Bohol
Bohol is an island located in the Central Visays region of the Philippines. It’s a popular tourist destination because of its beaches, resorts, and the Chocolate Hills which are hills of brown-colored (during the rainy season they turn green) limestone formations.
Bohol’s climate is usually dry while during the months of June and October the island experiences rainfall.
It’s easy to get to from Cebu or Dumaguete and if flying in from a further island there’s soon to be an airport as well. Its full of adventure and beauty and is a great place to spend a few days to a week at. We really enjoyed our time on Bohol and hope you do too!
Best Experiences to Have
Stand- Up Paddle Boarding on the Loboc River
Stand Up Paddle Boarding (SUP) is one of the coolest water sports we’ve tried. It was especially fun paddling down the Loboc River. We went on the Waterfall SUP with SUP Tours Philippines. They have many paddling tours you can choose from as well as mountain bike tours. The staff is easy to work with and the guides make it fun!
Stay next to the Loboc River in the Fox and the Firefly Cottages
These cottages make you feel like you’re in the jungle, except you also have all the luxuries you would want to relax and enjoy the beauty of the river. It’s like a little sanctuary for travelers who want to experience the outdoors in a unique and authentic way. When we first looked for places to stay at and things to do what caught our attention was the name. You’re probably thinking how does firefly and fox go together, well it does. The owners, Frederick and Joan, named it after their cute dog “Fox” who roams the property and the “Firefly” part you find out when you stay there.
Fire-Fly Watching
Who doesn’t want to see fireflies! Unfortunately, when we were in Bohol it was pretty rainy and windy. For firefly watching you need good weather and no wind. There are a few companies you can choose from but some of the best are SUP Tours Philippines and Abatan River Community Life Tour.
Abatan River Community Life Tour
This is one of the newest eco-tourism projects in Bohol. The objective of the project is to boost tourism but also to generate jobs and income for the communities in the province.
The Abatan Life River Tour highlights the life of the people who live in the five communities along the river; Cortes, Maribojoc, Antequera, Balilihan and Catigbian.
The full tour usually takes around three-hours and lets the guests board a traditional bandong boat and cruise along the peaceful river. Along the way the boat stops at the five communities where the guests are entertained through cultural performances by the residents themselves. Each village offers a different experience from basket weaving, trying native snacks and cultural performances of the river life that is expressed through song and dance.
All the profits made by the tour go to the communities.
You can also rent kayaks from the Abatan Main Village Center to explore this beautiful river by yourself.
Abatan Main Village Center
Ph: (038) 503 9655
Email: abatanriver@gmail.com
Rent a Motorbike and visit the Chocolate Hills
We rented a motorbike from the place we stayed at for 450 pesos to go visit the Chocolate Hills, the Hanging Bridge and the Man-made Forest on the way. Prices for motorbikes tend to range from 400-500 pesos on Bohol. By renting your own motorbike you save money and have the freedom to stop at many other places along the way.
The Chocolate Hills are relatively simple to get to (a few windy roads) and they were totally worth the visit. After visiting the main viewpoint we then went down and turned on a side road to get closer to the hills themselves.
Walk Across the Bamboo Hanging Bridge
You can find the Bamboo Hanging Bridge on the way to the Chocolate Hills. It’s a cheap ticket in and a fun walk across the bamboo bridge. It was built after WWII in order to help the community on the other side deliver goods across the river. Using a combination of both modern and traditional building methods you get a stable and beautiful bridge. Walking across, it sways a little bit from side to side reminiscing of how you would feel crossing the river in a boat.
Bilar Man-Made Forest
A favorite stop along the way for those traveling to see the Chocolate Hills is the admired man-made forest. It stretches up to two kilometers and is made up of tall red and white Mahogany trees.
The man-made forest was a big reforestation project that was created in response to the deforestation in Loboc. It was caused by the burn farming system which is called “kaingin” and was done by the locals who were looking for a safe place in the forested area during WWII.
Stop along the way and take some pictures of this beautiful forest.
Have some fun at Chocolate Hills Adventure Park
This is a great place to visit with kids. There’s a lot to do for adults and kids. From zip lining across on a bike, mountain biking, tree top rope challenges to horse riding.
Zip-linning with Loboc Eco-Adventure Park
If you enjoy zip-lining or want to do it for the first time Loboc Eco-Adventure Park will have you covered! We heard great things about them.
Visit the Tarsier Sanctuary in Corella
There’s a Tarsier Conservation Center on the way to the Chocolate Hills but we instead to go to the Tarsier Sanctuary in Corella because they are all about protecting the Philippine Tarsier and its habitat from extinction. They are working towards increasing environmental awareness and are establishing protected areas for wildlife in Bohol. They also strive to provide economic and social development to the local communities by running eco-tourism.
Visit the Bohol Bee Farm
There is a reason why the Bohol Bee Farm and Cafes are so popular! The delicious food, pastries, ice-cream, all the wonderful bee products, and the mission of the company! The Bohol Bee Farm employs its workers from within the local community.
If you visit the actual Bee Farm you can get a mini tour around the property and then order something delicious from their cafe onsite. You can also stay at the hotel and get an amazing massage overlooking beautiful views. There are many cafes all around the island. We ate at the cafes almost every day and had the delicious coconut based ice cream!
Go Swimming on Alona Beach
After adventuring in Loboc and in the city, Alona Beach is a great getaway for some swimming and beach bumming. In that area there are many hotels and restaurants to visit. Alona Beach is regarded as one of the best beaches on Bohol Island although a little bit touristy, but if that is fine with you, give it a visit.
Visit the other side of Bohol – Anda
Just three hours away from Tagbilaran and Panglao is beautiful Anda. To get there you can take a bus from the main bus station in Tagbilaran or hire a private car. Anda is a less touristy place but its getting more and more attention from travelers who want a more quieter experience than on Panglao. There’s beautiful white sand beaches and cave pools to explore. Be sure to check out Quinale Beach when you are there.
Go Dolphin Watching and Visit an Island with Pamilacan Whale & Dolphin Watching
Pamilacan Island Dolphin and Whale Watching Tours is working hard to provide former dolphin and whale hunters jobs, to work as professional dolphin spotters in their tours. We always get so excited to support local eco tours that help change communities for the better and protect the ecosystem. We were assured this organization makes sure the money spent on their tours goes to the local community and helps protect the local marine life.
Eat at a floating restaurant on the Loboc River
This is a popular experience to have on the Loboc River. Eat to your heart’s content at the many buffet like floating boats that cruise along the Loboc River. Many have local traditional performances as a cultural experience. Check out Info Bohol for more information.
Where to Stay
Loboc
We stayed one night in Loboc to do some of the activities around there such as paddling on the Loboc River and renting a motorbike to visit the Bamboo Hanging Bridge, Man-Made Forest and the Chocolate Hills.
We recommend Fox and the Firefly Cottages who also have a great restaurant with delicious food.
Tagbilaran
We chose to stay in Tagbilaran the rest of our time on Bohol because it was more central to everything and we had more food and lodging options.
We stayed at Dayview Tourist Home. Ours was a double room with a private bathroom (around $18/night). The room was clean and comfortable. It was also located in the city and we rented a motorbike from the front desk to get around.
If you are planning a vacation and are looking to book a place on Booking.com, use this link to get $25 off your stay. You will be refunded $25 after you have stayed. It also helps us because we get $25 as well. We are able to save on our lodging that way. It’s a win-win!
Where to Eat
Tagbilaran City
Just Sizzlin’
Garden Cafe
Buzz Cafes (there are many locations all over town)
Tamper Coffee and Brunch (our go to place for coffee, breakfast and lunch!)
Bo’s Coffee (a popular coffee chain shop)
Transportation
To get around the island, the best way is to use the bus, rent a motorbike or hire a tricycle. During our stay on the island we rented a motorbike and were able to get to most places by ourselves. To get to our hotel from the pier or to Loboc with all of our luggage we hired a tricycle. Make sure to agree on the price before going.
How to get to there & back
To get to Bohol it will depend on where you are. If you are traveling from Dumaguete or Cebu you will take a ferry (1-3 hours) We came from Dumaguete to Bohol on a fast ferry. It took around 1.5 hours and cost around 700php. You can go on a slower ferry and pay a little less.
If you are coming from Cebu, it will take around an hour an half and there a few companies to choose from. They leave almost every hour. Make sure to go to the correct pier (tell your taxi driver you are going to Tagbilaran)
To go from Bohol to Cebu or Dumaguete you will need to go to Tagbilaran Pier and buy your ticket to the place you want to go to next. Check out the schedule here.
We hope you enjoyed this post about Bohol. If you have any questions or comments let us know below. Have you been to Bohol and experienced something we didn’t include? Let us know so we could check it out next time! Thanks for reading.
Katie + Alex
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