We arrived early on the morning of the 12th May into a very small airport on the island of Bohol. We awaited our bags before heading outside to meet our driver. We were immediately bombarded with offers for rides to wherever we wanted to go but turned everyone down in search for a sign reading 'Mr Gregory Matthews' only to find that we had been forgotten about and had to turn back to those same guys.

After a little bargaining our backpacks were strapped precariously to the outside of the tricycle and we were on our way to Alona beach, Panglao Island. Before arriving we knew that Alona beach was a very touristy place, but for our first stay we were happy with this, wanting to adjust to the huge culture change slowly.

We had our first nights accommodation booked in a lovely little resort called Paragayo, the staff were friendly and apologetic about forgetting our airport transfer, so we persuaded them to upgrade our room for free.

We ditched our bags and ignored our tired bodies and headed off down to the beach, which was less than five minutes walk away. As soon as we left the comfort of the resort reception again we were besieged with offers for motorbikes, tricycles, island hopping tours, diving and many more. This was something we were going to have to get used to pretty fast and it only took us a few hours to learn how to say hindi po (No in a respectful way) and with this we were soon left alone.

Once we hit the beach front we realised just how touristy this place was. There were more restaurants and bars than I can name , most with chairs and tables set up right on the beach and each one offering happy hours and cheap breakfasts. We pushed thoughts of hunger away and walked straight down to the sea and soon realised why this place had become so popular, it was beautiful. White sand, clear water and blue skies greeted us and we were blown away.

It wasn't long before we decided to try out a breakfast and so we chose a place right on the beach. The menus had a big variety but we decided to try out the 'Filipino breakfast'. This consisted of rice, egg and then a choice of meats. Greg chose Tocino, pork in a sweet marinade; this helped satisfy his Canadian sweet/salty taste! Katie chose Longganisa, a small sausage with A LOT of garlic. Both were delicious although the next few days we both chose the tocino. The breakfast also came with tea or coffee and Katie was happily surprised when the lovely server provided milk for the tea (the English really do love their tea).

The next couple of days consisted of eating (a lot) and checking out the area around the island. It didn't take us long to hire a motorbike and get out on the roads. Kids waved as we drove past and Katie happily waved back while Greg smiled and drove on past the beautiful forests and ramshackle huts that lined the streets. Dogs wandered around the island freely, goats were tethered near every small town, bony cows with hanging udders were scattered in the fields and occasionally we would spot another white person who had ventured out from Alona Beach.

While on our adventures we came across Libaong beach, this one was not in our guide book and not even on the small map we had. It was quiet, with just a few Filipino children playing in the water, no restaurants or bars and no tourists, it was breathtaking. The waters were glass clear; it was even more spectacular than Alona beach. We only had a short time left of our motorbike rental and so we took a quick dip in the water before making our way back.

In the evenings, the beach front lights up with even more activity. The restaurants display a huge array of seafood and fish, the bright blue parrot fish standing out among then greys and reds of the lapu lapu and snappers. The shrimp antenna and squid tentacles reached out of their trays in an eerie way but tasted delicious grilled or fried in garlic butter as we chose. We found that the seafood went down even better with a San Miguel; the most widely drank beer in the Philippines and a bargain at around 50 pesos (around $1). If only we could eat like this every night!

We finally decided to drive out to the Loboc River and take a cruise on an all you can eat buffet boat. This was the popular thing to do and it is no wonder why. The river is beautiful and the food was pretty good too. After a short ride we reached the Tontonan Falls, which were really not very impressive, but pretty in such stunning surroundings. On the journey back, the Filipino band that had been playing for us were happy to find that the large group of Filipino ladies and nuns were on really high spirits and danced around the boat for everyone's entertainment. Katie was tempted to join them, but without her trusty hula hoop her confidence waned. Next time…

After the Loboc River we drove another few km up the island to visit the Tarsier centre. It was a cheap option for something to do and although only took a few minutes of our time it was great to see the beautiful little creatures that are one of the smallest primates on earth with big bright eyes. Cute!

With sore bums from our uncomfortable motorbike and big smiles from the days events we headed back to Panglao. After reaching the island we were caught in what we thought was rush hour. A huge group of motorbikes and other vehicles trapped in a slow moving procession through the island. It took us some time to work our way to the front only to realise we were actually following the truck of the governor of Bohol who had just won the elections. We followed for some time, watching them throw candy to the children of Panglao and pass some to us as we drove past on our way home.

That evening we walked down to the beach to watch the sun set, the sky was striking colours of purples, deep blues and pinks. We took a dip in the sea, enjoying the calmness of the evening waters and feeling great after a full day of activities.

Panglao is beautiful and laid back but just a little too touristy for us which means it has also been putting us out of our low budget.

Bohol you've been awesome. Next stop, Siquijor….the Island of Fire.