THE CITY OF FRIENDSHIP: BOHOL
1:58 AM
I've always wanted to visit Bohol, so when me and my friends were planning where we should go next, I immediately suggested Bohol. Gladly, they agreed! We got a pretty decent [promo] fare during PAL's anniversary.
Our flight was last July 19-21, also the start of lean season. Airfare is P1,734 inclusions are; (1) piece 7kg carry-on baggage, 10kg check-in baggage allowance also a free light snack.
Just a little story about our accommodation, initially we plan to stay in Dumaluan Beach Resort but rooms got sold out the moment we are about to book :( We then searched for other options and decided to stay in Alona Vida Beach Resort - we booked this online thru Agoda. We paid a total of P11, 212.74 for 2 nights (NO BREAKFAST).
Did you know that Tagbilaran's Airport is really small that it can only accommodate 1 plane on its runway. ;)
Travel Tips
Did you know that Tagbilaran's Airport is really small that it can only accommodate 1 plane on its runway. ;)
Travel Tips
TRAVEL TIP #1: Arrange Airport to Hotel Transfers with your Hotel. Getting around Bohol is quite a task, instead of commuting via jeepneys, tricycles or habal-habal; it's best to rent private cars for your trip. Make sure to check with your hotel if they offer airport transfers – it’s roughly a 40-minute drive from Tagbilaran Airport to Panglao Island. Airport to Hotel transfer cost us P600 – not bad, right?
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| Alona Beach, a long stretch of white sand beach |
TRAVEL TIP #2: Have many options especially if you decide to go Island Hopping. We asked the receptionist of our hotel if they offer island hopping packages – they gave us their list of packages which is quite expensive. We decided to just ask some of the locals who are offering affordable island hopping packages.
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| Blood Compact with Miguel Lopez de Legazpi & Datu Sikatuna a seal to their friendship as part of the tribal tradition. |
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| Baclayon Church is still undergoing renovation after being heavily damaged during Bohol's 2013 Earthquake |
TRAVEL TIP #3: Haggle as much as you can. If you are not the type of person who’s good at bargaining, you definitely have a friend who is one. Our island hopping package includes; boat rental for Php 1,400, guide with Entrance fee to Marine Sanctuary Php 150 Environmental / Municipal Fee: P 100 (if swimming / snorkelling) = Php 2,400 (we are a group of 4.)
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| Hanging Bridge composed of bamboos and hardened steels. Locals used it to cross from their Barangays to the City. |
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| After crossing the Hanging Bridge, we ate Grilled Banana; locals call it "Ginangang" and Fresh Buko juice. |
TRAVEL TIP #4: VISIT CHOCOLATE HILLS DURING MORNING. This is probably our tour’s fail part – we arrived at the Chocolate Hills around 5:30pm. The sun is starting to set; the view of the Chocolate Hills isn’t as good as I expected it to be. So, make sure to have Chocolate Hills as your priority!
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| Tarsiers are one of the smallest primates. Tarsier's eyes are bigger than their brain and they can only carry one baby at a time. |
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| Chocolate Hills, Bohol's main tourist attraction. Grass-covered limestone, which, at the end of the dry season, turns chocolate brown. |
TRAVEL TIP #5: Rent cars or ask the locals for car transfers. Going from one place to another is a bit expensive when you visit Bohol specifically in Panglao Island – with just Tricycles and Habal-Habal as their main mode of transportation. A tricycle ride (depending on the distance) can cost you Php 150, while habal-habal (depending on the distance) can cost you Php 30 per person.
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| The man-made forest is a 2-kilometer stretch of Mahogany trees. It stands out because of the uniformity in height of the big trees. |
What I love most about Bohol? It's how accommodating most of the locals are, how they treat their tourists with care and kindness. Also, I love how the island, mainly the beach is not very commercialised knowing that they have this beautiful white sand beach - similar to Boracay. I love that it's still calm and quiet even with the party vibe going on.
I love how they preserved all their tourist spots, Loboc River specifically is still clean and untouched. Some locals swim and even do their laundry on the river. We also went to Abatan River for a firefly watching experience.
TIP for anyone who will be travelling as a GROUP; combine all your pocket money! It's easier and all your expenses are equal. So, here's the breakdown of our expenses (including airfare and accommodation).
Breakdown of Expenses
I would love to go back and visit other places in Bohol especially the falls, caves and river at the south part of Bohol. The people and the place is really worth returning back to.
Photos taken using Canon 600D and Iphone 5s
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| Virgin Island has a long stretch of white sand beach during low tide. |
I love how they preserved all their tourist spots, Loboc River specifically is still clean and untouched. Some locals swim and even do their laundry on the river. We also went to Abatan River for a firefly watching experience.
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| Loboc RiverCruise offers performances from the locals during the 1-hour cruise. |
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| This river is one of the cleanest rivers in the country. It's one of the major tourist destinations of Bohol. |
Breakdown of Expenses
SPENT PER PERSON
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AIRFARE
(Philippine Airlines)
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Php 1,734
(additional Php 100 terminal fee Tagbilaran to Manila)
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ACCOMMODATION
(Alona Vida Beach Resort)
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Php 2,803.18
(Php11,212.74 group of 4, Family Room)
(3 days, 2 nights)
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AIRPORT TRANSFER
(Tagbilaran Airpot to Alona Vida)
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Php 150 each
(Php600 group of 4)
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COUNTRYSIDE TOUR
(Blood Compact, Baclayon Church, Tarsier Sanctuary, Hanging Bridge, Man-made Forest & Chocolate Hills)
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Php 400 each
(Php 1,600 group of 4)
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COUNTRYSIDE TOUR ENTRANCE FEES
(Tarsier Sanctuary, Hanging Bridge & Chocolate Hills)
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Php 60 each – Tarsier Sanctuary
Php 20 each – Hanging Bridge
Php 50 each – Chocolate Hills
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ISLAND HOPPING
(Balicasag Island & Virgin Island)
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Php 600 each
Php 2,400 group of 4; inclusions Boat rental and Guide.
- Entrance fee to Marine Sanctuary Php 150 (per head
- Environmental/Municipal Fee: Php 100 (if swimming or snorkelling)
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FIREFLY WATCHING
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Php 500 each
(Php 2,000 group of 4)
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CAR TRANSFER to LOBOC RIVER CRUISE + AIRPORT TRANSFER
(Loboc Floating Restaurant, Pasalubong Shopping and Airport Transfer)
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Php 350 each
(Php 1,400 group of 4)
Php 450 per head
(Buffet at Loboc Floating Restaurant)
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PASALUBONG SHOPPING
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Php 1,000 each
(we allotted 1k for our pasalubong)
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MEALS FOR 3 DAYS
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Php 750 each
(Php 3,000 allotted food budget group of 4)
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Php 8,867.00
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I would love to go back and visit other places in Bohol especially the falls, caves and river at the south part of Bohol. The people and the place is really worth returning back to.
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