The Peacock Garden

Vacations are normally stressful.  It requires as much careful planning and coordination as any big project at work because failing that, you normally end up with too many commitments, too many parties, and too many meals to eat especially if you can't help double or triple booking.  No complaints here, just saying.

I always feel like I need another holiday whenever I come back from a long vacation. Fortunately this year my schedule cleared up, so we were able to plan a break before we fly back to Singapore.

I've always wanted to stay at The Peacock Garden Luxury Resort and Spa in Bohol. My sister told me about it, and I've seen the pictures from her past visit and from her friends on facebook (stalker much, hahaha) and the place just looked absolutely breathtaking.  It came as quite a surprise to me when I found out that this resort did not have any beach access, which normally would be one of our requirements when looking for accommodation in a place known for beautiful beaches, but since my brother and sister only had good things to say about the place, we said we would like to try it out...

It was definitely the right choice.  For me, the name is a clear winner...  The Peacock Garden Luxury Resort and Spa.  I had visions of lying in the sun, fruit shake in hand, with a very attentive staff waiting to be asked for anything I wished.  I was not mistaken.  This place has delivers understated luxury... it's cozy like home, but you get the feeling that you're very well taken cared of.

You will NOT miss the beach at all... because this resort has an infinity pool just a few steps outside their very spacious rooms overlooking the beach.

This is the pool right outside our room.
There's a jacuzzi, a smaller pool and a big pool.

This is our room.
The owner of the resort collects antiques so you can see his collection throughout the resort.

We opted to share one room for 3 adults and Fi instead of getting 2 rooms.
They prepared a nook with 2 extra beds and Sofia loved having her own space!

If you don't ask for any extra beds, this couch would normally be there,
with the coffee table and complimentary fruit in the middle.

This is the view from our room.
Love. Love. Love.

The bathroom is simply decorated and very clean.
My favorite is that their mirror does not fog... no matter how hot your shower is!

These are the guest rooms from the outside.
This is the building closer to the Spa, which is the building behind the tree.

These are the guest rooms in the building where we are staying.

I love the umbrellas and lounge chairs.
I am currently blogging from here while soaking up some rays :D

A better view of the infinity pool

My daughter takes after me, she's a total water baby
She'd rather jump into the pool first rather than eat despite missing lunch due to our delayed flight

Watching the sunset by the pool was really lovely.

Fi and I swam to the end of the infinity pool
The shadow in the picture near the setting sun is us!

Then our food arrived!!!  Late lunch: 5:30PM.

I've heard a lot about the Veal Sausage, it is was very good.
The resort has a German Chef.

Fried Camembert.
This was our absolute favorite dish!!!
Due to it's rich and sinful nature, we agreed that we should only order it ONCE a day during our stay... TO SHARE! :p

Ham and Egg Open Sandwich

The little girl who refused to stand up from the pool was very hungry

The resort is very pretty even after the sun sets.
This is the infinity pool overlooking the sea.

These are the guest rooms near the spa at night.
View from the poolside.

Since we're on holiday, after getting washed up, off we went to dinner! Hahaha. pg much!

This nice chandelier welcomes you as you enter the main restaurant of the resort,
OLD HEIDELBERG Fine Dining

Then you see this roped off area,
which turns out to be a living room set used by Jose Rizal.

Intrestingly, the owner of the resort, Sir Hans Schoof, is a knight of Jose Rizal from Heidelberg.

The also have a Romans vs Egyptians Chess Set after entering the restaurant.
My daughter is pondering her strategy: "how to start?"

The Egyptian Opponents

The owner collects antiques and he has used it to decorate the restaurant.
I just have a thing for taking pics of nice chandeliers.

Enough sight seeing!  It's dinner time already the little girl was hungry na...

Take note: Dinner: a little past 7:00pm!!!

They served bread freshly baked on site.
Sofia loved this!

Yummy spreads made on site too.
I think it's really rich Schmaltz and Herbed Butter

Since we just had lunch a little over an hour before this, my sister and I just split a soup and a main.

Really yummy Onion Soup, a half portion was still filling

We had Chicken Schnitzel for our main course.
Sofia liked this so she shared mine and ate the fries.

Of course my chocoholic sister had to order dessert.

She has fond memories of the Chocolate Mousse from her last visit.
This is a specially requested half portion too, since she thought she was too full to finish two scoops.

That was because she didn't realize Sofia would eat most of it.  Hahaha.
We almost asked for them to serve the other half.

When we got back from dinner, our beds had already been turned down,
and instead of mints they left us Peanut Kisses :)

I love small details :)  Luxury?  Definitely!

You may book your stay at The Peacock Garden Luxury Resort and Spa through their website. If you find yourself in Bohol, you may want to drop by, see the place and enjoy their restaurant. You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter if you'd like to inquire.

Getting There:
The closest airport is in Tagbilaran (15 minutes away from the Resort).
There are a lot of domestic and low cost airlines flying to Tagbilaran from Manila, the flight time is approximately an hour and 10 minutes.  You may also opt to take a ferry from Cebu, where there is an International Airport and more frequent flights from Manila.

Just a word of advice: If the cost of Zest Air vs ANY other airline is not substantial...
DO NOT TAKE ZEST-AIR!  we were lucky that our flight was only delayed an hour.
We were boarded on time, but we were waiting for approval to fly for more than an hour.
With congested runways, Zest-Air is definitely NOT one of those prioritized.  Just Saying. 

Now, I need to make a lot of noise so my sister, daughter and lola yaya (granny nanny) get the message that it's past lunch time already.  My stomach has already told me loudly that we need our Fried Camembert Fix for today.