The Beautiful Panglao Island, Bohol

I’m a certified beach lover, a thalassophile. (I only learned that word while writing this blog 🤭). I was looking for one word that means “beach lover” and that’s what came up. Since it’s a bit of a tongue twister, I’ll just stick with “beach lover.” 🤭😂 (But hey, isn’t it fun to learn something new? 😉)

According to Google, “A thalassophile is a person who loves the sea or ocean. The word comes from the Greek words thalassa (meaning sea) and phile (meaning lover of)…” So now we can all sound fancy while talking about our beach trips, just like I sounded “brave” during my first whitewater rafting experience in Cagayan de Oro. (Check out my previous blog. 😜)

Anyway, back to my story… I somehow manage to visit the beach multiple times a year, with different groups of friends. I don’t mind getting sunkissed, I’m not that sensitive. Some of my friends avoid the sun like it’s their mortal enemy, but for me, there’s this level of happiness and tolerance that happens the moment I’m near the water. The sound of the waves is calming, the ocean breeze feels like therapy, and sunsets, moonrises, and star-filled skies are just pure magic. It’s relaxing but never boring.

One of the famous beach spots in the Philippines is Panglao Island, Bohol. My friends and I decided to try a new resort there for a two-night stay. It had an aesthetic infinity pool, and lucky for us, we basically had the whole place to ourselves. And you already know what that means - multiple pictorials. Every corner became our studio. Not a single lounge chair or corner was safe from our photo ops.

In between lounging and devouring meals, we took a short trip to Alona Beach. It’s a public beach in Panglao Island, and also a well-known tourist spot. The stretch is lined with restaurants, bars, and hotels that give it that lively vibe while you’re taking a stroll. You can hear music from the open-air bars, the clinking of glasses, and the happy laughter from tourists.

But my friends and I weren’t in the mood for the buzz that day. Instead, we found a spot to sit, relax, and just wait for the sunset.

🌅 Pretty, isn’t it? My phone camera didn’t do it justice.

It’s not just the sunset, it’s the pastel horizon around it. The way the colors of the sea, clouds, and sunset rays blended together felt like an art piece you’d never find in a gallery. And, of course, the artist was none other than Mother Nature herself.

Mother Nature really knows how to spoil us. Yet most of the time, we don’t give her enough credit. We take scenes like this for granted, too busy scrolling on our phones or thinking about work deadlines to just stop and breathe it in. Maybe it’s the salty breeze or maybe it’s just me getting older, but I’ve learned that moments like these deserve full attention.

We didn’t exactly pack this trip with activities. It was more of a staycation than an adventure, and honestly, that was the point. No rushing from one tourist spot to another. No stressing over schedules. Sometimes, the best trips are the ones where you do “nothing”.

It was chill but fun in the way that only happens when you’re with your favorite people. As one of my friends said, “It’s not the journey nor the destination, it’s about the company.” And I couldn’t agree more.

Note: These photos were all taken on my phone.

[//]:# ([//]:# (!worldmappin 9.58897 lat 123.79336 long The Beautiful Panglao Island, Bohol d3scr))