Balicasag Island and more food!

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Part 5 of Rediscovering Bohol.

After such an overloaded dinner, it was time to cap of the night.

I wanted to capture the sunrise but since I already have a set of Bohol sunrise photos, I called it off and set the alarm for 6:30am instead. As soon as my alarm rung, I took a shower then headed outdoors.

Good morning Alona Beach!

That “Holy Infant” vessel is the boat we’re going to use to get to Balicasag Island.

Low tide and almost still waters, perfect to start the day.

While waiting for the others, I spent some time under the sunlight. Health experts advise early morning sun exposure for at least thirty minutes as it produces Vitamin D in the body, among a dozen of other health benefits!

When everyone was already in Saffron, it was time for breakfast!

Breakfast at the Saffron Restaurant includes a buffet of drinks, fruits, a sandwich bar with homemade breads, a congee or soup section, and an egg station and a French toast/pancake station.

Guests may choose from a selection of hot main courses including traditional American breakfast fare as well as Filipino-specialty breakfast items, which are prepared ala-minute and served hot from the kitchen. So we ate all we can to jumpstart the day!

Well we actually didn’t eat too much as we might get seasick on our way to Balicasag Island.

Breakfast has settled and it was time for our first adventure of the day! At the viewing deck, our dive master from Sea Explorers, Amorita’s new dive concessionaire, briefed us about the basics and safety guidelines of snorkeling which got us very excited.

Time to get our booties and flaps!”

And we were ready! Since it was still low tide, we had to wade a few meters from the shore to get to the boat. Vroom, vroom, off we were to Balicasag! The boat ride to Balicasag normally takes 30-40 minutes, depending on sea conditions and the speed of the boat.

Ms. Jen Vega of The Freeman and yours truly

The Pinay Solo Backpacker and Mr. Pinoyworld

Trip Ta Bai, Adventurous Lei, Matud Nila and Ms. Kristin Aldana-Lerin of Sun.Star Cebu

So near, yet so far!

A lighthouse at the center of the island.  Balicasag is dominated by palm trees and bougainvilleas.

I was actually expecting the island to be deserted, but we were informed that there are around 200 families that are currently residing the island. Balicasag even has its own school and a church.

And as we got nearer, I was surprised to see tens of other tourists at the island. Wow, so we weren’t alone LOL

Too many pumpboats, yes?

Our boat stopped just a few meters from the shore and it was time to literally jump off the boat, but I said pass. I know I am really going to miss a lot but snorkeling is not for me. I don’t feel comfortable with a life jacket almost squeezing my body. Sigh. Two years ago, I was about to swim with the dolphins in Misamis Occidental but when I was about to go deeper, I just couldn’t take it, so I backed out.

I really wasn’t depressed though since I wasn’t left alone on the boat and I also had another role, which was to take photos of my friends.

The photo reminds me of the whale shark watching in Oslob. Balicasag Island is a famous marine sanctuary, ideal for snorkeling and diving.

Ms. Jen and our dive master

After around thirty minutes, they were back on the boat and I just couldn’t paint the smiles on their faces. They all looked like Anne Curtis with their ear to ear smiles. They shared how they saw schools of colorful fish, corals, and turtles, which made me feel like I was with them snorkeling. Angeli even exclaimed that she felt that she was in a painting, or a dream. LOL.

Goodbyes are sad but we had a schedule to follow, so off we were to another 40 minute ride back to the resort. I normally shriek out during sea travel but thankfully, the seas were calm. I am scared of deep waters but I didn’t think about it. I was preoccupied by the beauty of the surroundings and of course, the people around me, who kept the conversations going. Gosh, I can still remember a traumatic experience four years ago, when the engine of our boat from Puerto Galera back to Batangas broke down in the middle of the sea. They were only able to fix it twenty minutes after so you can just imagine what was going on our minds back then.

Finally, we’re back! Amorita, the surprise on top of that cliff!

Resorts along Alona Beach

Outrigger boats ready to take you to your own sea adventure.

As we got back to the resort, we were given time to rest and freshen up for lunch time!

* * * * *

For lunch at Saffron, we had an amazing set of Filipino favorites, with the Amorita twist!

Beef Kaldereta. Beef is roasted medium rare by default, characterized by warm meat, a hint of red, while most of the center should be pink. But you can actually instruct them ahead of time to cook the meat to your liking, especially if you’re not comfortable seeing reds on your meat. Trust me though, beef is best enjoyed medium rare since it is perfectly juicy and chewy.

PERSONAL FAVORITE: Crispy Pork Binagoongan. Crispy Pork Belly sitting on a generous amount of Bagoong (shrimp paste), topped by green mango salad. We consumed the dish as fast as lightning so we requested for a second serving, haha!

Crispy Pork Sinigang. Pity this is my only photo of the amazing soup dish. Sinigang is usually tamarind-based but Saffron chose to use calamansi instead. They also have a different way of preparing this dish. Crispy pork belly slices are pre-prepared with cooked vegetables and then the sinigang soup stock is poured, thus retaining the crispness of the pork.

And of course, the crowning jewel was the Halo-Halo, every Pinoy’s favorite dessert.

(…to be continued)

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