In November 2021, after we visited the family in Oslob, my husband and I decided to check in at one of the resorts in Panglao before heading back to Guindulman. Resorts in Bohol at that time were mostly offering discounted rates due to the pandemic.
I searched for which should be the best one for us, it must be affordable but instagrammable, if you know what I am saying. I found Birds of Paradise in Tawala, Panglao, this is where the famous Alona Beach is located, on their social media page, this is indeed very near to the beach, although there's a need to walk for a few minutes.
While I tried contacting them on their social media page for booking, I went ahead and arranged it instead on their website which was quite fast and smooth. So by the time their social media manager replied, the reservation was booked already.
We arrived at three in the afternoon while check in time was at two, this was because we had lunch at a food park and we spent quite some time there taking photos and videos, in fact, I originally thought of writing an article about that food park first but decided to just proceed with this because the photos were already ready.
Finding the resort was quite an adventure. It's route from the highway was tricky, while Google Maps was helpful, it was also a little confusing, plus the signages were small while the prints were faded. At a time, we reached a part where there were so many plants and bushes, we thought we might have missed the resort but it ended up that we have to move further to the end of that path, their parking space is not that spacious but enough to accommodate three cars and some motorcycles.
It was raining as well but the front desk officers were smiling and accommodating. There were guests lounging, I guess they were waiting for their room too. As for us, we were given the keys immediately after signing the guest details. One of the staff took an umbrella and showed us our room.
In the online booking, I chose the garden view room. The resort has a bali-style theme. We passed by their small restaurant and bar, it has a nipa roof with the timbers visible, no ceiling, it was bare so we could hear the dropping of the rain on the roof.
But what caught my attention really was the numerous plants, they were of different kind, some have huge leaves, they were positioned everywhere in the resort. And there's a lanai too next to the pool. At that time, I was excited to reach our room.
We took a cemented path going to the garden and into one of the rooms on the ground floor. There's a space outside of the room too, a lounge and a stand where we could hang our wet towels and clothes.
And then she opened the door and this welcomed us:
The room is very spacious, the glass window was covered with a gray curtain, it runs from the floor to the ceiling which makes the room bright with natural lighting! We can open the blackout curtain and leave the thin satin one or we could just open it all the way through.
Matti, seeing the bed and the hanging side bed lights can't help but touch them, he might have thought these were toys! He had a fascination to switches so he spent a good amount of time switching the lights on and off.
The queen sized bed has a headboard that looks like wood but when we examined it, they were tiles in fact. I also thought that the wall was just wallpaper but it was actually a painting!
The beige, wood, and gray color had really blended well, there's a couch which can also be used as a bed, there's a table and a chair for those who want to work while on vacation perhaps and the wooden ceiling fan caught my attention too!
We turned on everything, the air conditioner works well, all the lights were functioning, and then there's also a complimentary coffee and tea too, they had provided us with free water and there's a small sized fridge underneath as well as an electric kettle which we used to make tea that night.
On the other side, we placed our bags, there's a security box too! We were not given instructions on how to use it but I had used one for quite a few times before so I can manage but we never really used this box during our stay but for sure other guests will find this useful especially if they are leaving the resort for some island hopping or round Bohol land tours.
It was still early so I decided to just take photos of the location. We were a bit tired from the trip, we had traveled from Cebu City to Argao for two hours, we waited for the barge ship to issue us a ticket for another two hours and yet another two hours for the sea trip. Upon reaching Loon, it rained very hard and we reached Tagbilaran City at one in the afternoon for lunch.
From Tagbilaran City, it took only 20 minutes to reach Tawala, Panglao. Although tired, I was pumped to take these images and will rest later instead.
My baby was also very active despite the long trip, perhaps it was because he just slept the entire time while in the car or in the ship. He was trying to familiarize the place, he ran from the bed to the couch, he played with the bed lights, the curtains, and even attempted to go inside the comfort room and play with the tissue roll!
Speaking of the comfort room, I almost forgot to check it so before any mess is done, I went and took photographs. Inside is a very spacious comfort room. The bowl and the shower are separated by a wall and there were bamboo poles at the back of the overhead shower. The lights are making it look very aesthetic. It was still sprinkling when I was inside the comfort room and there's a view of the outside from the shower area, the sound of the rain can be heard, it was relaxing!
Two hygiene kits were there in a native rattan basket. The sink is also spacious and the mirror has an illuminating effect. There's also a hair dryer provided. A window cover can be opened or closed depending on the guest's preference, I decided to just kept it closed.
I was done taking photos of the interior so I was ready to go out and check the view outside but it was still raining, we decided to rest a bit, arrange our stuff, and play with Matti. This was something that we always dream of, the three of us traveling together to other different places, explore, and enjoy each other's company. Matti might still be very young to appreciate these things but what matters most is that we are making memories.
By around four, the rain stopped and the sun rays entered the glass window, it was a beautiful view so I urged my husband that we should go out and do some walk to check the entire resort. The resort is just small though so it won't take long to explore it.
Outside the room, there's a lounge where we could also sit and relax. There are lots of plants and Chinese bamboos at the back. The resort's fence is just made of bamboo. I later found out that they don't have any neighbor at the back, it's like a jungle back there so that could be the reason why they just used bamboos instead.
When you have a toddler, it is understandable that preparing to go out takes a little while as we still have to force him to stay still so we can get his shoes on. Can you also spot that metal rod at the back? That's where we can hang our wet towels and clothes. It's nice that they have that in every room. It's very thoughtful, I have a lot of experiences where we would just hang our wet towels on the fence or anywhere because the resort didn't provide a place to hang them.
I give Birds of Paradise a double thumbs up for that!
And so after a few minutes, we were off to the garden. Can you see how thick the vegetation and foliage at their garden? I noticed that the garden is not yet fully developed. There are plants but it is not yet arranged in a way that it is pleasing to the eyes unlike that in the lounge and restaurant area.
Our room is just opposite to the garden but it is also covered by this tall shrub. So if anyone passes by, we won't be that visible inside although we had opened the curtains.
I forgot to ask what kind of tree is this one next to the pathway. But I wonder how it's doing now that the Typhoon Odette had visited the province. I hope it is still standing healthy and strong.
And of the pathway, there are leaf marks on each cemented path, I surely enjoy looking at the path while walking. I bet Matti felt the same way as he was looking down here in the photo below:
Cat at the resort, this was just sitting still and observing us while we pass by him or her.
I guess I have to stop talking and just let you appreciate the architecture of the resort through the photos below. I am not well versed with what kind of architecture is this but it is so pleasing. I love of course the windows, the colors, the nipa accents at the rooftop and it being covered with plants and trees just makes it a beautiful one, in my opinion.
So you might ask what's the reason behind the name of the resort? I had asked the same question as well before heading here but after we explored the place especially the second floor area, we heard multiple birds chirping, this area is like paradise indeed and birds were just happily living here too.
Here's a view of the restaurant, the accommodation comes with free breakfast for two and we availed it the next day. I chose a Filipino meal while James ordered oats, these were asked at the customer service upon check in.
Currently, they only offer breakfast and happy hour for guests, meals are not available the rest of the day but they can arrange food deliveries for the guests which I appreciate a lot.
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Another spot in the resort that I appreciate is the presence of a lanai, I asked one of the workers here how this space is referred to but he couldn't tell as well so I'd just call it lanai. It has comfortable seats and the color suits that of the room, bare cement with smooth finish.
The view of the pool from behind the bushes.
That baby's face tells how hard it is to have a toddler, but don't get me wrong, it is also very fulfilling and it gives us so much happiness but we have to have an unlimited patience.
There were few guests who were swimming at the pool in the afternoon.
After this, we decided to go check out the second floor. There's an access to the second floor from both sides, we opt to use that staircase next to our room instead.
Each room has lounges outside, there are also different kinds of aesthetic plants placed on each lounge area. And here's a view of the pool and the restaurant from the second floor.
We flew the drone the next morning because it was already getting dark that time. Our plan was to have dinner at the Mist which I will blog about next time but since we are still a bit tired, we decided to take a nap again. The bed was very inviting and the temperature is just enough to sooth us to sleep.
I am sorry that this article has become very lengthy but I can't help but share with you how amazed we were as we got to experience staying at the Birds of Paradise for a very affordable price. This resort is highly recommended although it is not beach front, still, it is worth the stay!
J U N E B R I D E
Boholana | Cebu | Philippines | Travel | Photography Enthusiast | Calligraphy | Art
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