What makes Bohol island so exotic?
- Maya del Aire
- Jan 24, 2019
- 7 min read
Updated: Oct 19, 2019
This itinerary is day two and three of your ultimate 8 day trip that starts in Cebu old city. It includes: Cebu city, Bohol Island, Manjuyod sandbar, Siquijor island, Apo island, Oslob whale shark watching and Kawasan falls canyoneering. This particular itinerary focuses on Bohol island, and discovers most favorite spots for visit. The itinerary includes all relevant information in order to have a smooth vacation, so just get ready and follow my lead.
Click bellow to check out the rest of your ultimate Philippines itinerary
Day 2 & 3 What makes Bohol Island so exotic?
How to get there:
a) By plane: You can take a flight from Manila or Cebu to Tagbilaran city. This flight duration is 2 hours or 25 minutes respectively. All major airlines fly there: Cebu Pacific, Air Asia and Philippines Airline.
b) By boat: There are two ports in Bohol: Tubigon and Tagbilaran which is closer to Alona. Choose whichever is closer to your accommodation. You can purchase the ticket from the agent in Colon street, Cebu. You may want to check the price online before ahead, but most of the time agents are selling tickets same as the terminal fee. Also, you can purchase your ticket online, or make the reservations, but you may end up not getting on the boat, as sometimes these companies can’t be reliable. The fast boats options are: Ocean Jet and Super Cat. There are other options however much slower. Your trip with fast-crafts will last for around 2 hrs. We took Ocean Jet because the timing suited us better, however the process with luggage didn’t please us. At the end, all was worth it as we landed into Paradise Island, Bohol.
Ocean Jet requires payment for the ticket and your luggage, which is calculated by dimension and size. After you have verified your ticket, you will leave your luggage in the designated area to be transported to the boat. Upon arrival, you will have to wait for your luggage to be taken out of the boat. There is also a terminal fee that is charged, which can be around 25 pesos at the moment. In March 2018, when I visited price of the ticket was 500 pisos (10 USD), minus luggage and terminal fee.
http://www.oceanjet.net/
Super Cat -With this company you can have your luggage with you on board, however there are certain guidelines about your luggage that you have to follow. You won’t have to pay extra for the luggage.
#bohol #howtogettobohol #boholphilippines #oceanjet #supercat #fastcraftphilippines #airtravel #airasia #philippinesairline #cebupacific
Once you reach port Tugbilaran, you will need 30 minutes to reach the Alona beach, which is the most popular place in the island. You can use, taxi, Grabcar (Philippines Uber), or tricycle.
About
Bohol is the second visited island after Boracay and it comprises of white sandy beaches and turquoise waters. This may also be one of the expensive places in the Philippines, therefore expect to pay a bit more for the accommodation.
I wholeheartedly suggest spending few days at their beaches because they are something that you don’t see every day. I recommend White and Dumaluan beach, because they are way less crowded then Alona beach, which is the most popular beach over there.
Tips and tricks***
I would recommend you to book an accommodation with direct access to the beach. You will notice that prices are higher than in other islands, and those with direct access to the beach even higher, but it is absolutely worth it. White beach or Dumaluan beach can be the best choice. The water is crystal clear, it is not as busy as Alona, and it is just 10 min drive from there.
If you happen to not stay at the beach, don’t worry you can get access to the beach for 25 php (0.5 USD) minimum, as all beaches are private property of Hotels and resorts. Along the beach, you will find restaurants, from fine dining up to street food restaurants. You can also get a massage there, which will be cheaper than in Alona beach.
For activities such as kayaking, jet skiing, kite surfing, you will have to visit Alona. However, you can always bring your own mask and snorkel around Dumaluan and White beach.
#boholmustsee #boholmustdo #dumaluanbeach #whitebeachbohol #whattodoinbohol #boholtraveltips #alonabeach
Countryside tour
After enjoying the beach enough, you may be thirsty for adventure.
The most popular tour is Countryside tour that you can book at Alona beach. There, you may find many tourist counters with different offers, but more less with different price. In Asia, particularly in the Philippines it is recommended to book all your tours on the spot. Online tours are usually more expensive. Based on my experience, booking and making queries online is not as practical, as sometimes it takes days for emails to be responded.
You can visit all these spots on your own if you rent a car, but I believe that taking a tour is cheaper, especially if you don’t have much time to spend in the island. I have picked an agency where I could pay separately for whatever I would like to see from all of these places at the tour. If you decide to do that, bear in mind that this means that you will have to wait for others to finish, so you can join them and explore the rest of the landmarks of the tour.
What will the Countryside tour include?
Baclayon Church, is one of the oldest churches in the Philippines, built by first Spaniards that arrived at the island. There also artifacts as a testimony of the history of the Philippines.
Butterfly and python watching - The butterfly garden and python conservatory are located in one spot. The butterfly garden is quite small, and it consists of different types of butterflies under the glass and a small garden with butterflies freely flying around. What you would probably enjoy the most, is the opportunity to play with butterflies which are that much friendly that they will be happy to fly on your palm at any time. You will also find out a little bit about their life with your guide there.
In the snake conservatory, you will be able to see different kind of snakes. This place was particularly popular for its largest python in captivity, however this animal died recently.
Loboc River tour with lunch buffet and music- The tour is pretty touristy, with many people on board, however you would absolutely love the scenery of tropical forest surrounding emerald Loboc River. The boat makes stops along the way, where you will see group of kids playing ukulele and dancing their traditional dance. You may also spot little river shops and even local houses.
Zip line- This is an absolute must do in this tour. I’ve done several zip lines around the world and this is by far my favorite. There were two spots where you could enjoy breath taking view while taking the zip line.
Tersuary wathing - This is your unique opportunity to see these little creatures, which are considered to be the world’s smallest primates. They can be tiny as 10 cm, with its tail longer than their body, with big brown eyes and hairless ears. Nowadays it is not allowed to hold these little animals, however you will be able to observe them from one meter away. Please have respect for them, as they are still wild animals.
What I believe that I have to mention here is that government should invest in better maintenance of these kinds of places. The park itself is very small, and very poorly maintained. The garden is full with plastic and other type of trash. If the place is filled with tourists, you will not have proper spot to see or take pictures of these animals. At the time when I visited, March 2018, the price for the park was 20 pisos, and I just believe that the ticket fee could easily be increased and that money can be used to support this project.
Chocolate hills- This is one of many proofs that nature can be much better architect than a human does. These geological formations are spread over an area of 50 square kilometer. They only look like brown chocolate hills in dry season when the grass withers and turns into brown. Throughout the year, they are green and beautiful. Those hills range from 100 to 500 meters above see level in height, and they are cone shaped.
The visitors spot will have a nice coffee shop with a 360 view of chocolate hills, and also a nice lookout for which you will have to climb the stairs. Your tour operator will probably offer an ATV ride through the hills for an additional fee.
If you happen to be in Boho for couple of days, you may even stay on one of the resorts built around Chocolate hills.
More about it: https://www.bohol-philippines.com/chocolate-hills.html
Bilar Man made Mahogany Forest- On your way home; your guide will stop for a short break, in the middle of the road, so you can take few pictures of this beauty. This forest stretches for 2 km, and comprises of Mahogany closely planted trees, that create spectacular view. The density and the thickness of it make the canopy above the road and it makes so special for visitors.
This stop seems to be very regular on these tours; however, there is no particular spot where you could safely take pics. Therefore, you need to be careful, and watch the cars on the road while taking your best shots.
Sipatan Twin Hanging Bamboo Bridge- There are actually two bridges, which were original made only of bamboo and ropes, however today also consist of steel cables. Both bridges span over 40 meters and hangs 25 meters above the emerald Loboc river. As you make the first step, you might feel a bit scared, as the bridge will swing a bit from side to side and up and down, but don’t worry you are safe. Just relax and enjoy the walk.
Tips and tricks***
Agencies usually provide a pick your at your location which is nice, but they might not be on time.
The tour may take up to nine hours, so be ready for a long ride. Bring water and snacks because you will probably only have lunch provided at the Loboc cruise.
Make sure, when you reach Bamboo bridge give your camera to any of your fellow travelers so they can take a picture of you from the second parallel bridge.
If you have more time to spend in Bohol you can...
I have time to stay for more than two days in Bohol, make sure you go for other tours and share your experiences. At Alona beach, you may find lot of tourist counters, and also there will be a lot of people on the street offering different kind of tours. You can do island hopping; explore Panglao island, whale and dolphin watching and much more. Make sure you do your research and check prices online, and haggle if you must, as I am sure it will be worth it to see more than just, what I’ve managed to see in 2 days in Bohol. #countrysidetourbohol #baclayonchurch #butterflywatchingbohol #snakewatchingbohol #lobocrivertour #ziplinebohol #tarsierconservatorybohol #theworldssmallestmammal #chocolatehills #mahagnyforestbohol #bamboobridgebohol #bilarmanforest #sipatantwinbamboobridge
Fantastic description of the island and all the activities one can do while being there. Definitely worth of considering as a next holiday destination!