Anda Bohol - White sands of Candabong
by Bol-Anon
No doubt it was the highlight of our vacation in Bohol. Last December 30, we trooped from the mountains of Sudlon, Alicia, Bohol, where my wife hails, to the enchanting white sands of Candabong, Anda, a nearby town, for a cool Rizal Day splash.
The beach was public. We paid absolutely nothing to get in. The sand was creamy white and not artificial, unlike those in other private resorts in the province. At the farthest end of the semi-oval stretch of white sand is a small rock/island shaped like a soldier’s helmet. Along the shore were lines of boats and huts lying idly, as if time has stopped in that corner of the world.
When we arrived (at around 9am) there was nobody there. We had the whole place to ourselves. When my 5-year old son saw the place, he smiled all the way up to his ears. Then he plunged and spent the whole day on the water. A few other groups arrived later, but there was still plenty of space run around. In fact, there was plenty of space to do our barbecue and some cooking.
Our biggest expense that day was the transportation going there. All other expenses were minimal. The rent for the hut was only P150. The rent for the floats (inflated tire interiors) ranged only from P20 to P50 for unlimited use. Incidentally, we were told that you can take a pump boat ride, from one point to another, for only P150
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Amarela: A resort in Bohol that yellows in the evening light
From Pinoy Tour Philippines
Clouds, by nature, yellow in the evening light. Over at the Amarela resort in Bohol, it isn’t only the clouds that glimmer with that soft golden hue. Both the Bohol seascape and landscape do, turning the idyllic island of Bohol into a Sapphire City where the sun is always at its brightest.
Set on the stunning coastline of the Panglao Beach in Bohol, the Amarela Resort shares the seas and the sands of one of the celebrated marine sanctuaries in the Philippines: The Handumon Seahorse Sanctuary of Bohol. For each sundown, the Panglao Beach in Bohol turns into a whole new world that teems with luminous seahorses swimming in the dark waters.
Seahorses have thrived in the waters of Bohol just as the world-renowned tarsiers have found sanctuaries in the forests of Bohol. It is hard to think of Bohol without them. It is incomplete to experience Bohol without them. And there is no better place in Bohol to experience what the island offers than the resort in Bohol of the Amarela.
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Bohol Experience : Two Days in the Philippines
from HongKong Harm
I had an awesome weekend! On Friday at 6pm, I flew to Manila, arrived at the airport and anxiously sorted through a sea of faces, trying to find Jane, the “girl in the red shirt”. I finally found her, not long after I had started imagining how I might spend a weekend in Manila on my own. We were joined up by the rest of our group: three South Africans, one Hong Konger, two American Hong Kongers, Jane, and myself.
We stayed the night in Manila. Though I was only there for a very short time, Manila didn’t give off a good vibe. I heard quite a few sirens through the night. We were greeted by a guard dog and a security check at the hotel entrance. I wasn’t sad to leave early the next morning for our destination- Bohol.
We arrived in Bohol, a tropical, coconut-tree spotted island just south of Cebu, which you may be familiar with. Bohol is known for its chocolate hills, the smallest primates on earth (tarsiers), white sand beaches and the fattest python in captivity. We actually saw all but the first during our day there.
A trip to Bohol
…Our next destination was Bohol, famous for the Chocolate Hills. We arrived there after a flight from Caticlan to Cebu, one night in Cebu, a boat ride to Tubigon and a bus ride from there to Carmen. We planned on checking out the Chocolate Hills, exploring the island a bit and staying for a few days at the Nuts Huts after which we would get some more time on the beach on Panglao.
Upon reaching Carmen (the town closest to the Chocolate Hills complex) we were surrounded by locals offering us a ride to the Chocolate Hills. We chose Victor (who is apparently mentioned in an old Lonely Planet) and two of his friends to take us there on the back of their dirt bikes, luggage and all.
Sure enough, the Chocolate Hills are everything they are made up to be: beautiful, eerie, nicest when the sun comes up and somewhat boring after a day or two. At the top of the tallest hill is a resort with a pool where the rooms have balconies looking over the Hills. The staff was bored out of their minds.
There is a tall staircase which brings you really high up, from where you get stunning views over the Chocolate Hills as the sun is coming up, lighting up the misty Hills with its rays.
We took a motorbike ride with Victor and his friends all over the surrounding area which was nice but nothing special. Due to a serious downpour we had to shelter for several hours and then had a lot of fun negotiating the bikes through the river that the road had turned into.
Bohol Dive : Napaling Dive Site
A little far from the popular beaches of Panglao, Napaling Dive is in Tangnan on the other side of Panglao Island. It is around 22km from Alona Beach and can be reached in approximately one hour via Pump Boat. You may also choose to stay in nearby resorts in Tangnan but we still recommend resorts in the Alona area.
It’s an Easy Dive Site suitable for PADI Openwater Divers or Higher and considered very good for snorkelinig. It has a depth of 3m to 40m with most interesting site at 8-12m. Visibility is between 12m to 20 meters. It’s not as clear as in dive sites in Balicasag as this site was a little bit affected by dynamite fishing.
Nevertheless, this dive site is rated by Belleview Rock Resort as 5 out 5. That’s their highest rating.
Dive Direction
Start the dive with the wall on the left shoulder, going south-west
Description
One can take the jeepney or car to get to the dive site, in case of rough waters on BelleviewRock Resort. Wall dive with cathedral Virgin corals. Great for shallow-water photography. Be careful with your entry, it can be shallow. When you go by car and plan a land-dive walk carefully down the cliff with full equipment it can be slippery. Your entry and exit points are the same. Good chance to see young Barracudas and Banner fish (Heniochus Diphreutes).
