Bohol: 3D/2N Itinerary

Bohol is one of the popular tourist destination in the Philippines. And indeed this is one of the most beautiful places in the country. We stayed here for a week however, I know a lot of you doesn't have that much time so I'm sharing you a sample itinerary for those who wants to maximize their stay for 3 days and 2 nights.

How to get here:

By air. There are no direct international flights going to Bohol. You would need to take a flight either from Manila or Cebu in order to get to Tagbilaran .

By boat. Fast ferries sail everyday from the port of Cebu and they cost around Php 500 for one way and Php 800 for round trip. Examples of ferries are Ocean Jet, Weesam Express and Super Cat. Travel time is around 2-3 hours Fast ferries from Dumaguete are also available which costs around Php 700 and also takes 2-3 hours.

Day 1: Countryside Tour

From the airport or Tagbilaran port, you will already see travel guides offering tours and transport services. A van for hire which can accommodate 5-7 persons and costs around Php 2,500 that already includes a trip to your hotel at the end of the tour.

Note: entrance fees of each places are not included.

Entrance Fees:
Chocolate Hills Complex - Php 50
ATV at Chocolate Hills (for 30 mins) - Php 450
Butterfly Sanctuary - Php 40
Hanging Bridge - Php 20
Loboc River Cruise Lunch Buffet - Php 450
Tarsier Sanctuary - Php 60

Day 2: Dolphin Watching, Island Hopping at Balicasag and Virgin Island

How to get to Panglao Island:

There are taxis at the ferry terminal and Tagbilaran Airport which will cost around Php 500 - Php 1000. You might find this expensive, however if you're in a budget, you may hire a tricycle which will charge you around Php 250 - Php 500. There are also jeepneys and buses leaving for Alona Beach for only Php 25. Travel time is 20 - 30 minutes.

There are a lot of boatmen in Alona beach who will offer you island hopping, tours and water activities. We hired a boat for Php 2500 for an island hopping. To view the full story of our Island hopping in Bohol, please click here.

Day 3: Panglao Island Tour

You may hire a tricycle to take you around Panglao Island for Php 250 -Php 500 and visit places such as Hinagdanan Cave, Dauis Church,Shell Museum and Bohol Bee Farm.

Note: entrance fees of each places are not included.

Fees:
Bohol Bee Farm guided tour - Php 30
Hinagdanan Cave - Php 50

Here's our Bohol travel video. Enjoy!!!

Bohol: Island Hopping

Bohol is one of the must go to places when visiting the Philippines, not just because of the famous chocolate hills and the cute tarsiers, but also you shouldn’t miss the relaxing turquoise beach in Panglao Island. Staying in Alona beach in Panglao Island for days can be a bit boring, so why not spice it a bit by going on an island hopping.

We hired a boat the day before for Php 2,500. Woke up early in the morning and started the activity at exactly 6:00 AM, yeah the activity starts early as our first activity is dolphin watching and it is during early morning that dolphins are often seen swimming around the seas of Panglao.

Although there is really no guarantee that you will see dolphins as the boatmen have no control over them, we are lucky to see them swimming in their natural habitat. Seeing the first one swimming in the surface of the ocean gave us so much excitement that we all stand in the boat looking for them. The tricky part is that they only appear for a few seconds in the surface then suddenly disappear. The boat had to chase them several times until we can no longer see them around and proceed to our next destination which is the Balicasag Island.

We arrived on the white shores of Balicasag Island minutes after our dolphin-watching activity. Balicasag Island is considered one of the best diving spots in the country. But for us that are not trained for that, this island is also good for snorkeling and we definitely enjoy those colorful corals and fishes.

We rented snorkeling gears for Php 250 inclusive of boat, mask and snorkel and guide. You might be confused why we need to rent a separate boat to go to the snorkeling site. These are small wooden boats good for 3 to 4 person as big boats might damage the corals so we needed to transfer to a small boat. However, I think you can walk on the beach side to get in the snorkeling site if you choose to.

We were swimming in the water for almost 2 hours and can’t get enough of it. But we need to move and proceed to the next and last island which is the Virgin Island.

A small uninhabited picturesque sandbar, and this is why its called Virgin Island. There’s not much to do here, so we just enjoyed the sand and did some food trip as we got hungry swimming in Balicasag Island.

I tried sea urchins for the first time and for me it’s like eating oysters.

Tips:

> Arrive early. At the strike of the morning at dawn, you should be ready and already boarding the boat for dolphin watching. It is said that dolphins are really active during night time and wee hours of morning.

>Bring a good camera lens, dolphins will not be swimming alongside your boat and they can be far sometimes so make sure you’re ready to capture the moment they show up.

>Wear sunblock as it can get too hot.