_Pabling Posted March 10, 2006 Share Posted March 10, 2006 The 5-minute briefing on Bohol — the country's most photogenic island province. Panglao beach resorts, Balicasag wall diving, the iconic Chocolate Hills, Loboc River cruise + Corella tarsiers, the quieter Anda east coast, and Spanish-colonial heritage churches. The parent thread for combining Bohol's distinct trip experiences in one trip. Bohol is a Central Visayas island province known for wide white-sand beaches at Panglao, world-class wall diving at Balicasag, the iconic Chocolate Hills geological formation, the Philippine tarsier in Corella, the Loboc River floating-restaurant cruise, and Spanish-colonial heritage churches. Bohol-Panglao International Airport (BPH) opened in 2018 on Panglao Island itself — the airport-to-beach distance is now 15 minutes. The province is ~2 hours by fast craft from Cebu City, ~1.5 hr by plane from Manila. This thread is the pinned parent — use the linked child threads below for destination-specific intel. For specific destinations, click the linked threads. Multi-stop trip planning lives here. The Bohol map at a glance Five distinct trip experiences, each with its own dedicated thread: The beach + dive hub Panglao Island (Bohol): Alona Beach & Diving Spots Beach — Alona, Bolod, Dumaluan, Doljo beaches. Henann, South Palms, Be Grand, Amorita, Bohol Beach Club, Donatela, Eskaya. Balicasag day-dive base. The country's strongest island resort cluster outside Boracay. The iconic landmark + countryside Chocolate Hills & Countryside Tour (Bohol): Carmen, Sevilla & Bilar — 1,776 cone-shaped hills in Carmen, Sevilla Man-Made Forest, Bilar Mahogany Forest. The bucket-list inland day. The river cruise + wildlife Loboc River & Tarsier Sanctuary (Bohol): Floating Restaurant & Corella Conservation — floating-restaurant buffet with the Loboc Children's Choir + the ethical tarsier viewing at the Philippine Tarsier Foundation in Corella. The quieter alternative Anda (Bohol): Quinale Beach & East-Coast Quiet — east coast quieter beach. Magic Oceans Dive Resort. For affluent visitors who think Panglao got too touristy. The heritage day Baclayon & Loon Heritage (Bohol): Spanish-Colonial Churches — Baclayon (1717), Loon, Maribojoc churches. Partially restored after the 2013 earthquake. Common itinerary patterns 3-night "Bohol sampler" — Panglao only. Beach resort + Balicasag dive day + Alona evening. The fastest first-timer trip. 5-night "Bohol classic" — Panglao (3) + Countryside day-trip (Chocolate Hills + Loboc + Corella) + Heritage day-trip + Anda day-trip. The recommended pattern for first-timers. 7-night "Bohol full circuit" — Panglao (3) + Anda (2) + Inland day-trips (2). Adds the quieter Anda coast. The diver's trip — Panglao base + Balicasag wall dives + Anda reef dives + Cabilao day-trip (advanced). 5 nights minimum. Sandugo Festival (third week of July) — Bohol's signature event, celebrating the 1565 blood compact between Datu Sikatuna and Miguel López de Legazpi. Book Panglao accommodation 3+ months ahead. Bohol food identity Bohol's quiet but distinctive food scene: Calamay — sticky rice cake cooked in coconut milk, the country's recognized Bohol specialty. Peanut kisses — Bohol's signature pastry (small peanut-meringue confections), the recognized pasalubong. Kalingking — sweet rice-flour fritter. Bohol Bee Farm (Dauis, Panglao) — organic farm + restaurant + accommodation. The locavore destination, the country's recognized eco-farm-to-table. Loboc River buffet lunch — fresh fish, lechon, native vegetables, served floating on a raft. For lechon Cebu, members head to the Cebu Travel Guide. For Bicol coconut-cream cuisine, see the Bicol Travel Guide. Where to stay — overall For Bohol trips, base in one of three areas: Panglao Island — the beach/resort base. See Panglao thread for full property list: Henann, South Palms, Be Grand, Amorita, Bohol Beach Club, Donatela, Eskaya, The Bellevue. Anda — the quieter alternative. Magic Oceans Dive Resort, Anda White Beach Resort. Loboc River area — boutique nature lodges. Loboc River Resort, Fox & The Firefly Cottages. Most affluent visitors base on Panglao (3+ nights) and day-trip everything else. Getting there Bohol-Panglao International Airport (BPH) — opened 2018 on Panglao Island. Daily direct flights from Manila and Cebu. Some international service (Seoul, Singapore — verify current). Cebu City to Tagbilaran ferry — OceanJet, Lite Ferries, Weesam Express. ~2 hours fast craft. Multiple daily departures. Manila to Bohol by sea — multiple shipping lines (2GO, Lite Ferries), ~24+ hours. Not the recommended route. Tagbilaran to Panglao — 30 minutes via the two connecting bridges. Panglao to Chocolate Hills (Carmen) — ~1.5 hours by car or van. Panglao to Anda — ~2.5 hours by car east along the coast. When to go December to May — dry season, the recommended window. November to February — pleasant cool-dry season, lower rates, the affluent's preferred window. March to May — hottest weather, peak Filipino-domestic beach season. Chocolate Hills turn the iconic brown color. June to October — wet season; Bohol sits in a typhoon shadow (vs Bicol/Eastern Visayas), so it's still visitable, but rain-affected. Sandugo Festival (July third week) — Bohol's signature event; book ahead. This thread's role This is the pinned parent. Use it to plan a multi-stop Bohol trip — the trip-shaping conversation lives here. Specific destination intel (which resort, which dive shop, current floor prices, restaurant menus) belongs in the destination threads linked above. For trip-planning, itinerary-sharing, Cebu-Bohol pairing logistics, and the broader Bohol vs Cebu/Palawan comparison — this thread is the right place. Cross-region links For ferry-pairing with Cebu, see the Cebu Travel Guide parent. For other Visayas destinations (Dumaguete, Siquijor, Bacolod), see those individual threads. For diving destinations across the Philippines, see the Philippine Diving parent (coming soon). Your turn. Itinerary ideas for first-time and repeat visitors, multi-stop logistics, Panglao resort recommendations, ferry timing from Cebu, Bohol vs Palawan / Bicol comparisons, Sandugo Festival reports. Boholanos and frequent visitors — fill in. — MTC Mods Quote Link to comment
hilars888 Posted March 10, 2006 Share Posted March 10, 2006 I also got the promo ticket (1,650 round trip!!!) and will be leaving by June, and i also did a little research and found out that Panglao's beach resorts are far more costly than Tagbilaran's.....and that there is no connecting flight (cebu pacific) so you need to get to cebu by boat just to get to Davao, Iloilo etc....It will be my first visit.....Goodluck to all you travellers!!! Quote Link to comment
_Pabling Posted March 10, 2006 Author Share Posted March 10, 2006 I also got the promo ticket (1,650 round trip!!!) and will be leaving by June, and i also did a little research and found out that Panglao's beach resorts are far more costly than Tagbilaran's.....and that there is no connecting flight (cebu pacific) so you need to get to cebu by boat just to get to Davao, Iloilo etc....It will be my first visit.....Goodluck to all you travellers!!!<{POST_SNAPBACK}> may flight naman sila na direchong Cebu eh. So far ang napili ko Bohol Beach CLub. medyo mahal nga lang. :thumbsdownsmiley: Quote Link to comment
hilars888 Posted March 11, 2006 Share Posted March 11, 2006 (edited) Meron nga. but f ur going to bohol u cnt go anywhere else unless u try another airline (no promo)....Ananyana beach resort got better ratings but only have 10 rooms Edited March 11, 2006 by hilars888 Quote Link to comment
sikosci Posted March 11, 2006 Share Posted March 11, 2006 go to panglao island! ganda ng resorts dun..we were there last year..pagdating namin from the airport deretso na kagad kami sa tour...pagdating namin sa resort ganda ng mga rooms namin at me jacuzzi pa Quote Link to comment
justx Posted March 11, 2006 Share Posted March 11, 2006 Bohol Beach Club has the best beach frontage imho. Quote Link to comment
justx Posted March 11, 2006 Share Posted March 11, 2006 One of the views from Bohol Beach Club Quote Link to comment
justx Posted March 11, 2006 Share Posted March 11, 2006 Bohol Beach Club beach front pic Quote Link to comment
sinned8 Posted March 12, 2006 Share Posted March 12, 2006 Ganda nga ng Bohol Beach Club kaso ang mahal wala na ba iba mas mura Quote Link to comment
_Pabling Posted March 12, 2006 Author Share Posted March 12, 2006 salamat sa inyong mga inputs. :mtc: Meron nga. but f ur going to bohol u cnt go anywhere else unless u try another airline (no promo)....Ananyana beach resort got better ratings but only have 10 rooms<{POST_SNAPBACK}> magkano rates nila bro? go to panglao island! ganda ng resorts dun..we were there last year..pagdating namin from the airport deretso na kagad kami sa tour...pagdating namin sa resort ganda ng mga rooms namin at me jacuzzi pa <{POST_SNAPBACK}> ano pangalan ng resort nyo sir? magkano rates nila? Bohol Beach Club has the best beach frontage imho.<{POST_SNAPBACK}> yun nga din nakita ko kaso mahal ata. Bohol Beach Club beach front pic<{POST_SNAPBACK}> thanks for the view man. :thumbsupsmiley: Ganda nga ng Bohol Beach Club kaso ang mahal wala na ba iba mas mura <{POST_SNAPBACK}> yun nga eh. :thumbsdownsmiley: Quote Link to comment
Guest VO2_Max Posted March 13, 2006 Share Posted March 13, 2006 FYI.....there is a flight na straight to tagbilaran from manila: 2 flights PAL/DAY , 1 Flight CPA/DAY Bohol is not as expensive as other may think...depends on where you stay...if you stay at an upscale na beach resort then it is going to be expensive....places to consider to stay in Tagbilaran: you can chose any of the hotels and appartelle in that city price range should be between 800 - 3000+++...800 is on the high side...disadvantage its far from the beach(25mins - 30 mins drive) Panglao: ang dami resorts there....but the best option for you is alona kew...alona kew is a stretch of beach where resorts are nestled along the beach line....its like boracay minus the hoopla......price range should be between 800(low side) - 5000++....like boracay there are restaurants along the beach line for you to choose from....like boracay there are a number of bars there......like boracay there is a massage sa seaside........the sand may not be as good as the one in boracay....but it is far better than other beaches in the philippines.... if you want a really peacefule place/romantic....at may privacy...you should conside The Bee Farm...food is grate...accomodation is relatively cheap.....if interested PM co i can give you there number things to do:depending on how long you are staying: Island tour(7:00 - 3:00 PM): this would take you through most of the places that are popular in bohol in one sweep...this tour would be: Chocolate hills, man made forest, tarsiers, looboc river cruise (should have your lunch here), Python viewing, Baclayon church, blood compact....on the way to chocolate hill, you will pass by all this places but it is advisable to go straight to chocolate hills muna then slowly go through the touris spot real slow... Whale watching(whole day): You are brought to Pamilican Island where they use to hunt dolphins, whales, whale shark but they have given up the hunting...now the hunters are the one guiding the tourist to find the dolphins, whale shark, whales....you start your day really early...go see the whales then have lunch sa island....this would be quite expensive if you go alone...much better for you to integrate yourself with a group.... There are a lot of things to see/stay in bohol....above mentioned are the more sikat na place Quote Link to comment
Guest VO2_Max Posted March 13, 2006 Share Posted March 13, 2006 Bohol Beach Club beach front pic<{POST_SNAPBACK}> a few meters up from this place is where muro ami(cesar montano) was shoot.....a few meters up also is raul rocos beach house...which he is selling...... Quote Link to comment
_Pabling Posted March 13, 2006 Author Share Posted March 13, 2006 FYI.....there is a flight na straight to tagbilaran from manila: 2 flights PAL/DAY , 1 Flight CPA/DAY Bohol is not as expensive as other may think...depends on where you stay...if you stay at an upscale na beach resort then it is going to be expensive....places to consider to stay in Tagbilaran: you can chose any of the hotels and appartelle in that city price range should be between 800 - 3000+++...800 is on the high side...disadvantage its far from the beach(25mins - 30 mins drive) Panglao: ang dami resorts there....but the best option for you is alona kew...alona kew is a stretch of beach where resorts are nestled along the beach line....its like boracay minus the hoopla......price range should be between 800(low side) - 5000++....like boracay there are restaurants along the beach line for you to choose from....like boracay there are a number of bars there......like boracay there is a massage sa seaside........the sand may not be as good as the one in boracay....but it is far better than other beaches in the philippines.... if you want a really peacefule place/romantic....at may privacy...you should conside The Bee Farm...food is grate...accomodation is relatively cheap.....if interested PM co i can give you there number things to do:depending on how long you are staying: Island tour(7:00 - 3:00 PM): this would take you through most of the places that are popular in bohol in one sweep...this tour would be: Chocolate hills, man made forest, tarsiers, looboc river cruise (should have your lunch here), Python viewing, Baclayon church, blood compact....on the way to chocolate hill, you will pass by all this places but it is advisable to go straight to chocolate hills muna then slowly go through the touris spot real slow... Whale watching(whole day): You are brought to Pamilican Island where they use to hunt dolphins, whales, whale shark but they have given up the hunting...now the hunters are the one guiding the tourist to find the dolphins, whale shark, whales....you start your day really early...go see the whales then have lunch sa island....this would be quite expensive if you go alone...much better for you to integrate yourself with a group.... There are a lot of things to see/stay in bohol....above mentioned are the more sikat na place<{POST_SNAPBACK}> salamat po sa input. pa PM naman ng contact number sir para makapag inquire/reserve ko just in case. Quote Link to comment
Guest VO2_Max Posted March 14, 2006 Share Posted March 14, 2006 right beside Bohol Beach Club is a realatively cheap na resort owned by the mayor ng panglao....in that place you can really get cheap rates there....range cgur0 between 800 - 2000++.....problem lang is that wala masyadong happening dito during the night..... Quote Link to comment
tonyp Posted March 14, 2006 Share Posted March 14, 2006 If you are coming from Cebu take the 2-hour ferry. Do not forget to bring school ID's for the kids since they might give discounts. Discount for sure for senior citizens. If you are arriving about 10 am or earlier, hire a van (Nissan or Besta) and take a tirp straight to Chocolate hills. Your driver will be able to plan a tour for your group with lunch at the Hills. Surfbe the net on where to go (that is what i did for a first timer). Try to be back early enough to stay at Panglao. Drivers can trusted since they are proud with their work and what Bohol can offer. Really tourist-oriented for both locals and foreigners. While at the beach in the afternoon, try tp buy fresh catch from local fishermen and have these cooked for your dinner at the hotel. Panglao is comparable to Boracay except that Panglao is much quieter. Have a nice trip. Quote Link to comment
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