AMCO Beach Resort

the captivating view of Sabang Beach in Baler, Aurora with Sierra Madre Mountains on the sides

Would like to share pictures and insights from my recent stay at AMCO Beach Resort in Baler, Aurora. It is strategically located about 5mins walk to the beach. The place is very spacious though not thoroughly maintained. As seen on their symbols, the resort is established in 1982. The pools were out of water and some of their furniture but are barely tolerable for the price. It only costs Php950 per room good for 3 persons and Php150 for extra bed; so it would only cost Php275 per person if there are four of you in one room. They also serves breakfast for Php120 with unlimited coffee. Plus, their drinking water is for free also! I couldn't miss the fact that their crews were extremely accommodating and helpful. You may bring your own food there and let them heat them for you. You may also use their refrigerators as they had offered to our group. They even let you borrow their utensils and can wash your things on their kitchen. It's like your home in Baler. Amazingly Filipino hospitality!

Here are the pics I got..

the door of the room, i'm sitting in between the two beds

non-cable TV and aircon and the CR's door

wooden corridor

view of the 2nd floor's veranda, 

signages

AMCO Beach Resort

view from the 2nd floor veranda

If given a chance I would be on tight budget going to Baler, definitely I'll be staying on this resort!

Boracay Activities

Here are the activities we went through during my 3D/2N stay in Boracay last April2012:

• PARASAILING:
  price: Php1500 on double flight, good for 15mins

imagine those are your legs, we are that high!

you can see your speedboat making curves

our companions now on top

•  ISLAND HOPPING
  price: Php2000 good for 3hours, Crystal Cove Island Resort (200 per pax entrance fee) and snorkeling site (100 rental for each snorkeling gears)

on dock the Crystal Cove Island Resort

the first cove

the second cove where you'll definitely get wet

•  HELMET DIVING/REEF WALKING
  price: Php800 per person good for 20mins, with pictures and videos

one of the speedboats used to transport us from one site to another

On a final note, I think the prices would vary depending on your local guides. I'm not just sure if the people at Station 3 will entertain you without any guides. I had talked to my friends and the prices really fluctuates. So it's good for you to canvass and haggle for cheaper expenses.

Boracay Regency Resort

Last April 24-26, 2012, we checked-in at Boracay Regency Resort. I think this was rated with either a 4-star or 5-star hotel category though I would judge it as a 4-star. We arrived at the hotel at around a few minutes after 12noon. From the lobby you can see its elegance and neatness. The staff are very entertaining to us though their standard check-in time is 3pm. Our room is upgraded! Good news! We had requests that they made it without any hesitations; one is our request to borrow towels by the poolside though we are not on the guest list yet and to the fact that our paid time is not yet running. So to speak, we were enjoying the beach even if we're not yet checked-in to our rooms.

Here are some pics of our room and the hotel:

view from the door (this is triple sharing deluxe room)

one queen bed and one single (good for triple sharing)

view from our terrace (pool area - the north pool)

view from the terrace area

the bathroom

the terrace door when closed on daylight

our key card and the key holder

the stairs right beside the beach, we were lucky to have rooms just few steps from  these stairs

outside of our room, the hallway

the terrace door, actual lights on the room

you could hang dry your clothes

morning view from our terrace

Some interesting facts about the hotel:

• We had our reservation through their online site. I think it's almost the same with Agoda and with more choices. The package includes buffet breakfast that serves Filipino and American dishes (bacon, omelet, egg, tapa, beef stew etc), wide array of breads (from pandesal to cupcakes to croissants to pancakes), fruits (mango, papaya, watermelon, pineapple) and drinks (juices, hot choco, coffee). 
• They have three pools with jacuzzi (I guess) but neither of which I tired. It's open from 8am to 10pm.
• They have lounging chairs with huge umbrellas on the beach just outside their premises where you could leave your things as they have crews who would look after them. You can even stay on their tents (which transforms into a restaurant at night).
• They lend you towels for the whole day from either of their pools and you can take them wherever you may go in the island. 
• They are located right in the middle of the boat stations (Station2) which is also the center of all the where-abouts of the must-see spots of the island.

I enjoyed my stay on this resort and definitely will book here when I go back to Boracay!