Last February, my college friends and I attended a wedding of one of our classmates in Panglao, Bohol. It was a destination wedding that was well-welcomed after the stress of the past months (Odette). It was an opportunity for a get-away with friends, a short vacation filled with food, drinks and love (Char!).

Day 1, Feb 24 – Arrival & Free Day!

After 2 hours, we finally arrived in Tagbilaran City, Bohol. We hired a van to take us to Panglao, where we were going to stay (and where the wedding will be held). On the way, we passed by the tailor for our suits and then had a quick lunch of chicken inasal. And then – finally, Hennan Alona Beach, Panglao!

We did a quick change of outfit, excited to hang out at the beach and drink until we drop. Haha. This is what destination weddings are for – HAPPY HOUR!

Happy hour tip: Order as many drinks as you can on the last few minutes before cut-off so that you can extend your happy hour! We ended drinking at almost 9 PM – time just flies by so quickly when you’re with friends. There was a lot of catching up, laughter, and we even played quiz games because we’re competitive like that.

So, we walked around Alona beach to look for a restaurant for dinner. We decided on a restaurant that sold fresh shrimp and squid, only to realize that they cost almost 10x the normal price outside. Good thing we found out about it right before we finalized the transaction. It started raining and some stores were already closing as it was now around 10PM already. So, guess where we ended up eating?

We were the last guests of Jollibee before they closed for the night, too. Then, it was time to go back to the hotel and sleep because tomorrow was going to be a busy day!

Day 2, Feb 25 – Wedding Day, Groom Squad Duties

The wedding day! As a member of the entourage (groom’s men a.k.a. Groom Squad), it was going to be a busy day for us. We had to wake up early because there was so much preparation to be done. There’s the dance practice for the reception. Then the seemingly never-ending photo & video shoot for the same-day edits. Good thing we had alcohol to fuel us throughout the day. Haha.

And then, off to the church for the wedding! It was an intimate ceremony and I can’t say tears were not shed.

After the church wedding is the reception! We had to do some more photo shoots again, before we could join the rest of our friends at the table! The reception was held at Mithi Resort, which was also very nice! The venue was open-air, and it felt like we were in the middle of the jungle.

There were still some groom’s man duties to be completed during the reception, such as dancing (and embarrassing ourselves) in front of everyone and being sacrificed for the singles’ game, but after that was done, we could finally, literally, take of our shoes and enjoy the rest of the night! There was an open bar that served drinks until supplies last, and a live band that played groovy music everyone could dance (or sway) to.

Day 3, Feb 26 – Chilling at Hennan

After two days of consecutive drinking and merry-making, Day 3 was dedicated to rest and relaxation. I was finally able to enjoy the buffet breakfast at Hennan, since we left too early the day before for the wedding preps. This was followed by a few hours of pretend sunbathing (we were chasing the shade from the coconut trees the entire time). I know I said I had too much drinks but I sneaked in some left-over cocktails from last night and enjoyed my time, chilling with the view of the ocean.

We basically stayed in Hennan the entire day, and only went out for dinner. This time, we tried out the nearby Spanish restaurant called Bougainvillea, which was actually quite good! Just be careful with their Paella serving size because there is a minimum order of 2, which is equivalent to one pan – we thought we had to order at least 2 pans, so we ended up a paella short! No complaints about the taste and the price, though!

After dinner, we headed back to the hotel and planned to drink by the beach. Until it rained…and so we headed to the pool for a swim instead. Then, we had another round of drinks at the room where we played more games and got reprimanded for being noisy! Ugh, I hate party poopers that ruin things for people who are just having fun — it is a vacation after all!

Day 4, Feb 27 – Bohol Bee Farm

This was our last day on this getaway trip! Our ferry back to Cebu was still at 5PM, so we had enough time for check-out and lunch. Our driver brought us to Bohol Bee Farm for lunch, and wow, that was one great lunch with a nice view! They also use healthier ingredients, with actual flowers on the meals/salads! Too bad there were no bees to be seen – but I recommend this place for the view and the food (it was affordable for the huge serving size).

After lunch, we stopped by for some souvenirs (Kalamay, which is basically sweetened sticky rice in a coconut shell, and the famous Peanut Kisses), before finally heading to the pier!

One would think that 4 days would be enough, but to be honest, when you’re with the right people, it can seem to short. We parted ways, back to our normal lives with new memories, hoping that someday we’ll meet and enjoy each other’s company again! Also, thank you so much to Peter & Joyce for inviting us to your wedding. All of this would not be possible without that invite! Congratulations and best wishes in your new life as a married couple!

P.S. The Vlogs

So, I also made a two-part vlog of this trip over at my YouTube channel, BoredAtHome. Please check them out below and hit that subscribe button! #RoadTo100 HAHA.

Part 1!

That’s it – this was a long post! See you in the next one!