Congratulations again to Mich Guevara of Pinoy Lakwatsa! You’ve won a very nice Jansport Graphix Remix Bag that you can use on your next travel.
I’m going to Bohol which is the first leg of the seven (7) Havaianas Flipping for the Beach Trips. I’m excited to feature all of them.
Can you share with me your Bohol secret other than the usual Tarsier?
You should definitely visit the Bohol bee farm and try out their honey spreads. Everything there is organic.
yea, vicky wallace’s bee farm is nice.. good food also. you have to visit it. i’ve been to bohol once, twice… and i stayed in various places…check out ananyana – i’ve lost the phone numbers but you might see their contact numbers in their website. its a beautiful classy small boutique hotel, the food, too is good. they have a balinese-style swm pool which i made much use of because unfortunately, i don’t like the waters in the beach on that side of panglao. the pillows and mattresses in their rooms ARE INCOMPARABLY THE MOST LUXURIOUS (and i’ve been to the topmost-rated Luxury Hotels of the World hotel in Europe, the Park Hotel in Bremen, Germany- & I don’t remember my gargantuan bed and pillows there as plump and as feather soft as those i had in Ananyana!) i’ve slept on. i also liked the loboc river cruise – so refreshing and i had such an appetite for the native fare they offer and which you take before boarding the river craft. i was so fortunate to have a boholano friend with connections arrange for me to have a private mini-concert with the loboc children’s choir (they’re famous the world over; they are the toast of Europe; the members are regularly changed after a certain period) inside the church. at twilight. i swear, i had a glimpse of heaven, and i heard angels sing. that was one of the most ethereal moments of my life! really transcendent! there is a department in the ofc of the governor which handles visitors – gads, i cannot remember the name but there was a girl there in charge of planning who was very helpful – pointed out to me certain things that not the usual tourist would know if he went there on his own. there’s also a guy there named anton pernia – comes from an old family in tagbilaran, bohol’s capital city. the provincial capitol might have an idea how you can get in touch with him. he’s also a mineload of info. really sorry, my numbers for contacts in bohol were all lost when i lost one of my constantly disappearing celfones!
hiyee…
i love bohol… its really a good place to relax with.. the people there are so kind.. the place is so quiet and peaceful!
the beach is not so good but its also a good place to relax with..
i was amazed with the good spot of chocolate hills and one place i would recommend to visit are the caves.. specially the Hinagdanan cave.. its a nice place.. and you would even thought that below a place you where standing is a really a good spot.. 🙂
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happy trip ! 🙂
You won’t say you’ve been to Bohol if you don’t go to Chocolate Hills. It’s really a magnificent sight. Try to find the grilled bananaque with margarine and sugar. 🙂 I remember we bought lots of their peanut kisses in one of the Tarsier viewing places, then when we went back to Cebu and shopped at Gaisano, the peanut kisses were cheaper in Cebu than in Bohol (maybe we bought at the wrong place) 🙂
diving at balicasag is super and dont take the loboc river cruise,,, the laoay river curise is so much better!
hi anton! one thing that fascinated me on my last visit to bohol was the man made forest which you would pass on your way to the chocolate hills. if you are into diving, i agree with jaz that you dive in balicasag. it was very unfortunate for me that i was not able to dive in balicasag due to schedule constraints. anyway another thing you could do, is whale watching. it was mentioned to us by our guide but i am not sure if it is in season now. one thing i did which i enjoyed was walking around the city of tagbilaran.
like what they said, never miss balicasag & its fish sanctuary. it’s a whole new world out there! and if you’re into visiting caves, the cave just outside panglao island nature resort is definitely better than hinagdanan cave. happy trip!
I’ve heard and read so much about Bohol, I’m starting to dream about the place LOL. It is a must place for me to see. I do not need to sail on a Sulpicio ship to get there, do I?
Extreme adventure in Danao, Bohol is definitely more than the usual tarsier experience. They call it EAT Danao Bohol, short for eco/edu/extreme adventure tour. We did spelunking and trekking… tubing and tyrolean traverse (zip line) is also available. It was so much fun, see my blog here about our extreme adventure weekend here.
http://freeze-mythoughts.blogspot.com/2008/04/extreme-adventure-weekend.html
you may contact the organizers at eatdanao.multiply.com
It’s not a complete Bohol experience if you don’t visit Pamilacan Island! Wake up early in the morning (well dawn) to go watch the dolphins frolick around the sea, and chill later on on the island. it has the cleanest waters! 😀
try also sagbayan peak.. nice place approx 30-45 mins. drive from Carmen, town of chocolate hills.. also try the sugbaan/ihaw-ihaw in Tagbilaran near Metro Centre Hotel and eat out with your bare hand.
try also sagbayan peak.. nice place approx 30-45 mins. drive from Carmen, town of chocolate hills.. also try the sugbaan/ihaw-ihaw in Tagbilaran near Metro Centre Hotel and eat out with your bare hand.
Hi! I was in Bohol for 5 days just last week and we were so blessed to have good weather despite the typhoons and monsoon rains that had passed. Too bad we didn’t make it to the Sandugo festival held last July 20! Just some added information about the weather, Bohol never seems to get hit by strong typhoons because of its location. Right now it rains during the night or early in the morning but it hardly lasts. So expect some nightly walks to be cut short.
We didn’t stay in a Luxury Hotel not even at a beach front kind of hotel coz we hardly stay in it and we want to spend our last centavo in exploring what Bohol has to offer. But its a plus if the resort has a pool so after getting all that saltwater you could rinse it off and relax again in the pool.
From all the research I made from various forums about Bohol its a lot of fun if you do what the Boholanos do. We rented a motorbike, by the way you can get it cheaper if you rent it for multiple days instead of renting it per day, so you could take your time touring the island of Panglao and take pictures. Its also an adventure getting lost and finding gas in a sari-sari store coz the gasoline stations there are quite far from one another and most especially if you don’t know the island that well yet. So my advice to you if you want to rough it out this way is to get a map or if you forget to buy one you could just ask anyone there for directions coz they are really very friendly and accomodating. Oh and yeah its much cheaper to get to Tagbilaran City this way coz the tricycles charge you at least 250Php one-way to get to the City. The downside is if you have kids err.. This isn’t the way to do it. You could rent a car though for 1800 per day.
Do the Countryside tour. Oh and canvass if you can. Well if you want to spare yourself from the torture of canvassing for a good deal for the tour, the hotel will gladly arrange it for you for a price that is. Oh and start immediately in seeing the Chocolate Hills in Carmen if the weather is a bit off coz you wouldn’t want the fog to get the best of the place. Ah and if you arrive in Bohol say at around 8am, its best to do the tour right away so you’ve already accomplished something for day 1. The tour will work its way down from the chocolate hills, to the Butterfly sanctuary, the Sipatan hanging bridge, the man-made forest, and just in time for the Lunch at Loboc River, then off to see the Tarsiers, the Baclayon Church, Clarin Ancestral House, Aproniana Gift Shop, and lastly the Blood Compact Site. Depending on the tour guide you have you can also ask them to bring you to Prony the largest python, the Mag-aso falls in Antequera, and the Hinagdanan Cave in Panglao. There are also other tourist spots you could go to which is not included in their list but I think they would charge you more for it.
Dolphin Watching is also something to look forward to coz it brings out the kid in you to see dolphins swimming in the wild. Out on the beach there are a lot of bangkeros who would take you dolphin watching and snorkeling in Balicasag Island. After watching the dolphins you will be brought to the fish sanctuary in balicasag. But since the boatmen aren’t allowed to go near the sanctuary a little banca will take you there and they charge you 150php per head my advice, gear up with loads of sunblock, the trusty aqua shoes, and bread to make the fishes come to you. There are little restos in the island where you can make PALUTO for their catch of the day. Oh and if you can persuade the bangkero to bring you to one of the sandbars in bohol it would also be a sight.
A massage by the beach is also a big hit in panglao for 250php with matching foot scrub also for 250php. Oh and don’t forget bar hopping at night. Some restos come highly recommended like HAYHAY pizza, Trudis place, that bar in bohol divers, ofcourse bohol bee farm is also in my list. You can try all the restos there coz they serve good food for a very reasonable price.
If you also want to enjoy the feel of the resorts you can also go resort hopping. Just pay the entrance fee, which by the way is consumable, and voila! You can now enjoy lounging and enjoying the facilities of the resort.
Who could forget souvenirs for our families left here in Manila. Now this is also a challenge coz you have to know where to buy cheap souvenirs. Peanut kisses are cheaper if you buy them in groceries. Shirts are also cheaper in certain tour spots and those little Tarsier dolls can be found cheap when you buy them by the Blood Compact Site.
There’s much you can do in Bohol all you have to do is to go find the rest out for yourself so you could add that unique feel of your very own Bohol experience.
If you wish I could give you some of my contacts.
Ciao! Enjoy Bohol!
Just visited bohol last May. And you think it’s such a quiet town that you’ll get bore BUT it ain’t!! Must see places that gives you a natural high – 1. of course, you’ve never been to bohol if you didn’t see CHOCOLATE HILLS… and pose for the photographers there while you jump with a broom! it’s like flying over choco hills hehehe! 2. the MAN MADE FOREST was a wonder! whoever thought of that (forgot the name) is definitely worth praising. 3. DOLPHIN WATCHING early morning! if your bankero is good, he’ll know where the dolphins will show up and ahead of the others so you’ll get a good pic! try going really early like 5am perhaps? we went a little late like 630am and the dolphins were kinda hiding already maybe because of the motor sounds. We stayed at AMARELA and it was a really nice resort!
PEANUT KISSES. though it sounds overrated but the church there in Bohol may look old but it speaks a lot about our History. I hope you have a funfilled trip to Bohol =)
We went to Bohol last December and had a wonderful time! We had only four days there, and not the best weather, so we weren’t able to enjoy Balicasag nor Pamilacan. Being divers, we were very disappointed about this, but I realized that that just means we have more left to discover when we return (and we most definitely will). We got to do several things that aren’t on the typical tourist itinerary, because we were fortunate enough to be with a very in-the-know local who’s active in Bohol’s preservation efforts. Because there are so many great things about Bohol — the top-of-mind Choc. Hills and tarsiers (try not to patronize the ones near the river that let you hold them, as this is traumatic for the tarsiers; instead, try to go to their natural habitat), the famous beaches, the old churches and ancestral houses, the fascinating history, Loboc’s musical heritage, the firefly cruise, and of course, native cuisine (chicken halang-halang, ube kinampay, broas, torta) — I suggest, if you have a limited amount of time, that you focus on what you really want to experience during your first trip there. You can always return for the rest. I put up two detailed posts on our trip in my Multiply site, and you can also read Wysgal’s and Nena’s posts for even more ideas. I hope you have as memorable a Boholano experience as we did, Anton!
I went to Bohol last year, and whenever someone asks me where the best Philippine tourist destination is I always answer this, “It’s Bohol hands down!” Simply put, there are a number of things/places in Bohol where you can’t find anywhere else in the world!
1. Chocolate Hills
2. Tarsiers
3. The largest python in captivity
4. Balicasag Island!
You can read about my Bohol adventure in my blog – http://travelsofmarvinalvarez.blogspot.com/search/label/Bohol
Anton, I brought my nephew to Bohol 2 years ago, I think. There’s a very touristy place where there’s a hanging bridge. Right in front of the hanging bridge is the biggest and most fascinating attraction of Bohol. A man only known as BUKO KING who peels an entire coconut with his bare teeth. Now, that’s something only in Bohol mo lang makikita, no?
YES!!! Anton and OAP finally goes to my beautiful province of Bohol!!!
I’m in Bohol every summer, but I never miss:
Bohol Bee Farm – you will LOVE the food here!!!
Bohol Beach Club
Panglao Island Nature Resort
The relatively newer resorts are:
Peacock Resort
Flushing Meadows beside Bohol Bee Farm
Eskaya – most expensive, same designer as Amanpulo. Also in Panglao.
As a Bohol newbie, do visit the National Tarsier Sanctuary and meet Carlito the “Tarsier man” 🙂 Also, take photos of the Mag-Aso Falls and the Maribojoc Bell Tower. 🙂
Great people from Bohol:
Carlos P. Garcia, former Philippine president
Pedro Calungsod, patron saint of Loboc
Tomas Cloma, discoverer and claimant of Kalayaan Group of Spratly Islands
Loboc Children’s Choir
Spend a morning to photograph the birds perched atop the tree branches in the Tagbilaran City Park. 🙂
Yay!!!
If you want to travel in style, Ananyana is definitely the place to be. Stayed there last Christmas and they really took care of us and accomodated many of our requests (including food that wasn’t part of the menu 🙂 ). But the beach there isn’t very nice (a lot of sea weeds when I went and a bit of trash too– very sad!).
Not too much activities you can do on that side of the island since I felt that most of the activities were overpriced. Still suggest visiting Panglao island (you can easily rent a van for that) and do everything you want to do from there– easier to get a good rate also since there’s a lot of choices. 🙂
A massage while on the beach while watching the sun set is also a nice thing to do. Did that last weekend while I was in Boracay. Nice. 🙂 Enjoy your trip!!
Hi Anton,
I’ve been wanting to try out EAT Danao. Read it first from CebuPac’s Smile magazine.
http://www.ironwulf.net/2007/10/03/danao-bohols-new-adventure-mecca/
Snorkeling and Diving in Balicasag is a must, and if its in season, whale/dolphin watching in Pamilacan.
Mag-Aso falls in Antequera is not usually visited by the tour package. There’s also a basket and weaving industry in Antequera.
Buy Kinampay or Bohol’s Ube.
Check out Balikasag island. Make sure to get out of the main land early enough to see the dolphins.
There are a lot of nice churches over there too.
you should definitely go diving sa balicasag! panalo! even snorkling would make you giddy-giddy with all the marine life surrounding the area
i have been to bohol twice, and we stayed in bohol plaza hotel. accomodation was ok, so was their ammenities, medyo malayo nga lang.
syempre adventures there are the sandugo shrine, baclayon church, the place where they take care of a big phyton, hinagdanan cave, tarsiers, loboc river cruise and of course the chocolate hills! =)
I forgot the name of the Boholano suman but I guess that was the most unique thing I had when I visited BoholÜ
Of course, don’t forget all the old and beautiful churches
hi anton… im just wondering… was there any announcement for the havaianas winners?
Most of the previous posters have noted down the things to see, so I’ll just add my vote for the ff:
– if you dive, definitely go to Balicasag, great wall dives, pity that all the hammerheads were poached ten years ago, but there are still good reefs to visit.
– Bohol Bee Farm
– the churches (check out the Ayala Museum, they may have the display on the beautiful churches all over Bohol)
– Loboc children’s choir – try to catch a rehearsal
Go to Nena’s site and read up on her trip to the ancestral homes in baclayon I think. They look lovely. Have broas and ube!
Hi Anton, I would say:
> Blood Compact Site (Tagbilaran City)
> Balicasag island – diving
> Dolphin watching in Pamilacan (early morning)
> Loboc River Cruise – lunch will be served while cruising
> Hanging bridge(Tigbao)
> Chocolate Hills (Carmen)
> Hinagdanan Cave (Dauis)
> Baclayon Church – Cesar Montano’s native town 🙂
My friends and I stayed at Sun Apartelle in Alona Beach (http://www.sunapartelle.com/). Not beachfront but with amenenities of a furnished apartment. The next time I visit Bohol, I would love to stay in Eskaya, if my budget permits 🙂 (http://www.eskayabeach.com/home.htm)
We flew in just last April. We stayed at the very personable Amarela Resort, Panglao Island where everybody is helpful and friendly. It’s a, calm and peaceful resort. The owner who’s a lawyer is always there. Hiring a van is much cheaper than setting up a tour from the hotel. We spent a P3,000 per new huge van that occupied 12 of us. Other scrupulous tour agencies ask for 1,500 per head. The driver, Fernando, was our driver and tour guide. He covered all of the best land tour area of Bohol including the Butterfly and insect museum, boar-eating python and the Hanging bridge, of course, besides the other famous Bohol spots. Buy all your souvenirs in the Hinagdanan cave which has the cheapest items and groovy Bohol shirts.
May I recommend some books on Bohol? These are not the usual tourist guidebooks but rather some books on the culture of Bohol. It may be broaden you whole experience of visiting Bohol.
“Tubod: The Heart of Bohol” edited by Ramon Villegas and published by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts contains essays on Bohol’s natural biodiversity, archaeology,history, buildings and structures, music, food, santos, rituals, literature, theater, language, religious icon paintings, furniture and basketry.
The Ayala Museum recently had an exhibit entiled “Kisame: Visions of Heaven on Earth. Photographs of Ceiling Paintings from Bohol Colonial Churches” They also published a monograph to accompany the exhibit.
By the way, a CD of the Loboc Children’s choir is being sold in the Bench stores.
Hello, Anton — please try the Crispy Pata at the Dumaluan Beach Resort!! 🙂 Every bite of those pork knuckles is well worth every bit of its cholesterol! 🙂 The resort is right beside Bohol Beach Club in Panglao; they have a public beach but you’ll find the restaurant on the private beach of Dumaluan. Added bonus is the fantastic beachfront view you’ll have while chewing on the crispy pata 🙂 Balicasag will also take your breath away (hopefully not literally) if you’re a diver.. first time I went to dive Balicasag, I fell in love and I found out there is just NO WAY God does not exist.. that much beauty, that perfection could not have been created if there were no God. Anyway, after staying in Bohol twice within the last year, I’ve decided I’m never going back to Bora haha 🙂 Enjoy Bohol!!!
Hi Anton!
You’re going to love Bohol!!!
1. Chocolate Hills
2. Loboc River
3. Tarsier
4. Man Made Forest
5. Baclayon Church
6. Panglao Island
7. Balicasag Island
Most especially the fresh and delicious seafood!
Oh yeah, try to check out my friend’s resort
http://www.the peacockgarden.com
I’m sure you’ll love it!
wow! love the posts guys! il be going to bohol next next week and i cant wait. all your posts are such great help! i love it. thanks!
JONA – if youre there, can u email me ur contacts? heres my email address. wilber_go@yahoo.com i would really appreciate it! anton, if you jona, kindlu forward my message. it would be a big help.
thank you guys! 🙂
oh CHIKAY- i mean. not jona. sorry bout that. 🙂
hi Anton!
i hope you also go to Punta Cruz watchtower. super ganda dun during sunset. i hope also that you visit yung place where you can hold the tarsiers. also, you can choose between 2 loboc river lunch. one is with the Ati tribe and the other one is yung loboc choir.
also, if you believe sa miracle water there’s one sa panglao church. just bring a bottle.
fresh seafood at balicasag island is 300’kl and 200 for paluto.
also try the restaurant sa PINR, yung nasa water mismo. bohol bee farm is a must.
you can see pics of my bohol tour:
http://www.theotherjeckay.multiply.com
butterfly farm in loay.=)
Hi Anton,
As others have mentioned, Bohol Bee Farm is a must-try — food is unbelievably delish. =)
Also, try dropping by at Punta Cruz watch tower. The view, the feel, is simply amazing. =)
Happy trip!
Hi Anton, I would have to say —
1) The ancestral homes. There’s 67 in Baclayon alone, and even more all over. Some of them are open to the public as they’ve been converted to museums/b&bs. Try contacting BAHANDI (Baclayon Ancestral Homes Association fgpestelos@yahoo.com)
2) The historic churches. Apart from Loboc, there’s Baclayon, Dauis, Albuquerque and others I sadly didn’t have time to visit.
You can read about my trip at http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/26576
http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/26576/Chocolate-Boobs-Yoda-a-Cultural-Experience-Bohol-2 and
http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/26576/One-More-Balay-Boy-Tite-Goodbye-Bohol-3
Enjoy your trip!
hey anton! i hope i’m not too late… you should try going on the fireflies cruise along the loboc river 🙂 not a lot of people know about it, but it’s beautiful! the number of fireflies around the area rival the ones you see in donsol 🙂 go go go! 🙂 it’s definitely a must see! and if you go diving, our boatman said that a WWII plane wreck lies somewhere on the loboc riverbed, so you might want to try that out too 🙂
enjoy bohol! it’s beautiful there!
How about going to Pandanon Island in Getafe (North of Bohol)
hi anto! my province is in bohol.. 🙂 and im so proud of it even before it became famous..
Did u go to Pamilcan Island? Also the Dagohoy’s Cave?? It was totally awesome!!!
hi nabasa ko po sablog nyo na pumunta po kayo sa bohol may i ask san ssan po kayo pumunta pagkakaalam ko po saglit lang po kayo dun god bless
From what I have heard, you must visit the Chocolate Hills.
I remember a team from the company where I am working went to Bohol last month to scuba dive and when they came back, each and everyone of them has their own unique and memorable stories to share. How I wish was there with them. I guess, if you are into diving or snorkeling, you might want to try the waters of Bohol. They have a lot of coral reefs that you can visit. By the way, nice post!
hi! i went to bohol 2yrs ago and i still want to come back. We stayed at bohol beach club, i love that resort. Friendly staff and good food.:) If you want serenity this one is the best place to stay. Not crowded:)
I really want to go to Bohol, maybe i’ll ask mom to send me money, hehe, anyway thanks for the info.
“Mabuhay ang Pilipinas”
-denny
i am so glad that you featured my province in your blog kuya and glad to read the comments of the people about their nice experiences in Bohol. Bohol is really a very nice place. A piece of heaven on earth:)
This photo reminds me one of my friends because she live in that beautiful place.
Paula M
I love Bohol, the weather, the scenery, the beaches, the food, the people. This is one of the beautiful places in the Philippines that I love to visit.
Andy