Bohol boat tour

There is no shortage of vendors trying to sell boat tours in Alona beach. Every time we stepped outside our hotel, every person will try to get us to sign up for a tour. We found Julius who was the nicest and most polite out of everyone I talked to. 

We got along very well so I decided to give him my business and he gave me a discount for our tour. I paid ₱600 pesos per person for the tour. We had wake up really early because Julius was going to pick us up.

He was very prompt and met us at our hotel lobby. When we got outside, I was expecting a car but I saw his scooter. I was shaking my head because there is no way we were all going to fit into that scooter but we did! Oh my god, it was hilarious! 

I was so scared but Julius is a pro and we made it in one piece at the beach. 

We had a bit of time before the boat left for our tour as we were waiting for more people to show up so we bought snacks, bread, and water. It really came in handy later on.

Also, if you have a dry bag then use it for this trip. We bought one the night before so we can store change of clothes, camera, and any valuables in a dry bag. Some people had plastic bags but I didn't trust those especially when it started raining really hard and we all got wet.

We had 12 people on our boat plus the captain and his assistant. And of course you can do a private tour but for the 2 of us, it just didn't make sense. If you have a larger group then it will be cheaper if you book a whole boat.

Alona beach was packed with boats all going on different tours. The first thing we did was dolphin watching. I did see a lot but I was so slow in taking a photo. 

But look at those dolphins though. 

So nice to see this so early in the morning. It was definitely worth waking up for.

And the our first stop was Balicasag Island. More on that on my next post.

Dumuluan Beach, Panglao

We asked our favourite restaurant crew which beach to go to that's quieter. They told us to go to Dumuluan beach. As much as I like Alona, it was way too crowded. And I can't get any peace there at all. It's always loud and they have too many vendors that will harass you on the beach.
We took a tricycle (tuk tuk) to take us to Dumuluan beach. It was too far to walk.

It was much better there!

It was peaceful and the beach was clean! And no vendors to keep following you around.

You can just relax, swim, walk, whatever you want.

We paid ₱25 peso entrance fee and had the freedom to walk around the beach. They have huts that you can rent if you want to have a picnic. We just opted to sit on the beach to swim and snorkel.

When we decided to take a walk, we saw resorts around the beach area. I actually like the resorts here. Hoping to stay here next time to avoid the touristy areas. If you want to truly relax, come to this part of Panglao island. 

When we got hungry, we went back to the huts where they have a restaurant and ordered food/drinks. I did not expect the pancit (noodles) to be that big. Uh oh.

This pancit was good for 4 people but I guess we were so hungry after swimming that we ate everything.

I couldn't pass up the opportunity to order something grilled. I love grilled meat for lunch when I'm on vacation especially when I'm on the beach.

BBQ pork! This was so cheap and sooo soo good! Reminds me of my childhood.

What I Ate: Dim Sum in Hong Kong

This was our last meal in Hong Kong before going to the airport. We were sad to leave but our friend took us out for dim sum at Royal Legend to send us off. And we did not hold back ordering a ton of food for 3 people. 

The pineapple buns were delicious! I could have eaten a few of those but we had more dishes to eat. 

Tripe

Shrimp dumplings with chives

 Beef balls, chicken feet, and tripe. I am always ordering chicken feet. I don't know why I like so much.

Siu mai 

It's no secret that I love dim sum. I try to go as much as I can here in Toronto. This is one of the best dim sum's I've had in my life. 

I'll take this breakfast anytime ;)

Have you tried dim sum before? What's your favourite dish?

Coming back to Philippines

When I was planning my trip to Hong Kong, I knew I wanted to break it up by going to another country. 

It was an easy choice to go back to the Philippines since it's always home for me but I only had a week to spend there and I had a hard decision of choosing where to go. Philippines has hundred of islands to choose from. 

I knew I wanted to go to a different island since I've only ever been in Luzon (specifically Manila and Bicol province). Palawan was a contender but my boyfriend was a bit skeptical of safety there so I modified our plan and ended up choosing to go to Cebu and Bohol instead. 

Cebu has a direct flight from Hong Kong so it was an easy choice. 

I have no family or relatives in Cebu so I contacted friends who have been there before. Thanks to my instagram friends and Kat who recommended where to stay and go. I appreciated all the help :)

As much as I love the Philippines, it's still so disorganized and chaotic. Don't get me started on the politics but the simple decency of learning to line up is lost on a lot of people there. And I hate the redundancy. I'm taking about all the extra fees when booking a ticket for the boat specifically.  I had to buy the ticket at one kiosk. Then pay for the terminal fee at another kiosk and another kiosk for luggage fees. Just do it all in one place so I don't waste my time lining up and can pay all at once. 

I hope that next time I return, it will be much more efficient and organized.