Located about thirty minutes away from the city, (Tagbilaran) Loboc river resort is another resort you shouldn’t miss. I actually had no plans or interest in going here, my mind was all set on Loboc floating restaurant buffets. Haha.

Me and my affinity for food. Also, I love trying out different restaurants. Tagbilaran and Panglao have so many nice restaurants, you can eat out every day, and not run out of choices.

But my sister, Tata was insistent on taking me here. Owned and operated by the husband and wife team, Ondoy Varquez and Zenaida Galang Varquez formerly of Carmen, the resort was not only a pleasant surprise, but it is also quite impressive.

It is secluded, and very peaceful. It actually feels like you are in your very own private sanctuary, surrounded by nature. The land has been developed in a way that showcases nature. For example, they dug and excavated the land to form a maze of waterways that connects the river, to the land, sort of like a canal, where you can go canoeing.

Said excavation created mini islands, one is the monkey island, and the other one a bird sanctuary, though the birds tend to come and go.

They offer a lot of activities from hiking trails, swimming pools, paddle boarding, carabao rides for the kids, kayaking, fishing, biking, swimming in the river, riverboat rides (with several options), you get it, never a dull moment here. They even have a massage room, and guess what? You can play mahjong here! Haha.

Oh, they have yoga as well. They offer guided tours, riverboat tours, etc.

And the rooms? Luxurious and upscale at pandemic rates.

Yes, with the pandemic, you are getting bargains for what would regularly cost you more than double. Depending on what room you choose to stay in, the price starts at 2500, 2900, 4500, 5000, 6400, 7000, 7500, with 8000 being the highest rate.

And all these come with breakfast. Rooms are categorized as native forest view, native Riverview, native river suite, premier river view, premier forest view. But regardless what room you decide on, even the cheapest room is high-end, very spacious, spectacularly designed, with your comfort in mind.

The restaurant has a wide selection as well, with very reasonable prices. Very easy on the wallet, considering the food is good. When we were at the resort, locals were dining as well, giving you an inkling that the food must be good if locals come to patronize your establishment.

We rented a speed boat that took us upstream where the river ended with waterfalls, actually several waterfalls.

I was almost tempted to jump in, but I understand the river is as deep as 6 meters during high tide and 4 meters during low tide (I hope I got this right as I’m writing all this down from memory, with the exception of the room rates, where I’m looking at the handout I asked for). It was definitely hard to resist.