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Published: December 15th 2007
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Enroute to Balicasag Island
Here we all are for the 20 minute boat ride to Balicasag Island for snorkeling. We arrived at the Tagbilaran docks where we waited in the shade for Christy's cousin. Christy's aunts and uncles were also with us, since they were returning from our wedding. We waited in the shade for roughly 15 minutes, which looked bad on him, because he was running late. Christy's tita kept apologizing, while she texted the cousin. I was burning in the heat and wanted to just grab a cab, but to save face I waited.
The cousin finally arrived and we dropped off all of Christy's relatives at the bus terminal before we headed to the mall for some purchases. My brother, Meltom, had called us to get lots of water and some Korean or Japanese sweet tea the girls had discovered in CDO City. The tea ended up being a favorite of everyone, and came in lemon, strawberry, and green tea flavor. To have my brother request tea and water, I knew right away that the prices on Panglao must be super inflated. As tourists from New York, the four of them were guzzling liquids like crazy.
We filled up on gas at the station right before the bridge to Panglao, because gas and everything else was
Snorkeling
In the watah... super inflated once crossing the bridge. We got excited the moment we hit the bridge, because you get the first glimpse of the aquamarine water. There were lots of tricycles about, because there was a palengke (wet market) right by the bridge.
The small roads leading to Bohol Beach Club were similar to Camiguin, but since the majority of vehicles were being driven by tour guides, it was like they were racing. I kept commenting that I would rent a scooter, but Christy kept warning me about the vehicles. They were flying !
It was nice to pass by the signs of different resorts we had researched online; it was as if we were familiar with the place, even though it was our first time. After about 25 minutes from Tagbilaran (construction slowed us down) we arrived at the gates of the Bohol Beach Club. We were greeted by the meanest looking female guard I've ever seen, and her face never improved the whole time. I wrote all about it on tripadvisor.com, but for this site, I will focus on the positive. (Be sure to check out tripadvisor.com for the whole truth about Bohol Beach Club)
Compared
Lex
Lex one of the only two foreigners ever to ride on that small boat. Ha ha. to Boracay, Camiguin, and most other resort spots in the Philippines, the size of the property of Bohol Beach Club is enormous. (I haven't been to Palawan yet, but I think it's similar). We slowly drive a rock/dirt road until we reach the end. You go left for the newer, hotel-type section and right for the older, more quiet section. There is a nice cul-de-sac with the BBC logo. This is where most people have their photos taken. I have to admit it was quite a sight.
Meltom had arranged a boat trip to Balicasag Island for snorkeling, and since John Paul and Rex were on borrowed time, we rushed to ensure we could go. My brothers and their gals paid for upgrades, so all of us were in the beachfront superior rooms to the right of the front desk. I think they're a little over $100 a night.
The landscaping is superb. The paths leading to the executive rooms are surrounded with nice grass, bushes, and trees. The suites are duplexes and spaced adequately from each unit. The bungalows are of solid construction and give a nice secure feeling. Two beds (probably queen) are in the room,
Michelle
The first foreigner ever to ride on the small boat of the souvenir vendor. She had to go to Balicasag Island and this was the only taxi around. with a good-sized television, bathroom, and furniture. My brothers weren't impressed with the size of the rooms, but I've been to several other resorts, and it seems that most rooms in the Philippines aren't large when compared with other countries. The view was spectacular, but unfortunately the mosquitoes love the nipa table on the veranda, so beware. The glass door to the veranda offered a magical view of the beach, coconut trees, and aquamarine water.
We unloaded our luggage and hurried to the dive center located a short 2 minute walk from the restaurant. We gathered onto the medium-sized bangka (i think it's called that) and enjoyed a 20 minute ride to Balicasag Island. If you're wary of being in the open ocean, it might be intimidating, but you get to enjoy the nice ocean breeze and beautiful water. Bring plenty of water and douse yourself with suntain lotion.
The snorkeling was excellent by Balicasag Island. It's one of the best in the region, because the fishermen have not destroyed the coral. At first, it appeared the water was very shallow, but it was an illusion. The water was about ten feet where we docked. Unfortunately for John
All aboard
Michelle boarding after her rendezvous. Paul, about 30 feet from us, the water did become shallow and he scraped his foot on dead coral and got a small cut. Somewhere it was written not to feed the fish, but I think nobody pays to attention to this. The fish will swarm all around you, especially when you bring out bread or rice. It was so much fun to get someone's attention to point out specific fish. Every minute someone would say, "Hey, look at that fish." When you swim towards the deeper part, there is a deep drop by a cliff. It was funny when Christy said, "Something's down there." when she saw the bubbles from some divers. I swam above them and watched them a bit. There were larger fish here, at least 7 lbs or more, but they kept their distance.
While I rested on the boat, a lady paddled to us in a small canoe and boarded. She sat right on our boat like she was a friend, and offered souvenirs to us. Michelle and I bought a few, but Christy wanted to wait, because she prefers to check out prices. I haggled slightly, but don't mind helping the locals out. We bought a shark's tooth necklace, some shells, and some bracelets. The prices were negligibly higher than on Alona Beach (maybe 10 or 20 pesos more), but we figured it was for her trouble. He he.
Interestingly, the lady ended up taxiing Michelle to Balicasag Island for the rest room. She gave her slippers and accompanied her the whole time. Michelle generously tipped her more than what we purchased and probably more than anyone has ever done- 500 pesos. It seems that most will never get to go on the island, because it is way too shallow for the boats, and it is a long walk (water is too shallow) to the shore.
We began the snorkeling in the late afternoon, so it was time to head back after about an hour. This is when the real fun began. High waves made the small boat leap in the air, and water splashed on most of us. This was for about 20 minutes, so be prepared. When we neared Panglao Island, I saw a small motorized boat heading to us, so I knew that we would be boarding it. The others didn't know why we were waiting for about 5 minutes. The larger bankga would be anchored in the deeper water. It was a little tricky, but with high waves, we had to leap onto the other boat- not for the faint of heart. I recommend the snorkeling to Balicasag, especially after trying it a few days later right off the shore of Bohol Beach Club. The amount of fish you can see is only a third of Balicasag.
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