Traveling experience wouldn't be complete without visiting the province of Bohol. Of course, who doesn't want to see the famous Chocolate Hills in actual. It is considered as one of the Philippines natural wonders and I'm glad I was able to visit for the first time, 'though at that time, it was drizzling. I also had encounter with the adorable tarsiers, they are small primates with big round eyes. Just be careful not to stress them because one of their unique characteristic is that they are suicidal. The Loboc River Cruise through the Floating Restaurant was also an experience we didn't miss. We really enjoyed the buffet lunch and the performance of the acoustic singer. It was nice to hear the song 'Anak' (orig. by Ka Freddie Aguilar) while eating and sightseeing.

Btw, here's our itinerary for the Countryside Tour:

Tarsier Sanctuary
Butterfly Garden
Man-Made Forest
Hanging Bridge
Chocolate Hills
Loboc River Cruise
Phyton Sanctuary
Blood Compact Shrine
Baclayon Church - destroyed by earthquake and  undergoing re-construction

Stress is an inevitable part of life, there are times when you just want to take a break from work, pollution and noise of Metro Manila. There are times when you want to run away from all the worries and just relax, to find a perfect hiding place. Sometimes, you want to reward yourself from all the hard work, pamper luxuriously, and have a breath of fresh air. Actually, this is an overdue post, but I just want to share my best hotel experience so far, all that I have mentioned, I was able to experience in The Peacock Garden Luxury Resort of Baclayon, Bohol. The Peacock Garden offers an East-meets-West feel, from the amenities up to food and services. 

 A few months ago, Radney and I went on a 5D/4N Cebu-Bohol vacation. We were in Cebu exploring the city on the first day and on the second day in Bohol for a Countryside Tour. These two days were full of tiring activities so we've planned our remaining 3 days for pure relaxation at The Peacock Garden. On the third day, the service van picked us up at Lost Horizon Resort in Panglao. The driver gave us cold bottled water and wet face towels. It was about 40 minutes travel time from Panglao Island to Baclayon. The resort can't be seen immediately as it is not located near the main road, but there's a huge sign in a small street pointing to the hotel. The street is near the famous Baclayon Church. The location of the resort is secluded, but once you get there you'll be greatly surprised as the place is really fascinating. It is situated on top of a hill! I haven't been to a resort as beautiful as what I saw! It was like a European mansion but situated in the Philippines. The service van dropped us at Old Hiedelberg, the fine-dining and main restaurant of the boutique hotel.

So now, let me list down the top 10 reasons why this place has captivated me so much. Here it goes...

1.  Upon entrance, we saw the authentic sala set used by our National Hero, Dr. Jose Rizal in Germany. The German owner Mr. Schoof and his Filipina wife admires our national hero so much and they have a lot of antique collectibles from Europe displayed all over the hotel.

2. At the reception area, they served us with refreshing piñakwan (pineapple-watermelon) smoothies as welcome drinks. The area is so neat and the receptionists are using iMac, iPad and iPhone to verify bookings.

3. They serve excellent tasting European cuisines, especially German classics. We drooled over the large servings of Jaeger Schnitzel, Beef Stroganoff and Penne Al Arriabiata. They also serve different kinds of sausages. It also seems like they never ran out of fresh ingredients for their menu considering the place is secluded. The waiters/waitresses nicely explained to us some dishes that we've never heard of before.

4. They have semi-buffet breakfast on top of heavy set meal. There's always an unlimited supply of fresh yogurt, cold cuts, different kinds of bread, jams, pastries and beverages in the morning!

5. They have colorful murals outside. I love love love them so much. They made a perfect background for our pictures.

6. They have a semi-Olympic sized infinity pool on top of a hill. This is my favorite part! ♥ The expansive view of Bohol sea is incredible. It has a jacuzzi on the side and a kiddie pool as well. The two giant Greek statue and a garden with colorful flowering plants surrounding the pool gave a classy vibe. The whole time we were there, there's no other guests swimming in the pool probably because it's not peak season. It was like privately reserved for us! Lol! For safety, there's still an assigned personnel/lifeguard to look after us all the time. Every time we'll swim, he'll provide us with towels and smoothies.

7. They have the comfiest bed on a vintage-looking wooden frame I've ever slept on. Thanks to their Senso Memory foam topper, it's always a perfect sleep there. 

8. They have a play area (billiards, darts, table tennis, board games, etc.), fitness area, their own disco house with wine cellar and a huge banquet hall perfect for events.

9. Definitely the best as it received the TripAdvisor's Travelers' Choice® Award for 2013 and 2014 recently for the categories: Top Hotels, Luxury, Romance and Service.

10. They have a world-class spa! My another favorite! ♥ This is no joke but their Fontana Aurelia Spa, is included in Condé Nast Johansens Recommended Luxury Spas of 2012, the first and only in the Philippines. They only use natural ingredients for their treatments at the spa. We had 2.5 hours of blissful body massage, back treatment and foot reflexology. But before that, we were given 20 minutes to enjoy the warm jacuzzi and steam bath. A calming music was played in the backgound. For me, this is the best spa ever! At that time, I feel like I was a real-life princess. It is somewhat expensive but for once in a lifetime world class experience, this spa is really worth it.


Deluxe Sea View Room



Old Hiedelberg Restaurant

Pim's Games and Disco



Fontana Aurelia Spa




Infinity Pool











Murals and Lush Greens