It has been 5 years since my first trip to Bohol. And a lot has happened in those years. We transferred to our own home, we changed jobs, we became parents to our beautiful little Rainbow, our food blog The Pickiest Eater started getting great hits, and this blog was born.
Although it was my second time in Bohol, we had a lot of 'firsts' experiences in this second trip. And that's why it will remain memorable to me!
First of all, it was our first time to stay at this beautiful hotel, The Bellevue Resort Bohol!
Every part of this hotel is Instagram-worthy! Here's the entrance,
The staff will greet you by hanging this pretty seashell necklace.
This cool basket-woven-looking chandelier greets you by the entrance.
Receiving couches everywhere!
A beautiful Koi pond rests by the lobby. There are a total of 3 koi ponds with lots of koi fishes! Rain had so much fun talking to the Koi fishes while waiting for us to get checked in. And as you can see there's a sunken bar area beside it where you can have drinks at night.
Here's the reception area.
And here's the hallway to the rooms. I love the swirly wall designs!
And of course, behold! The room! We were given an Ocean View Deluxe Room. Not too shabby!
A sofa set beside the bed. If you think about it, 2 more people can sleep in this area. One on the blue couch, and another on the green couch, just push the green ottoman closer to the green couch. Perfect for a slumber party!
It's got a spacious bathroom too!
I squealed with delight when I saw the bedroom slippers! Flip flops! Smart move since it's a beach resort anyways. Rubber flip flops are the way to go to walk around the resort.
And check out our amazing view! In this shot alone you get a share of everything. The sky, the pool, the beach, the restaurant huts, the garden. Just perfect!
One of the things I look forward to in a beach is gorgeous powder-fine sand. And that's what this Bohol resort has.
Don't laugh, but it was also my first time to hold a star fish! A live one too! Check out the tiny jelly-like tentacles. It's trying to walk away from my hand hehehe. It was really for Rain from her Tito Spanky but she was knocked out from her nap by the beach. So I just put the star fishes back in the shore after getting acquainted with them.
After an hour or so of nap, someone's excited to swim at the beach!
Because I was afraid that Rain would get sun burnt since I knew for a fact that she had plans on swimming the whole day, and because I forgot to pack our big hats, and because I know I look like charcoal when I get burned by the sun, I borrowed an umbrella from the lobby hehehe. And not once did I regret bringing an umbrella the whole time while we swam! :-)
Another 'first': This was the first time that Rain learned to balance all by herself in the water! Sure, she had her girly MotherCare life jacket on, but still! At first I needed to hold her at all times because she would topple over. But after a while I noticed that she could stay upright all by herself, while padding in place!!!! I'm so proud!!! :-)
Here's Rain happily swimming along side daddy!
She also had a blast swimming at the kiddie pool with Tales from the Tummy's princess, Ate Lauren!
Island Hopping and Dolphin Watching
This was Rain's first time to go Island Hopping. Before in Cebu, we would leave Rain and her cousin Matteo in the hotel while the adults and older kids went island hopping. But now she's bigger, we wanted to take her with us, because there was a chance that we would see dolphins!
And we were lucky! Perhaps one of the most memorable part of this trip was our first time I saw dolphins swimming and playing in their natural habitat! I've watched dolphins perform in Dolphin shows in Ocean Park but this was more amazing! See the VIDEO at the end of this post!
It was also my first time to swim in a slightly submerged sand bar. This is Isola Di Francesco in Panglao, Bohol.
I know this is TMI (too much information) but it was my first time to go on a beach trip with Aunt Flow.Yep, Aunt Flow is that monthly unwanted visitor women get. It was such a bummer but then sometimes you have to seize the day and live in the moment! So I decided to still go for it. After all, it stops on water right?
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| Thank you Tummy Traveler Yen Dreyfus for this photo! :-) |
And just like that, I jumped in with my lovely family! This was Rain's first time to swim in a snorkeling area! :-)
It was also my first time to eat Abalone. And a fresh catch at that! There were some fishermen at the sand bar, selling fresh catch seafood which the grill per order on the spot in their fisherman's boat. Unfortunately, I don't have a photo :-( But trust me, it's good! It has the same texture as a squid, but far more soft! Very good with their vinegar mixture! What I'd give for a grilled abalone right now! This made me extra glad that I took a dip in the sand bar with them!
Night Time at Bellevue Resort
That night we had an amazing dinner by the beach set up by the nice people of Bellevue Bohol!
It was a beautiful set up! There was a live band, and some of us showed off our talents! Hahaha! Scroll down for the video!
While the dinner was ongoing, Rain opted to play by the sand.
Because it was her PinyPon's first time to play by the sand! Hahaha! And Pluto too!
Meanwhile, in the garden was movie night with dinner buffet open for all the hotel guests. Rio 2 was showing. I thought this was a cool idea for the hotel guests and of course, for the kids as well! Dining under the stars with a good family movie!
The next morning, I had one of the best Danggit ever! I got more danggit than bacon. It was THAT good!!! More on the food coming soon at The Pickiest Eater!
The Bellevue Hotel's recreational floor is one of the coolest I've seen in a hotel! They have a basketball shooting machine thing...
3 computers for gaming or internet...
And a huge play room with lots of toys and slides and swings!
We had such an excellent time at Bellevue Resort that we were all heart-broken when it was time to leave.
Touring Around Bohol
Of course we wouldn't dare visit Bohol without going to one of the It was also Rain's first time to see a Tarsier, the smallest mammal in the world! I'm sure she won't remember it but it was awesome nonetheless!
Sweet dreams, Mr. nocturnal Tarsier! :-)
I'm so happy to see that the Chocolate Hills are back in shape! They were recently damaged due to the strong earthquake back in October 2013. (Wow almost a year already!)
And since it was Richie's first time in Bohol, he just had to see it. Even if it meant climbing up hundreds of steps! So yes, it was Richie's first time to climb 214 steps. Hence the photo. Hehehe. Disclaimer though... it was his own will to climb. I didn't force him. He says he wouldn't miss it for the world to see the Chocolate hills with Rain. Awwww!
214 steps worth climbing!
We also saw the man-made forest. I felt like I was at Forks Washington hehehe (Twilight fan, sorry)
This was such and awesome trip! Thank you so much Bellevue Resorts for our relaxing accommodation! Again, it's an experience with a lot of 'firsts' that I will never forget!
If you're planning a trip to Bohol, try Belevue Resorts in Panglao Island! For more information and for reservations, follow their Facebook account or their check their official website at http://www.thebellevue.com/
Leaving you a quick rough edit compilation of the videos I took during our trip. With special performances by Mr. and Mrs. SugarGoSpice, Mr. Chuckie (AllChuckedUp) and Yen (TummyTraveler) Dreyfus, Mr. Spanky Enriquez (Juice.Ph), and special acting appearance by my husband Richie (ThePickiestEater). Oh, and the waving talents of Mrs. Irene Co (TalesFromTheTummy) Hehehehe :-)
