It was a hot and humid June afternoon at Panglao Island in Bohol which prevented us from going to Alona Beach. As adrenaline junkies, we went out of our comfy room and checked out the available board games in the lounge area and played “Spot it!”, a card game that Akira got hooked to. We were frantically getting competitive when one of the staff came to our table and handed out a red rose to Christian. She then greeted him with a “Happy Fathers’ Day”. It made us stop for a bit and relish that moment because, after four years of being a father, it was his first time to receive a flower for that special day—thanks to Anne, the cheery staff of Abraham Bohol.
My two-month school break is probably our family’s most-awaited time of the year. During this time, we usually go around the Philippines and abroad for our yearly backpacking trip. This year’s trip was special as it was the last few months leading to the first formal schooling of our son, Akira, aptly naming it—#PreKinderTrip2024.
We took a 2GO Travel Ship going to Bohol then we went around the Central Visayas Region for the next 22 days going around Siquijor, Dumaguete, and Cebu. After resting a bit in Zambales, we went on an 11-day trip to Japan and explored Hida Takayama, Furukawa, and Nagoya.
For our 12-day stay in Bohol, we got to spend a few days in the town of Anda then transferred to a beachfront resort along Alona Beach before transferring to Abraham Bohol.
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Abraham Bohol is the newest resort in Panglao Island which is part of a globally-recognized Abraham brand of hospitality. The brand is famous for its different accommodation types catering to people from various walks of life. The resort is a 10-minute ride from the Bohol-Panglao International Airport and a 15-minute walk to the famous Alona Beach.
Check-In Process
The standard check-in time was at three in the afternoon. We arrived later than that and previously accomplished an online pre-registration which allowed us to register the names of the guests as well as the photos of our government-issued IDs.
When we arrived, we had to show our IDs and were immediately handed the keycards to our room.
Resort Overview
The first thing I noticed when we entered Abraham Bohol was the spacious and open-type structure with different seating types of native and modern designs. There’s a billiard table, an area with some snacks for sale, as well as a leisure area where you can borrow some board games and books during your stay.
There are several accommodation types depending on your budget and the number of guests as well. For solo travelers, you may opt to stay at the mixed or female-only shared dormitories. For two to four persons, you can stay at the Deluxe or Family Rooms. But if you are a group of 8 to 14 persons, you can stay at the Private Dormitory or their 4-bedroom Villa.
There’s a 24-hour convenience store nearby which turned out to be of use when we suddenly craved some ice cream one evening.
Facilities and Amenities
The reception, lobby, lounge, snack & cocktail bar, and travelers’ center are all located in the main hall.
A separate structure houses the shared kitchen, luggage room, and lockers. There’s a free-flowing coffee and juice bar in the shared kitchen. We also got to use the fridge and microwave oven for our takeaway foodstuff.
There are two swimming pools at the resort—one for the dormitory guests and the other one for the hotel guests.
Deluxe Family Room with Direct Pool Access
Our Deluxe Family Room was located on the hotel side of Abraham Bohol. We were billeted on the ground level and our room had a sliding glass door that opened up to a patio and the pool.
There are two queen-sized beds and a long utility table that serves as both a work station and an entertainment area. A 52-inch Smart TV was mounted on the wall and Akira immediately asked if he could watch his favorite series after settling in.
There’s an open wardrobe set-up on the other end as well as some coffee and tea-making facilities. The private bathroom is equipped with a hot and cold shower and a bidet to the toilet. they also provide hand & body wash, and shampoo in dispensers.
There’s a complimentary hot and cold drinking water dispenser on each floor which is totally better than having bottled water delivered to our room every day.
Our usual hangout spot was the patio which is where we usually have our dinner and beer sesh. There’s an outdoor table and chairs set as well as a rattan ladder that serves as a drying rack for wet clothes.
Daily Breakfast Buffet
All guests on all accommodation types can avail of the breakfast buffet which is actually a deal-breaker when you think about it. The buffet spread may look simple but our family totally loved it!
Christian always went for the traditional Filipino brekkie meal of fried rice, scrambled eggs, and protein of the day (during our stay they served sausages and tocino).
Akira’s favorites from the spread were black olives, cereals, sliced tomatoes, grated corn, watermelon, and cheese. Weird combination, I know, but it worked for him and he got excited each time he got his food.
I, on the other hand, would get some of the rice meals as well as some bread with cream cheese and different jam spreads.
Abraham Tours Bohol
Abaraham Bohol also offers private or shared tours not only for in-house guests but also for other tourists. They have unique tours that are unparalleled to the usual tour offerings in the area. We availed one of their tours that’s why we got to experience it first-hand.
We booked a shared Countryside Wonders of Bohol with Chocolate Hills while we were checked in and just minutes after doing so, I received an email confirmation of the tour and a detailed description of what to expect including what stuff to bring.
The call time was at eight in the morning and we were ready before that. We were the only Filipinos in the group and everyone was ready when the van arrived. Our guide, Jai, was a charmer. She was bubbly, fun, and open to our queries as well as other concerns during the trip.
All of the entrance fees were taken care of which made everything hassle-free.
Asin Tibuok-Making
Our first stop was the town of Alburquerque, the home to one of the world's rarest salts.
Asin tibuok is a Filipino artisanal sea salt. It is different in the way that they filter seawater through the ashes of charred coconut husks. It is considered rare and an endangered heritage food because of the tedious process of making it. Some people would say that it has a sharp taste with hints of smoky and fruity tastes.
The whole process takes at least three months and because of the unique shape of the pot from which it got its shape, asin tibuok is commonly referred to as a “dinosaur egg”. One whole asin tibuok is roughly one kilo in weight and is sold in the shop at ₱600 per piece.
We got to try some of the steps in making the artisanal salt and spoke with the staff and were told that because of the increasing demand for asin tibuok, they are now pushing to continue the tradition which is also beneficial to their food heritage.
Tuba or Coconut wine
This is not included in the itinerary but our guide, Jai, asked everyone in the van if we would like to stop by and check out how tuba or the locally-produced coconut wine is made and everyone agreed.
There’s no entrance fee ‘coz it’s just a local house but we were told to donate some for the experience of trying the wine.
Tuba is made through an aging process where a bamboo container (sugong) is hung under some young unexpanded coconut blossoms to collect dripping juice. A soft coconut fiber (ginit) is used to cover it. A tuba gatherer (manananggot) would then climb the coconut tree each day to collect the overnight accumulation of sap.
Philippine Tarsier Foundation Conservation Area
We went to the town of Corella where we got a glimpse of the lives of the second smallest primates in the world, the Philippine tarsier. I was glad that Abraham Tours brought us to one of only a few ethical foundations in Bohol. They allow visitors to spot tarsiers in their wild habitat and not in cages or other artificial imprisonment.
The group was ushered to an audiovisual room where we watched a short video about the Philippine Tarsier Foundation and Conservation Area. Tarsiers are officially recognized as endangered species because of habitat destruction, hunters, and predators.
Many tarsier captive areas are claiming to be official sanctuary areas but take note that they are actually for-profit centers that sort of expose the tarsiers to too much stress as they are nocturnal animals. The Philippine Tarsier Foundation started the Tarsier Sanctuary to protect the Philippine tarsiers while promoting eco-friendly tourism.
We were assigned a guide that helped us go around the visitor area to see if we could spot some tarsiers. We were constantly told to keep quiet and no flash photography is allowed.
Visitors are only allowed to a small portion of the 134-hectare property. The short trail was muddy because of the rain the night before. We spotted five tarsiers including one who’s nursing a baby and everyone’s really quiet as we proceed on the tour.
Chocolate Hills Natural Monument
One of the tour’s highlights was our visit to the town of Carmen to experience firsthand the Chocolate Hills Natural Monument included in the tentative list of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention. It’s my fourth time visiting this Philippine wonder and I remember clearly how amazed I was to finally see the Chocolate Hills in real life as opposed to seeing it in textbooks when I was younger.
The hills are made up of limestone or the uplift of coral deposits. Because of rainwater and erosion, they form into these hills. The thin layer of soil makes it hard for trees or shrubs to thrive in the hills so only weeds could grow here. The hills look like chocolate during the dry season because of the brown color of dried grass but it turns into lush green during the rainy season.
It is believed that there are 1,260 to 1,776 hills that are spread over three towns—Carmen, Batuan, and Sagbayan.
We were asked if we would want to ride an ATV at the foothills for an extra fee, some did try it but we didn’t because we’re not confident enough to ride with our 4-year-old son. We then went up to the 214 steps going to the view deck and there were fewer tourists than expected because of the noon heat.
Akira was amazed at first upon seeing the numerous hills but he got so focused on actually counting the steps to see if it’s really 214.
Loboc River Resort
A standard Bohol countryside tour would bring the visitors to the famous floating restaurants of Loboc River or what they usually call—the Loboc River Cruise.
I’ve tried this activity before and it is a must-try experience in Bohol. The one-hour cruise lets you experience the beauty of Loboc River with a few stops at certain floating platforms where some kids would dance tinikling and other Philippine Folk Dances. The buffet spread is also something to look forward to as they serve local dishes and grilled fares. But because it became pricey as time went by (₱1,000 in 2024), people would go to other places to eat and just stop by Loboc River for sightseeing.
Abraham Tours brought us to a much deeper part of Loboc River that the usual cruise tours wouldn’t reach. We went to Loboc River Resort to spend the rest of the afternoon there.
I’ve been here before and I love the tranquility of the resort, away from the tourist crowd. We had lunch al fresco by the river at Venia’s Kitchen—the in-house restaurant of Loboc River Resort. Jai asked us to pre-order our meals to manage our time properly so when we arrived, we were served right away.
Being a premier river resort, it was surprising to see that the prices on the menu were reasonably priced. We got Ginataang Gulay (₱190), Grilled Pork (₱220), and some rice.
After lunch, we got the chance to choose one water activity that had already been included in the tour package. Akira chose the boat ride over paddle boarding and kayaking.
Baclayon Church
Our last stop was the Baclayon Church. Jai gave a brief history of how the church was made from coral stones and was cemented using over a million egg whites. The construction of the church started in 1717 and was completed in 1727.
The cross-shaped church was a declared National Cultural Treasure and National Historic Landmark by the National Museum of the Philippines in 2010. It was heavily during a 7.2 magnitude earthquake in 2013 but was reconstructed and finished in 2018.
Akira met a 5-year-old girl named Ashley on the grounds of the church and instantly, they became friends. The kid was so friendly to everyone that it saddened us to leave her ‘coz it was time for us to go.
Final Thoughts
The best thing about Abraham Bohol is that they cater to all the accommodation needs of every traveler. Whether you go solo or with a bunch of your friends, I’m sure you’ll find the perfect place to stay here. Plus, they offer free buffet breakfast to all in-house guests—great value for money.
Abraham Tours, on the other hand, offers a unique tour experience for everyone. It’s not your typical Bohol tour but they care about sustainable tourism and the cultural heritage of the province. Our Boholano guide, Jai, was so passionate about what she did that she made sure that we were fine throughout the trip. And we truly felt her sincerity in every word she uttered that she really was advocating for responsible tourism in the province.
Address: Purok 5, Panglao Island Circumferential Rd,
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