Any bride will tell you that preparing for a wedding, even if you hire an army of event planners to help you, is stressful. Nerve-racking. A beauty destroyer, to say the least.
The bliss that you feel when your boyfriend proposes complete with the postcard perfect sunset, followed by the noble act of kneeling in front of you while offering you a rare diamond ring cut to utmost perfection, will only last until the actual preparations begin.
There’s the list of the wedding entourage to be made, lots of consultations before finalizing it, the godparents, the dress (who will design? will be it modern like Angelina Jolie’s? or with a touch of royalty like Princess Di?), the hair style, the flowers, the food, and it goes on and on and on.
All of that will be gone like a bad dream on the wedding day. Once you march down the aisle wearing your dream gown, looking radiant and fresh as the day you were born, while your debonair future husband is waiting at the altar, ready to surrender his good old bachelor days for an eternity with you.
But there’s nothing like a perfect honeymoon to totally erase the accumulated stress and heartaches that the bride experienced while planning the wedding.
One such place that is close to heaven is Eskaya Beach Resort & Spa in Panglao Island in Bohol.
Surrounded by emerald green trees, cerulean sky and the powder blue sea, it’s just the perfect place to celebrate love and romance.
The resort guarantees exclusivity and tranquility that honeymooners deserve. The entire 16-hectare property evokes a modern day paradise and an old-world charm that’s equally romantic and stunning.
Right after stepping out of the resort’s car that will take you from the airport into the Panglao Island, sweet smiles and genuine happy faces from the resort’s staff will greet the honeymooners. The staff’s traditional Filipino uniforms – baro’t saya for the women and gartered pants and shirt for the men — will already add charm into a promising holiday.
Sure to win you over are the villas or “balais” in local dialect. They are made of concrete and indigenous materials reminiscent of the bahay kubo, only better: bamboo, cogon grass, wood, nipa, rattan. The style and architecture of the balais will remind visitors of the old house of stones that were popular in the country during the Spanish era.
The interiors of the villas further evoke the grandeur of the past: generous spaces, high ceilings, well-curated furniture such as an antique closet or “aparador”, among others. To ensure your comfortable stay, the villas are also equipped with modern amenities such as air-conditioners, and if you don’t like them, ceiling fans, wifis, jacuzzis, and personal refrigerators.
The scene stealer in each villa is the canopy bed, covered with a white, thin, veil-like material, much like the mosquito net of the old days, but more welcoming, more romantic, less threatening. The beds, big enough for two, are ideal for lazing around the room all day round.
But staying indoors is not advised because the resort has fun outdoor activities that guests can enjoy. Honeymooners can chose to go scuba diving, island hopping, beach volleyballs, and barbecues at the beach side.
Eskaya also offers guests exclusive tour packages to visit Bohol’s tourist sites: the Loboc River; centuries-old churches, chocolate hills; the cuddly tiny tarsiers.
After a full day of enjoying Bohol’s offerings, the couple can relax in the privacy of the resort’s spa that offers traditional Filipino massages guaranteed to soothe tired muscles and soles.
For more information on Eskaya Beach Resort and Spa, log on to http://www.eskayaresort.com/ or call (+632)576-3082, (+632)576-3051, (+632)584-3180 or email reservations@eskayaresorts.com.
