' frontier.  

It was heart-wrenching after having to witness the devastation right after the news was still fresh. Bohol is my second home.  It is  where my father had been educated and was brought up to be the best person that I know and so are my grandparents, uncles and aunts.   Though most of them have established their lives now across different countries, I do believe their hearts truly belonged to Bohol.

After a year, I stood amazed and sparked at how Bohol and its people have been rich in tenacity and kindness that in spite of what have been brought to them, they did not waiver with hardship.  

Last October 1, I found myself basking in the glorious sunshine of Bohol and prancing around towns with my camera on one hand and melodrama on the other.  It was a three-day tour from the Department of Tourism and it was an awesome trip worth recommending, but have your heart ready to see some of what the 7.2 earthquake has brought upon Bohol.

It is easy to understand how God has covered them with endless grace and now more than ever they are ready to welcome us visitors and tourist to come, see, taste and experience Bohol in a whole new spirit revived through their stories.

I'm sharing the three-day itinerary that was organized by the Department of Tourism and CCT.168 Travel & Tours, headed by Ms. Edna M. Faustino, their Product Development Manager. 

DAY 1 ITINERARY

0920H ETD Manila via PR2773

1035H ETA Tagbilaran Airport 

1100H BOHOL COUNTRYSIDE TOUR 

              Tour Highlights:

  

                       TARSIER viewing in CORELLA SANCTUARY

                       Sta. Monica Church in Alburquerque ( a newly restored church)

                       LOBOC RIVER CRUISE & LUNCH

                       CHOCOLATE HILLS  viewing deck

                       CHAP- Chocolate Hills Adventure Park 

                      (for adventure activities such as bikezip & rope courses )

                       Drive through the mahogany man-made Forest

              Late afternoon check in Panglao Bluewater 

2000H           Hosted Dinner by Panglao Bluewater 

     Overnight Accommodation 

TARSIER viewing in CORELLA SANCTUARY

Do you know that just by visiting the Tarsier Sanctuary in Corella, you are already supporting the efforts of conserving the tarsiers under  the care of the Philippine Tarsier Foundation, as all fees goes to this cause?  Deep in the forest of Corella, Bohol, is a tightly observed place to keep safe another endangered mammal and making sure humans do not anymore make as a factor why their numbers are lessened.

The place is enclosed to keep predators like house cats away, though the tarsiers are free to jump from one tree to another and hunt for food during the night.

When seeing the tarsier, you will be asked to be as silent as you could while trekking the stony grounds of the place, not to disturb or scare away our cute friends.

Prepare an entrance fee of P50 pesos per person, you may also drop some cash to a drop box located at their lobby to support their cause.  Visit their website to know more about this info, here.

 Sta. Monica Church in Alburquerque

According to our tour guide, the church was declared as an Important Cultural Property by the National Museum and the National Historical Commission of the Philippines last October 22, 2013. The parish advocated to Santa Monica was canonically established on June 18, 1869 but was actually being studied that it may have been built in 1842.

Just even before the earthquake struck, major renovations have been made which may have probably preempted serious damages. 

This old church like most of the other stone Catholic churches were made from coral stones, taken fom the sea and caved into blocks.

The courtyard with the bridge adjoining the convent and the church.

Now coming inside is just an amazing idea, the ceilings are painted so magnificently, that I just had to commend the artist who pain-stakingly painted these.

Even the floor tiles are antique.

LOBOC CHURCH AND LOBOC RIVER CRUISE

The church of San Pedro (Saint Peter) in Loboc, Bohol is the second oldest church established in Bohol. Built in 1602 originally, and reconstructed in 1638.  

Though the chuch gained a few interests among us cousins, we never get to appreciate it that much. What really gave us some thinking and talking about was the hulk of a big old unfinished bridge positioned right in front of the church's facade.

When we last visited it to check the museum out (we might see some golds, you know) it had given us goose bumps, now all you can find are piles of rubbles and what seemed to be underneath are the relief's and items in the museum and church.

The town center beside the church walls.  The coral stone bricks where stacked properly awaiting to be rebuilt.  

What was now left from the church's bell tower.

LOBOC RIVER CRUISE & LUNCH

The view of the Loboc bridge from the "balsa" also known as the floating restaurant.

The lunch!

At a point in the river, Loboc's cultural art dancers welcomed us and presented their local dancing.

Chocolate Hills Adventure Park (CHAP)

At last, Bluewater Panglao

Our room...

DAY 2 ITINERARY

0500H Wake up call 

0530H Quick Breakfast  

0630H Pick up from resort for ISLAND HOPPING to PAMILACAN/ BALICASAG via                            outrigger boat

Activities: (Pamilacan) - Dolphin Watching, snorkeling & photo Ops 

                         Morning native snacks will be served 

Visit TIEZA’s Balicasag Dive Resort - lunch & snorkeling

1300H Depart Balicasag, proceed to VIRGIN ISLAND 

Back to Panglao Bluewater after the tour, freshen up 

1530H Depart resort  for Hinagdanan Cave 

1630H Proceed to PUNTA CRUZ watch tower in Maribojoc (15mins drive) to view the                                   ‘elevated shoreline’

1730H       Proceed to Manga Market after the tour ( Seafood Market) 

Mangga market is one of the secondary markets in Tagbilaran City.This is the favorite place among locals to go in the afternoon for fresh seafood, since the 70’s.  Nearby are small restaurants, (carinderia type) providing ‘cooking services’ for   Seafood’s brought from the market.

1830H              Firefly watching in Abatan River in Cortes
1930H              Dinner at Lic Lic Fastfood & Sutukil, at Mangga, Tagbilaran
2100H              Back to Bluewater for rest

Morning beach sighting, before the island hopping.

From the outrigger, I can see the other media people getting on a kayak, to go to our boat. 

Looking for dolphins...

Where have they gone?

Getting closer to Pamalican Island, without a sight of any dolphins...

Look at how tranquil this place is.  The town has a number of people living in it who earns through fishing and as a guide for tourist who loves to snorkel or dive.

watching in Abatan River in Cortes

The lobby where they welcome guests

A ritual was made to make sure we were cleansed of bad vibes, haha, and accordingly to keep our trip safe.  A girl with a clay pot filled with charcoal and a burning incense.

DAY 3 ITINERARY

0700H             Free time to check the whole reasort 

                        Breakfast at the resort (at our most convenient time) at Aplaya Restaurant 

Swim at the Bluewater pool

Breakfast is open from 6AM till 10PM 

1100H Check out, settle incidentals 

Proceed to Bohol Bee Farm for lunch and shopping

1330H Baclayon Church Visit

1400H             Transfer to APRONIANA SOUVENIR SHOP 

1500H Transfer out to Tagbilaran Airport, drop off luggage  

1640H     ETD    bound for Manila

1755H ETA Manila (NAIA Terminal 2) 

Then, we had to say goodbye to this!!!  Thanks Bluewater Panglao!

Bohol Bee Farm photos...

At the entrance, my media friends (girls) flocked over the accessories being sold.  Me, I just revel on the surrounding, I love the homey, country ambiance. 

Inside one of the dining halls.

Heading to our dining site, we passed through this building, apparently where the owners reside.

The spectacular beach view of Alona beach from our dining table.

L-U-N-C-H...

With my Bluewater Panglao room mate, photographer par excellance, Julia Wimmerlin, representing Travelife Magazine.

The indoor pool at Bohol Bee Farm

Earliest bird catches the biggest worm...Don't you just love how they have set up early for Christmas, their store is truly inviting and I guess I just have to say sorry to my credit card for now.

Baclayon Church

Aproniana Pasalubong Store