Children scrambling for candies

Easter morning began with children running all over the resort hunting for Easter eggs hidden by our Activity Coordinators the night before. What made it fun was that these eggs all had treats like candies, chocolate balls and money with the best eggs were two coconut eggs made from coco lumber - the highest cash prize. At 8am, the children were busy painting eggs in various colors with the help of in-house artist George.

Guests had breakfast by the beach, made enjoyable by the colored balloons and ribbons on the buffet table. Curiously, there were also 15 yellow chicks close to the table happily chirping away!

The human tower...all for one and one for all!

By ten, the Easter Day Celebration was in full swing as the beach was crowded with guests and spectators for the Palo Sebo, a traditional Filipino game usually played during town fiestas. A greased bamboo pole is erected at the beach with a cash prize at the very top. Guests chose not to climb and let the Coco staff try their luck instead. Several groups tried but failed and fell on the sand. After several tries, the men from the Services Department made a human tower with help from the very brilliant guest Mr. Jan Juul from Denmark, the men made it to the top and got the prize!

Winning Team 4 during the Beach Relay. Why is it only Annica is paddling?

The next game was the beach relay with 4 teams competing. Team 1 – father & son Jan and Casper, team 2 – cousins Morten and Simone, team 3 – Carina and Warlito from Services and team 4 – Annica and Arnold from Services. The beach relay included an obstacle course and kayak race. With their best techniques and skills, team 4 Arnold and Annica won the game and they got a free dinner at the Trattoria Restaurant for the entire family!

Oliver finally hits the pot!

In the afternoon, children and even their parents joined in the parlor games at the Children’s Playground which included hit-the-pot. Our in-house doctor, Dr. Ariel and even our Executive Chef Noel Gaffud and Dining Supervisor Rodel Lopez tried their luck in hitting the pot but they were all bested by a small boy named Oliver Juul Petersen who successfully hit and broke the pot into pieces.

Margarita serves during the Easter Vollyball Match

Easter Day was capped by the Beach Volleyball Tournament between the Danish Dynamite versus the Coco Mangyan Team. The Danish Dynamite is made up of the Jull family, Jan Anders, Erick, Morten, Simone, Annica, Karina and Kate. The Coco Mangyan players was headed by Dining personnel Welbert, Medy of Front Office, Grace from Accounting, HR Lyzzelle and the children of the Service Family children Margarita and Elvin. The Coco Mangyan team won two times in best of 3 games and they got a case of beer and soft drinks which everybody shared after the games.

Happy Hour's Pirate Bar

Not to be outdone, the Barmen made a Pirate’s Floating Bar in the pool especially for Happy Hour. The floating bar was made up of kayaks, bamboo and decorated with colorful buntings decorations. The barmen headed by Bar Supervisor Ferdie prepared special drinks like mai-tai, pinacolada, rhum coke, whisky coke, gin tonic, tequila sunrise, screw driver and the pirate’s favorite- sex on the pool (beach)…Happy Hour was really happy with drink all you can cocktails and finger foods and guests in the pool with drink in hand….HAPPY EASTER TO ALL!!

Last week, March 31, a group of 24 guests from 8 nations came to Coco Beach Island Resort for some fun and adventure. The group consisted of various nationals from the Philippines, Canada, Denmark, Italy, Great Britain, Australia, Sweden and the USA and for one whole day they had a great adventure with our Activity Guides.

The group consisted of Caleb & Rachel Kurianski and son Daniel (USA), Henning & Anette and children Jacob & Rasmus Karlsen (Denmark), Verejano family Erick, Robert, Ernesto, Ruth and Jennielyn (Fil/Canadian) Paguio family Daniel Jr, Adeline, Ermelita, Josielyn, Daniel and Michael (Fil/Canadian), Leah and her son Josh Gander (Australia), Alex Milazzo (Italy) and his girlfriend Claire Worral (British) and Gruar Jansson and Marriane Rietlez from Sweden.

One of the Filipino-Canadian Families at Tamaraw Falls

Among the many activities that they had, the trip to Tukuran Lagoon was the most fun and exciting. Their adventure started at 9:30 am when they took a 15-minute boat ride to Muelle in Puerto Galera town. From the pier, they boarded a local jeepney that brought them to the famous Tamaraw Falls, about 45 minutes away from the town center. The jeepney is a uniquely Filipino mode of transportation with roots traced to the military jeeps used by American soldiers who occupied the Philippines over 70 years ago. Tamaraw Falls is just beside the national highway and stands gracefully at 80 meters high with crystal clear water cascading down to a series of pools at the foot of the mountain where it eventually finds its way out into the open sea. Along the way, this international group were treated to the majestic views of Puerto Galera’s coastline with its towering mountains, forested islands and wide blue sea.

Carabao Cart ride to Tukuran

From Tamaraw Falls, the group proceeded to the town of San Teodoro where they exchanged the jeepney ride for something totally rustic and another more indigenously Filipino means of transportation, a wooden cart ride pulled by the country’s national animal, the carabao. Riding the wooden cart is a totally different experience that takes about 30 minutes as the carabao, pulling the wooden cart slowly wends its way to the Lagoon through rough trails and six rivers. Bumpy and rickety yet strong and sturdy, the carabao cart ride is guaranteed to give you a totally different meaning to “free massage”.

At Tukuran Lagoon, the big group had a blast as they enjoyed swimming in the fresh clear waters of the lagoon or just trekking around the huge riverine stones. While swimming, our Activity Guides prepared a healthy barbeque lunch beside the lagoon which consisted of grilled tuna, pork chops, marinated chicken, green salad, fresh fruits and many more.

After lunch as the sun arced over the sky, they went back to Puerto Galera Town and did some shopping and tour around the town center before heading back to Coco Beach.

Intzilakis Family at View Point

A happy and active family with roots traced to the Czech Republic but living in Denmark had a great holiday at Coco Beach.

Grandparents Apostolos and Vaia Intzilakis, their son Theo and his wife Vicky and grandchildren Christina and Nickie were truly a very active family and were always on the go.

Crossing Saclag Hanging Bridge

During their 8 days stay at the Resort, the Intzilakis always had something new to do everyday with the Activity Guides always ready to assist them and make sure that they enjoy every minute of the day. The family went exploring the different coves and beaches Puerto Galera is famous for having. They also went on a snorkeling tour and were amazed by the colorful and diverse marine life.

Kayaking along the Jungle River

They also had a chance to take a dip in the cool spring waters of Bulabod Beach, an ideal hideaway where one can commune with Mother Nature at her best. Among other things, they visited the Tamaraw Falls, rode on a wooden cart pulled by a carabao and went to Tukuran Lagoon and lastly, went kayaking downstream in the jungle river of San Teodoro.

Intzilakis having a healthy picnic lunch

The members of the Intzilakis family were all first timers at Coco Beach and really enjoyed themselves here in the resort and had a very memorable time together which made them vow to come back for their next family vacation.

Say "Hi!" to this newly discovered specie Varanus bitatawa

The size of a tall human, the Varanus bitatawa lizard lives in the island of Luzon in the Philippines. It lives in a heavily populated and deforested area but has dodged scientists until now. The area on which this giant lizard lives makes this an “unprecedented surprise”. In 2009, the V. bitatawa was identified as a new species with its DNA, scale pattern, size and peculiar penis.

The team who discovered the giant lizard says that the discovery "adds to the recognition of the Philippines as a global conservation hot spot and a regional superpower of biodiversity,"

Read more about this amazing creature and its discovery on the National Geographic Article.

Text and Photo Source: National Geographic Website