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| Morning at the beachfront at Almont Beach Resort |
Exhausted from our Bucas Grande Island trip, we arrived at Almont Beach Resort at around 6:00 pm. It took us two hours by bus from Hayanggabon port to the Surigao Integrated Bus Terminal. At the terminal, Sir Edgar (the resort’s manager himself) picked us up with the resort’s private van. It took us 10 minutes to go to the resort.
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| The hallway of Almont Beach Resort |
Our room was located at a lower floor now so it wasn’t hard to climb up with our stuff (with our aching bodies from the extraneous island hopping activities). The room was spacious and might be too large for the three of us. There’s a fantastic view, of course, at the veranda.
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| All our bags are packed (still) |
We took turns in taking a shower and a soak in the tub. How else can you perfectly end a tiring day but with a warm bath!
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| The bathroom is clean and spacious |
While the others were taking a bath, I took the chance to watch the sun at the veranda. Its reflection on calm waters is a priceless view. It’s so peaceful at this corner of the world. No partying at night, no mad crowd, no noisy cars. Just the sound of the water and wind lull me to sleep.
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| From the veranda |
When everyone was dressed up, we went down to Cafe Maharlika for dinner. This time, we wanted to try a different ambiance so we did not have our setup at the veranda.
The food was great as usual. The best lechong kawali (crispy porl belly) in Surigao. The skin was perfectly crisp and the meat was succulent. It is a perfect match for ice cold beer.
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| Lechong kawali and stir-fry beef |
After having dinner and a round of drinks, we called it a day a slept early. Our flight the next day was at noon time, so we could still go around the resort and savor the view and fresh air.
We woke up early with the original plan to watch the sunrise by Almont Beach Resort’s view deck, but we woke up rather late in time for sunrise, so we just roamed around the property and took some photos.
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| The sunrise is perfectly viewed at this sundeck. Be sure to wake up at 5:00 am though. |
We never had a chance to swim but the resort’s pool looks inviting. We should’ve had a few cocktails by the poolside on our first night!
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| The pool |
The beach at Almont Beach Resort isn’t powdery nor white, but it is serene and the water is very clear. You can go kayaking and snorkeling here. What’s good is that the waves here are never strong, so kids can freely enjoy playing in the water.
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| The beach |
After our morning walk, we headed to Cafe Maharlika again for breakfast. It’s nice to have coffee at the restaurant’s veranda. The morning breeze was so refreshing.
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| The resort’s lawn fronting Cafe Maharlika |
The breakfast selections include: American, Filipino, Continental and Maharlika. I chose the latter, while hubby chose American (bacon) and my friend got Filipino (tocino).
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| The breakfast menu |
My Maharlika breakfast was so sinful. The adobo flakes was crisp and sweet and the fried rice was loaded with garlic – just the way I like it. The eggs complete the set. With the adobo flakes, I suddenly thought of the adobo rice served in bamboo at Bluewater Maribago. Yummy!
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| Maharlika Breakfast |
The Filipino breakfast looked just as delightful as my Maharlika breakfast.
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| Filipino Breakfast (tocilog) |
My hubby’s American breakfast is rather light yet tempting. The bacon is oh-so-good with the potato wedges and scrambled eggs. The breaded tomato is my hubby’s favorite that he wants to replicate it at home.
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| American Breakfast |
Time flew so fast and it was already time for us to leave Almont Beach Resort. It was such a pain to leave the tranquil resort, and the breathtaking province of Surigao del Norte. And as we left the resort to catch our noon flight to Manila, we promised ourselves to be back in no time. The place is etched on my mind, and it will always be.
Many thanks Ms. Margie Munsayac, Sir Edgar and Ms. Adee for the warm welcome and the impeccable service. Maraming salamat!
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Travelogues by Matet Garcia-Reyes 