I told myself that I won’t settle for anything less than Boracay, but alas, my newfound schedule has prevented me from going to my favorite place in this country. Give it time, when I can afford to fly there whenever I want, I would definitely go there as much as I can. Hard work needs to be on the spotlight right now.

A few weeks ago, my friends and I decided to spend a quiet weekend at the beach since summer was almost over, and around the Independence Day holiday is usually when the sun shines the brightest one last time before it gives way to dark clouds to reign the sky. Twas decided a few days prior to the holiday, so almost every resort was fully booked already, and upon a recommendation of a friend, we were able to book at Palm Beach, which is near Virgin Beach, a resort that I’ve been to last May.

I was told that Virgin Beach and Palm Beach were nearby, but I didn’t realize that it was a long, long stretch, and Palm Beach was actually very near La Luz. The roads to reach Palm Beach were very very steep and rocky ( it was almost illegal. kidding! ), and as we arrived to the place, all the whining about the road stopped with the breathtaking view of the beach. When one lands to the destination and hears the waves, and feels the breeze, everything is forgotten. Welcome, vacation time for us.

The accommodations of Palm Beach , I must say, are top notch. Perhaps the best in the whole stretch of Laiya because it reminded me of a Boracay Tropics( which is simply THE BEST ) , only much more rustic and simpler. White linens, white curtains, wooden furniture, balcony - very very elegant. There were also two bathrooms - one for the cubicle, and one for the shower, with a big mirror outside and a sink, those who would share a room would need not be impatient about taking turns on “what to do.” hahaha!

The dining hall was a common hall for everyone as everyone who is checked in Palm Beach must avail of their buffet ( a package for lunch,merienda, dinner, and breakfast, about 950 php ). The food was just so-so. I didn’t like it that much - the only thing I enjoyed there was the unlimited supply of iced tea. I’d say food at Virgin Beach was better.

As for the beach, there were cabanas that we were able to use, and it was cozy, but for sun-loving girls like me, it was more of getting out of the cabana, getting some sun, taking some pictures ( I had two really shutterbug friends who took alot of pictures, even more than me! ), and splashing in the water. The sand was very coarse - even way coarser than Virgin Beach which I found slightly tolerable, so I had to use my towel to sit on and have my tanning session, there were bugs everywhere because it was expected - we were very close to mother nature, and there were rocks as well at the sea. Big rocks ( see my picture on my previous entry - that’s a shot by the beach ). I was able to swim, but definitely wearing my Havaianas for foot safety. Call me high maintenance. I’m totally fine with that. Haha!

Overall, I have enjoyed my experience at Palm Beach despite the rocks, and the sand condition, mainly because of the topnotch accommodations. I would have never left the room if I didn’t want that last tan that I could get this summer! But really, if I were to be asked if I’d want to go back to Laiya, I’d immediately say yes. Perhaps check out the resorts near Virgin Beach for similar sand conditions, but I can always go back to Palm Beach - I have no problem with that since it’s okay for a beach that is the nearest thing we can go to, and I’m such an accommodations person.