How to reach Bohol & Panglao :

Bohol can be easily reached from various places around The Philippines. The fastest way is by plane, to Tagbilaran City, from Davao, Cebu City, Manila etc. If you already are in the area, you can also take a ferry to Tagbilaran.

Most of the boats are own by OceanJet and you can find the link to their schedules below :

Ocean Jet Fare and Schedule

Once you are on Bohol you can rent a scooter or take a tricycle/taxi to your final destination.

When visiting Bohol you might want to consider staying near Baclayon. This way you will save time as you won’t have to drive 30 minutes to go out of Panglao Island and Tagbilaran City.

Baluarte, comprising of the Baclayon pier and nearby park, is a bustling area and an ideal spot to get a feel for community life. You can find nearby the Baclayon church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, completed in 1727. Made of coral stone, it stands where 2 Jesuit priests founded in 1596 the first town on the island. Don’t forget to try a Broas. A local cake dating back from the Spanish era. A million egg white was used for the church’s cement, so they decided to use the yolk for pastry making.

What to do :

If like most tourists you decide to visit south Bohol and Panglao Island, every landmark will be quite easy to find as they are almost all on the same road. A busy day could start by leaving your hotel/guesthouse/hammock and head to the Chocolate Hills. Before reaching the old coral formation 2 stop can be made.

The Bilar Man-Made Forest : I am not sure why people get crazy about that one but it is worth a few minutes stop along the way.

Tarsier conservation center : The Tarsier conservation is 1 kilometer away (50PHP each), this is where you can see the miniature gremlins out of a cage. The general setting has a weird feeling as they seem to be put into place every morning until the conservation center closes down at night. You might want to check the Tarsier sanctuary near Sikatuna that seems to do a better job to protect the emblematic animal.

Chocolate Hills : The next 20 Kms to reach the chocolate hills is a succession of palm trees on small “ground island” surrounded by rice fields, a beautiful drive. The Pangas falls can be seen along the way but we didn’t stop and preferred to enjoy the Ingkumhan Falls later on. The Chocolate Hills (100PHP for 2 with a moped) lookout is the easiest way to enjoy the Teletubbies hills (cf Nusa Penida – Indonesia) the belvedere stand on top of one of them.  If you are in a rush in Bohol it might not be worth the drive but as it is on the road of most of the sight you will probably find 30 minutes to spend there, take some photos and enjoy the view. The 1500 individual mounds have been declared the country’s third National Geological Monument.

Ingkumhan Falls : This “secret falls” (20PHP each) was a great addition to the Journey. It is well located on Maps.me but I had to ask directions several times to locals as there is no real signalization to find it. Nobody was there and only 2 Filipino couples arrived 30 minutes later.

Sunset : I also stopped on the way back to Baclayon, on the coastal road near Loay. There will be less chance for you to have some bugs flying into your eyes after dusk, no reason not to stop.

Another place to watch the sun goes down is at the extreme western point of Panglao, you will find a small beach with nobody around but few locals. They come daily to collect sea urchins for restaurants and other use. But you must hurry, a resort will open there soon.

Staying at the Bohol Beach Club was the perfect way to spend the end of the year. It is also one kind of a beach. You know when you picture this perfect powdery white sand?

A resort by definition is a place where you can stay without missing anything and having to go out. This is exactly what could be done at the Bohol Beach Club for the length of our stay. Everything is provided and to our biggest surprise, the food was really affordable. The restaurant staff is doing an excellent job to make sure you are not missing anything.

Beach volley, paddle board, Hobie cat, PADI dive center, tours, you name it. There are activities for everyone and every age. But my favorites one were definitely to climb the many coconut trees on the property or to go snorkeling in front of the resort. After you swim pass the reef full of starfish and sea urchin the depth increase until the drop-off.

Far from the famous Alona Beach in so many points, but do not get me wrong this is a good thing.

In a nutshell:

Bohol Beach Club : 

Adress : Bo. Bolod, Panglao, Bohol, The Philippines

Telephone : +63 38 502 9222

Website : https://www.boholbeachclub.com.ph/

Scooter Rental : Ramil & Jacky Motor Rent

Address : Cf. Map

Telephone : 09476442408

Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary :

Adress : Tarsier Sunctuary Rd, Corella, Bohol, The Philippines

Telephone : 09089378094

Website : http://philippine-tarsier-sanctuary.business.site/

Email : [email protected]