232 338
TRAVEL
232
June14
fishermen exploiting the bounty of these
waters – and all-too regular-typhoons. In-
house marine biologist Geri told us that
efforts to monitor the reef include yearly
fish counts and coral surveys. Coral is
also planted to assist regeneration.
There’s a wide diversity of fish, and
numerous Nemos (that’s clown fish)
living in the soft sea anemones provide
endless fascination for the children. At
eight and 10 they are accomplished
snorkellers; the water here is shallow and
calm enough for beginners and younger
children, too. Knowing the swimming
abilities of my two, I felt comfortable
enough to stay out of earshot of the
eight-year-old, who talked non-stop into
his snorkel and scared off the fish!
The sheltered palm grove with beach
bar, hammocks and large shady trees
was a relaxing spot for sand-castle
building without the risk of sunburn. We
were happy at the beach, but Alegre also
has a very large pool.
Long, lazy meals
A leisurely two-hour breakfast is an
absolute luxury after the usual five-
minute rush on school mornings. More
so when the backdrop is 180-degree
ocean views and the plates are laden
with crispy bacon and perfect pancakes.
They were so delicious that we almost
ate our own body weight in bacon and
pancakes, after a healthy start of fresh
mango and pineapple.
For other meals we alternated
between the restaurant and the relaxed
beach bar, tucking into the pizzas and
salads for lunch – and the odd San
Miguel. The resort’s remote location
means other restaurant options are a
drive away in Cebu city, which could be
combined with a night or day excursion.
Room service is also available.
The dinner menu included enough
reasonably priced (S$10 to $14)
Filipino and Western options to keep
us all interested for five nights. Highly
recommended is dinner under the stars
at a private table by the beach with a
Filipino menu of whole deep-fried fish,
deep-fried pork belly andmarinated fish in
coconutmilk andherbs. And, after aday of
snorkelling, there is absolutely no reason
not to have banana fritters for dessert.