Alona Beach

I’m in love with Alona Beach. It’s like the Platonic ideal of an island town.

The beautiful white sand drifts from the ocean up to the barefoot boardwalk. There are thatched roof bars and hookah stands. A street of kitschy souvenir shops shooting up toward the inland main drag. Everywhere around you grinning faces. Filipinos are almost relentlessly friendly. It’s infectious and that amiable spirit seems to float in the air around Alona Beach and get in your lungs. You can’t help but smile and strike up conversation with both locals and fellow travelers alike.