Discover The Beauty Of Bohol, Philippines

On the Southern part of the Philippines lies a beautiful Island called BOHOL. Consist of 79 Islands and a wide range of white sand beaches, this place has a lot to offer if you are looking for a peaceful vacation.

With a population of 1.3 Million, their main source of livelihood is farming, fishing, and tourism. This place also has a good reputation in terms of caves and underground pools. In fact, according to the locals this island has thousands of caves that were being kept away from the public for safety purposes. The people were also very hospitable and friendly.

BOHOL has 47 Municipalities and only 1 city which is the Tagbilaran. From there (Tagbilaran), it takes around 25-30 minutes by car to be in Panglao which is the gateway to their wonderful beaches.

Motorcycle is their main source of transportation. For tourists, if you are planning to explore the area by yourself, you have the option to rent a bike which is commonly found in the area. It ranges from 500 to 800 pesos a day (24 hours) excluding the gasoline.

We chose to rent a bike for 24 hours since it was our first time in the area and I want to roam around the place freely. Riding on a Tricycle were too expensive for our tight budget since we will be contracting it. We also discovered that the Local Government of Bohol implemented a law rejecting tricycles from being registered without having a bible verse at the back of their cabs.

A place to stay is a traveler’s main concern. However, that is not a problem when you are in Bohol. Since the tourism in the area is rapidly growing, this also opens a lot of opportunity for the locals to have their own business.  Hotels and guest houses are everywhere with a lot of variety to choose from depending on your budget.

We had a nice stay in Royal Paradise Guest House located in Barangay Libaong, Panglao for 3 days and 2 nights. The place is so relaxing, though it is located a few walks away from the beach. It is very quiet that you can think a lot of things while having a cup of coffee in their balcony. Their room rates are quite cheap. They have a standard room for only 1,300 pesos, 1,500 pesos for standard ocean view room and 1,700 pesos for ocean view room with private balcony. All room accommodations entitle you for a free breakfast.

Up ahead, we will be talking about the basic itinerary if you were planning to be in Bohol. For first timers, this could be of great help for planning your trip and your budget.

Panglao Island Tour – Most of the hotels offer tour packages that you can avail depending on the number of persons. Ranging from 1,500 for 1 to 4 persons by car, and 1,800 for 10 to 12 persons by van. The tour package only covers transportation and driver (seat-in coach), you have to shoulder the entrance fee and meals.

Here is a list of tourist attractions included on the itinerary. You can click on the names for more details.

·        HinagdananCave

·        BoholBee Farm

·        ShellsMuseum

·        DauisChurch

·        PanglaoChurch

·        AlonaBeach

We also had Firefly Watching as part of our first day tour though it is not included on the list, maybe because the area is quite far.

Bohol Country Side Tour – This is also offered in some hotels. It is also a good thing to have tour packages for convenience since these attractions where too far and commuting in the area is not a good idea. This can be enjoyed for only 2,000 pesos good for 1 to 4 persons by car excluding meals. If you are a group of 10 to 12 persons, it will only costs 3,000 pesos by van excluding meals.

Below are the list of attractions included on the Country Side Tour.

·        ChocolateHills

·        ButterflyFarm

·        LobocAdventure / ATV ride

·        HangingBridge

·        ManMade Forest

·        TarsierSanctuary

·        Python

·        Loboc River Cruise

·        Blood Compact

·        Baclayon Church

We also made a stop at the famous ship house, though due to our limited time we only had a view of the outside. But according to our guide, the house was made by a ship captain who dreamt of having a ship house.

There are also a lot of old houses that can be seen along the way to Baclayon Church. It is said that these houses where way older than the churches in Bohol.

On our way home, we noticed this Vintage Car Museum in Barangay Laya, part of Baclayon in Bohol. Though we did not get the chance to visit inside, our guide said that there were 32 vintage display cars with models as early as 1960's. For car enthusiasts, you may want to pay this place a visit.

You can also enjoy Island hopping in Bohol. This is a half day tour and starts as early as 6:00 AM. Island hopping tour includes Balicasag Island, Virgin Island and Dolphin watching. Price starts from 650 pesos per person if you will be joining on the same boat with other tourists and 1,100 pesos good for 1 to 4 persons exclusive for one boat.

Watch the video below to have an overview of Bohol.