Life’s a Beach in the Philippinesby Sandra Scott My husband and I spent March 2008 in the Philippines. In Manila we stayed at the all-butler Pan Pacific Hotel where we started the day and ended the day in the Pacific Lounge with a to-die-for view of Manila and the harbor. After a couple days exploring Manila, the highlight of which was the historic but theatrical walking tour of Intramuros with Carlos Celdran, we felt the need to get out of the city. The Philippines boasts 7,107 islands – one more at low tide. With all those islands there are beaches galore. We knew it was impossible to visit all the islands so we picked a few of the most popular.
 A quick flight took us to the island of Cebu where Magellan’s Cross is housed in a stone rotunda in front of the City Hall. The cross is said to contain fragments of the cross Magellan planted on the shore in 1521. He was killed on the nearby island of Mactan and even though he is credited with being the first to circumnavigate the earth, he personally never completed the voyage. He is responsible for bringing the Catholic religion to the Philippines. But it isn’t just the Spanish who influenced the islands. High on a hill above the city is the colorful Taoist Temple, a tribute to Cebu’s Chinese Heritage. The Casa Gorordo Museum, once a private home of the 1850s, shows how the well-to-do lived during the Spanish era. While the Spanish influence is dominant, there are also aspects of the native and Chinese heritage.
 We stayed at Plantation Bay on Mactan, which is connected to Cebu by two bridges. Plantation Bay is an amazing resort with an incredible 3.5 hectare free-form saltwater pool. We could walk out of our room onto our porch to our private beach right into the pool. The next day was wonderful. We went island hopping on a banca, an outrigger, to one of the out islands where we spent the greater part of the day. We enjoyed the ride and relaxing on the island but many people were also snorkeling and swimming.
 The highlight was when Charry, the cook who accompanied us, grilled our lunch - skewers of fresh prawns, pork, chicken, and more. It was an incredible meal. When we returned to Plantation Bay we spent the rest of the day exploring the huge saltwater pool then had a relaxing dinner at the Palermo Restaurant while listening to American classics played on the piano. We wished we were staying longer because there was so much to do – kayaks, a water slide, carriage rides, tennis, and much more, and, a no tipping policy!
 We took the fast ferry from Cebu to Bohol. It is interesting how islands so close to one another can offer so much variety. Connected by bridge to the mainland of Bohol is the small island of Panglao, where we checked into Panglao Island Nature Resort. The resort is in a garden setting with thatched cottages scattered on the hillside affording great views of the area. They have a cave suitable for swimming. After checking out the cave we returned to our cabin where we spent the rest of the afternoon in our balcony Jacuzzi relaxing, reading, and enjoying the view. After the sun set in a blaze of glory we walked to the pavilion for dinner where a local group entertained.
 In the morning we set out to the mainland where we visited the Chocolate Hills. There are over 1200 uniform cone-shaped hills between 100 and 150 feet high. One legend says were formed by the tears of a giant but most likely they are a marine karst formation that weathered over the generations. We climbed the 214 steps to the top of the observation hill. The hills looked more like green gumdrops but when the foliage turns brown they look like they are made of chocolate – or so we were told.
 We stopped to visit a tarsier preserve. The tarsier is one of the smallest primates on earth. The big-eyed nocturnal creature is about the size of a man’s palm. It is often referred to as the world's smallest monkey. However, it is not a monkey. In truth, its classification is somewhat problematic and most likely in a class of its own. Regardless, they are easy to see as they sleep during the day and do not seem to be fearful.
 We boarded a boat for a lunch cruise on the Loboc River. The lunch was delicious but I love rivers so it was the ride on the river that most intrigued me. The lush vegetation gave an Eden-like feel to the trip. A lone man with long, flowing black hair in a shallow boat paddling along the shore was a window into what it may have been like before the tourists arrived. The picturesque homes of natural materials nestled amid the vegetation looked so serene. Boys swinging on a rope from a palm tree and jumping in the river earned a few pesos from the visitors. Before we turned around we stopped at a raft where a large group of local people, mostly young ladies, played the guitar, sang and danced for us. It was spectacular.
 Back at Panglao Resort we had more music during dinner. We were sad that we had to leave. There is never enough time to just kick back and enjoy the resorts so we decided on a do-nothing beach time. Whenever we asked Filipinos, “What is your favorite beach?” the answer was always the same, “Boracay.” It was getting near Easter when the Filipinos head to the beach but we were lucky to get a reservation for a few nights at the Regency Boracay. Getting there was a bit of an adventure as the plane lands on the island next to Boracay and the luggage is smoothly transported a short distance to a dock, where we boarded a boat for a short ride to Station 2. When the tide is out it is a wet boarding or the crew makes a cradle to carry the guests from shore to the boat. Not my favorite part! The Boracay Regency is actually three hotels connected together each around a pool. Some of the rooms are situated so people can enter the pool right from their room. The next few days were wonderfully the same. After an extensive breakfast we headed to the beach where we stayed until the sun set. We read, dozed, went swimming, had something to drink, and repeated the process.
 Easter was only a few days away and the shaded walkway between the hotels and the long white sandy beach was preparing for the massive influx of visitors. Vendors were setting up and musical groups getting ready so people could dance away the night. We could feel the excitement building.
I wondered if anyone has ever been to all the islands in the Philippines and if all the islands have beautiful beaches like the ones we visited. I guess we will just have to return to the Philippines and check out some more of their beach and resort areas. For more information www.wowphilippines.com.ph www.celdrantours.blogspot.com, www.plantationbay.com, www.panglaoisland.com, and www.boracayregency.com. | 