Bohol find: South Palms Resort

I had never heard of South Palms Resort Panglao before, but I was frantically looking for a resort just four days before our trip.

I liked what I saw, so I called their number right away.

Hassle-free reservation

Reservation was such a breeze. I inquired about the package and they gave me the details.

The sales office sent me an invoice by email. I paid the reservation immediately, received a reservation form, filled it out and sent it back. They sent me a confirmation of my booking and information about the resort, activities, facilities and other services.

Just like that and our room was booked.

No ugly surprises

I had prepared myself for a hidden “ugly” – those parts of the resort or beach they don’t show in the photos – but believe me, there was none.

Photo enhancements aside, it was every bit like in the pictures posted on its FB page.

After our island trip to Balicasag and an afternoon on Alona Beach, we headed back to Dumaluan Beach, where South Palms was located.

By the way, Dumaluan Beach is just northwest of the more popular Alona Beach (but you can’t walk it because the shorelines are not connected). Aside from South Palms, the resorts here are Bohol Beach Club (BBC; the higher priced one) and Dumaluan Beach Resort (the less expensive choice).

The best find in Bohol

I can say that South Palms is really a great find for me – in fact, one of the best beach finds I’ve had – because it was almost everything I wanted in a beach resort.

To explain, as a beach lover, I am very picky about the kind of beaches I want to visit. I have made a list of my kind of beach and South Palms checks almost all. The only thing it lacked was the faucet/hose outside your villa for washing the sand off your feet.

Other than that, it was perfect.

I had been skeptical about staying on Alona Beach (I still wanted to visit it, though) because I heard it had become more like a mini Boracay with plenty of bars and eateries lining the shore. Nothing wrong with that. I actually thought it would be fun to visit at night, but I wanted complete seclusion for the duration of our stay.

I was told that South Palms used to be part of Bohol Beach Club (BBC), the resort right next to it. I’m glad it’s now a separate resort because I like it better. We passed by BBC as we walked to Dumaluan Beach Resort for dinner.

Although BBC looked every bit the luxurious resort, the concrete on the beach and crowded hotel-like atmosphere wasn’t appealing to me.

I may have a checklist of the kind of beach I like to visit, but I’m not looking for something ultra-expensive. I would rather choose the cheaper, more naturally made alternative over any five-star option with too many man-made structures.

Cottages and villas, not hotel rooms

The whole resort did not have a hotel-like building. All rooms were individual bungalows or villas.

The Deluxe Garden View Rooms were located on the southern part of the grounds, surrounded by palm trees, with the coconuts conveniently removed to avoid falling and hurting anybody.

The resort itself was quite a long way from the main road (Panglao Circumcerential Road).

Greens everywhere

Upon reaching the reception, we checked in and were shown to our bungalow. We followed a bellhop to a winding cobbled path amidst lush greenery and towering coconut trees.

Beach-facing cottages

Our bungalow directly faced the beach, only blocked by more rows of coconut trees. All the bungalows lining the cobbled path were built in a way that they did not directly face each other, so that each had a view of the sea.

Clean and crisp rooms

Inside, the large queen bed with crisp white sheets felt very cozy. The Balinese-inspired design of the room gave it a homey feel.

The bathroom was spacious enough, with large and small towels ready for use. The heater worked and the bathroom amenities were complete – soap, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, toothbrush, toothpaste and a small packet of hygiene kit for every guest.

Large and spacious grounds

The villas, which were close to the beach (still not that close to be annoying), had their own private terrace and hammock. Not a bad way to drop 20–40 grand a night.

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You get these if you splurge a bit more.

Not that I can afford it, but I don’t think I would be staying in a villa anytime soon. I’m quite satisfied with the Deluxe Garden View Bungalow we got.

After all, there were hammocks and large swinging beds everywhere, especially in the garden-view area. You could lie down and fall asleep right there – just south of the palms.

When we got back to Dumaluan, we had no energy left to do anything but lie under the palms and just feel the breeze.

I like how you could have all the space you needed at this place – you could do whatever you wanted, stay in any corner and not feel crowded by other guests at all.

Let’s go to the beach.

Beach, beach, beach

The sand was indeed white and fine, but not as blindingly white and powdery as that on Boracay. The water was clear; the calmness was sometimes unnerving.

Yes, I could see sea urchin underwater; they were very visible because of the white sand and clear water. I appreciate the warning, though.

Nothing unsightly in the horizon

Unlike on Alona, where the ocean view from the beautiful beach was marred by the many bangkas waiting for tourists (too disappointing), this part of the ocean was very clean. You won’t see any bangka in the horizon. If you did, it would be a lone fisherman in the far distance.

I remember reading a review about a tourist in the Maldives who ranted about the concrete breakwater marring his supposedly endless view of the ocean. The guest said he had chosen the Maldives expecting unobstructed ocean views, but got barriers instead.

Some might not let a small thing like an obstruction dampen their stay, but some (like me) like to take a vacation to experience nothing but nature. Obtrusive concrete or a crowded resort is an abomination.

Our room afforded us use of non-motorized facilities, so we kayaked in that clear, unnervingly calm water.

Look down and all you’ll see is white sand underneath you. I would have liked corals and fish but the water was clean and clear so I’m not complaining.

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Take a ride on bamboo bikes

Another thing I love about the place is the bambike – a bike made of bamboo. Well, the body, at least.

I hadn’t been on a bike in years and it was so much fun just riding around the resort on that cobbled path.

Guess what? The bambike is hand-made using fair-trade labor and sustainable building practices. Wow, I love it even more. Apparently, these locally made bikes are used for guided eco-tours in Manila, particularly the old walled city of Intramuros.

Plus points to South Palms for supporting such a green endeavor!

Pools and play areas

At the other end of the reception were the pool-view bungalows and beach villas. The pool was nice and a great feature (kids love it), but I still prefer the garden setting. I’m not really into pools, anyway.

There was also a play area for kids, with a playhouse and slides. It’s kind of small, but since they have these at the malls anyway, I preferred that the kids ran around the resort and played in the sand and shallow water.

Near the reception was a tiki-style bar. Colourful bean bags were scattered all over the beach. Have a drink and just choose a spot – anywhere is divine.

A tiki bar on the beach

There was also an infinity pool near the tiki bar, in front of Oceanica, the resort’s open-air native-style restaurant. Is there anything I can’t love about this resort?

Breakfast buffet

The next morning, we enjoyed the buffet breakfast at Oceanica.

A satisfied guest

All things considered—beach, room, service, food, value for money, atmosphere and privacy—South Palms Resort Panglao is by far one of the best resorts I have ever been in.