I spent about 36-hours on the island of Bohol to get away from the city on March 11th, 2026. It was my second time here, as I spent a few days there in 2024, which you can read about by CLICKING HERE.
Sometimes when you return to a place you loved, it doesn’t quite live up to the memory. But this time, the opposite happened.
As soon as I arrived back at Alona Beach, I remembered exactly why it stood out to me the first time.
The beach has that perfect mix of clear turquoise water, soft white sand, and a relaxed island vibe that makes it incredibly easy to slow down and just enjoy being there.
And within minutes of walking along the shoreline, it all came back to me.
I stayed at the very modest Alona Guest House, paying about $18 USD a night.
It was exactly what I always look for when I’m island hopping: clean, comfortable, and inexpensive.
Honestly, when I’m traveling like this, the room is just a place to sleep and shower. I’m rarely there long enough to need anything fancy.
But during the day, I found a great way to upgrade the experience.
Just down the beach is the beautiful Henann Resort Alona Beach, which offers day passes for around $25 USD.
For that price, you can spend the day enjoying the resort — and it’s pretty incredible.
Most of my time there was spent in the pool, relaxing on a lounge chair, and floating over to the swim-up bar. It felt like a luxury vacation… without the luxury hotel price.
The day pass also included an excellent buffet, which made the deal even better.
If you prefer the full resort experience, rooms start around $200 USD per night.
But for me, this was the perfect travel hack: budget room + luxury resort day pass.
And I have to say — it’s one of the nicest resorts I’ve ever experienced in my life. 
I also treated myself to an amazing surf-and-turf beach dinner right along Alona Beach.
Fresh seafood, steak, the sound of the waves, and a warm tropical evening — it’s hard to beat that combination.
Add in a few rum and Cokes, and the whole experience came to about $40 USD.
For a beachfront dinner like that, in a place this beautiful, it felt like an incredible deal.
Moments like that are exactly why quick island escapes like this are so worth it. 🌴🍹
Before wrapping up my short—but incredibly sweet—trip, I also took care of renewing my stay in the country for another 29 days. From what I’ve experienced so far, the process seems much easier on the smaller islands, and after this visit, I’d have to agree. Everything felt a little more relaxed and straightforward than dealing with the same process in a large city.
If you’re curious about how the process works, you can read more about renewing a visa in the Philippines—along with a few lessons I learned along the way in my blog—by CLICKING HERE.