warning: this, as well as the succeeding, post contains heaps of photos that will make you wanna call in sick just to have the perfect excuse to hop on the next available flight or boat trip to panglao, bohol.

consider yourself warned.

also, if you have to blame somebody for inciting the reckless wanderlust in you, blame jeff. i’m just the messenger. and even i, myself, can’t resist succumbing to the temptation of showcasing all these photos here because they arouse the same feelings in me too.

here we go.

at first glance, bluewater panglao beach resort‘s facade looked rather plain. i was like, “this is it?”

but it wasn’t until i walked in to their lounge area that i realized that the place was actually pretty nice. i was starting to like it.

the super comfortable blue and white striped couch i immediately surrendered to was like a warm hug on a really cool day. except, that it was a really warm day.

and the cold glass of fresh lemongrass iced tea served by the staff was like a cool breeze on a somewhat scorching day. it was so good and oh-so-refreshing! what can i say? i’m a sucker for lemongrass iced tea. too bad it came in a tumber not much bigger than a shot glass. considering the heat, i could’ve downed a whole pitcher right then and there. (even though i was too shy to ask for another one.)

of course we saw and passed by their luxurious-looking swimming pool on our way to our rooms but i’ll get to that later. save the best for last, so they say. for now, here’s a photo of what their typical room looked like.

can i talk about the bathroom now?

okay, bath tub aside (because i already told you about how much fun my niece, younger sister, and i had goofing around in the tub), let me just gush about how much i adore the genius idea of utilizing natural sunlight to filter through the roof or whatever you engineering buffs call it. the beauty of the light dancing all over the stone walls got me tripping while i stood there enjoying my warm shower.

speaking of shower, the smooth white stones haphazardly placed around the corners where the drainage was provided a very nice touch too. the shower area might be small but those stones would occupy most of your attention the whole time anyway. that is, if your own deeper-than-deep life-changing thoughts won’t.

if massage is your thing (who doesn’t love a good, long massage?), then they also have outdoor spa services. tempting, but… nah. not because i don’t have the money (i don’t.), but because i think it’s somewhat ridiculous to pay 2k++ pesos for an hour’s worth of massage when you can get it just as good anywhere else for like, 1/10th of the price. #bitter

alright, so their restaurant is lovely to look at, what with the wood accents and all that jazz. their food was really good too. i mean, it must have been good ‘coz i can’t really remember raving over it like i always rave about one my ultimate favorite restaurants ever. must have been so-so.

however, i do remember how courteous the staff were. they were all really nice. bohol’s locals have always been known for their hospitality so it must be that. but then again, i noticed that same genuine courtesy from the staff in the other bluewater resorts in sumilon and maribago too so… maybe they’re really really happy with their jobs?

you’re probably tired of me singing praises for this resort so let’s get down to the bad side of things to balance both sides of the argument a bit.

the downside?

the resort doesn’t really have a nice shore. the beach is rocky and unlike the ultra-fine, powdery white sand over at alona beach, you wouldn’t really be tempted to wade right in.

but then again, you get this. so my argument is still pretty much lopsided.

oh, and about that pool (which i feel is the resort’s main feature)… i guess i’ll see you in my next post? =)