Bluewater Panglao Beach Resort

If you’re looking for an island getaway, Bohol in the Philippines is the place to go for natural beauty and fun on the beach. From Manila, flights are affordable (~$50 USD round-trip) and quick (an hour and 15 minutes) through Cebu Pacific. Bohol is the province and the name of the main island, but it also has 75 minor surrounding islands. The capital of Bohol is Tagbilaran City, and that’s where the airport is, but I can’t recommend spending a lot of time there. When you go to Bohol, you must stay on the island, Panglao. Panglao is just a short drive southwest of the Tagbilaran airport. 

My favorite place to stay is Bluewater Panglao Beach Resort (book here). Such comfort and luxury with the perfect locale! One could plan a budget vacation elsewhere on the island, but the dollar goes so far in the Philippines, it seems silly to do so. If you try to save money being somewhere else, you will regret the precious time you wasted traveling around the island or just merely being uncomfortable.

On this trip, we flew into Tagbilaran airport. The Bluewater Panglao Beach Resort shuttle was ready to pick us up upon arrival. The resort is 24 kilometers away or approximately 30 minutes driving. Everyone is treated like a VIP upon arrival. The staff is always smiling and friendly. They greeted us with wet hand towels and a cool lemongrass tea in the lounge, while our room was being prepared because we were checking in very early.

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The resort was designed well. There are a total of 54 rooms with 46 Deluxe Rooms (21 Poolside and 21 Poolview), 4 Family Lofts, 3 Honeymoon Villas and 1 Family Villa. The poolside room we had was clean, comfortable, and stylish. The “hanging bed” was a nice touch, and the big wooden doors led an enormous bathroom that even included a freestanding bathtub. 

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Even better, the pool was literally steps away from our room! It was nice to not have to worry about pool noise while we were sleeping, because the pool is closed for swimming at night.

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If night swimming is your thing, you can swim in the infinity pool just a short walk away.

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The ocean, main restaurant, and infinity pool were a five minute walk from our room. It is such a beautiful walk too. I enjoyed walking the path and laying in the hammock under a large mango tree. They do a wonderful job of keeping the grounds perfectly maintained.

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You will eat well at Bluewater. For three consecutive days, we enjoyed their buffet breakfast at their Aplaya Restaurant. Lots to enjoy from fresh fruit juices, heaps of crispy bacon, local baked goods, and omelettes made to order. 

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We also enjoyed a clambake at the restaurant and a pizza delivered to our room. Food always looked and tasted good. As a bonus, the resort staff was so incredibly kind, it made dining an even more pleasurable experience.

Outside of what I’ve already mentioned, there are lots of activities to do on the resort and island. Staff can help you book any tours you’d like, such as visiting the chocolate hills or tarsiers, or even go scuba diving, riding quad bikes, or go on a catamaran ride. Lots of free activities on the resort, such as free snorkeling, stand up paddle board, kayak, bicycle riding, and fish feeding. There are activities for all ages from children to adults. No one will be bored.

And, if you don’t feel like doing anything, why not have a massage? Prices range from 800 php ($17 USD) for a head and shoulder massage to 2500 php ($55 USD) for a 90-minute full-body massage.

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I can’t wait to share with you all the fun things I did on Bohol, even if a lot of it was lounging on the beach and drinking mango shakes. My boyfriend and I loved staying at Bluewater and can’t wait to go back.

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Full disclosure: Our stay was complimentary for review purposes but we LOVED staying there. It is our favorite place to stay on Bohol. Not only is the resort wonderful, the staff were kind and helpful to all guests.

Bluewater Panglao Danao
Panglao Island, Bohol
Tel. Nos: (638) 416-0695/96
Email: [email protected]
www.bluewaterpanglao.com.ph

About 

Hi, I'm Stacy. I'm from Portland, Oregon, USA, and am currently living in Busan, South Korea. Check me out on: Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram, Lastfm, and Flickr.