Amarela Resort

Days at Amarela begin by the water, on a private beach set below gardens on Panglao Island. The resort holds 30 rooms and one villa with its own pool, each built with reclaimed wood, antique furnishings and art gathered by its founder, a native of nearby Antequera, over years of collecting Boholano craft. It is a small resort. The Bohol House runs to 60 square metres with a private pool and outdoor lanai, while rooms such as the Tamsi and Samia open onto balconies over the garden or sea. Manan-aw Restaurant serves Filipino and Boholano dishes using herbs and vegetables grown in the resort's own garden, alongside produce from local partners. Guests swim in a pool that looks out over the Bohol Sea, kayak and snorkel along the shore, or walk through a butterfly garden and an on-site art gallery of Boholano works. The resort runs on solar power and collects rainwater for its grounds, and its staff are drawn entirely from the local community. Alona Beach, with its restaurants and dive shops, sits about ten minutes away by road. You can hear the sea from most rooms after dark. Amarela remains close in spirit to its start as a seven-room family retreat, expanded but still built around handwork, local produce and a quiet stretch of coast.