Alona Beach

First day at Island World Panglao, a small new resort about 15 minutes walk from Alona Beach.

Morning walk and swim in the beautiful pool – though unfortunately Elijah can’t stand up in any of it. Delicious Filipino breakfast by the pool.

(check out the Filippino chorizo balls on a string)

We then caught the shuttle down to Alona Beach. A lovely beach that is full of life – boats, hotels, resorts and people trying to sell you things. You are never A-lona at this beach. We did find a quiet spot at one end accompanied only by a few locals and some tourists and a couple having wedding photos. 

So we practised our snorkelling – enjoying the large starfish and some colourful fish. Looking forward to better snorkelling at Baclicasag Island tomorrow.

The simplest way to find a toilet was to buy a drink - surprisingly cheap on Panglao's most famous beach - $1 for coke, $2 for coke zero.

Then another swim in front of the 5 star Henann resort before buying a few things and talking with the tourist information booth. Then back in the shuttle for some chill time in our room.

Or by the pool where the view and the wifi is better!

Once we'd had enough shaded chill time, we asked at the desk for a recommendation. Could she suggest a beach which faces west for the sunset and has somewhere cheap to eat? Danaow Beach she said and so off we went in the hotel shuttle.

We were dropped at a simple resort at the beach and walked past the pool and onto the beach. It was then that we discovered that we should have included a third criteria. Not just a beach for the sunset and somewhere to eat, but a beach that was actually nice. The tide was out and there was seaweed and rubbish everywhere. It wasn't pleasant to look at or to walk along, and there was no way we were going in the water.

We quickly looked up how far the walk was to Alona Beach (30 minutes) and set off along the coastline. We picked our way across the rocks and the seaweed, looking in from time to time at the various resorts. And I have to admit, the sunset was pretty spectacular as you can see.

The strange shape on the water? 

An inflatable playground connected by a floating jetty to a resort, of course.

We were almost back to the end of Alona Beach where we swam this morning when we came up to a house on the headland and saw a few goats wandering around, which was fine, until the daddy goat came up over the cliff face with his horns pointed straight for Hamish.

Hamish spoke calmly to the goat and placed his hand upon its head and started walking backward. Elijah and I were a few steps behind him and bravely followed his lead and walked backwards too. Eventually the goat thought we were a safe distance from his family and stopped. Fancying himself as a goat whisperer, Hamish tried again, but with the same result, except that the goat pushed harder this time.

Getting the message, we decided that the inland route would be better. By now it was dark and we had been walking for an hour so we all agreed that we should hail down the first tricycle (pedicab) we saw to take us to Alona Beach. After all I had promised the boys a trip sometime during our time here.

Not quite the evening I had intended, but it was a memorable adventure and I was proud of my boys for their perseverance and stamina. It was a fitting reward to enjoy pizza and drinks on the beach.

As well as chilling out on the beach with the live music from the 5 star resort wafting across the beach while we watched the parade of Asian tourists going by, we got to enjoy the massage team in action and see the creative way our restaurant displays their menu.

(yes that's real food on the plates at the back)

Finally back in the hotel shuttle to the hotel for a good nights sleep before an early start tomorrow.