Kayaking in Bohol

There is a sense of freedom renting your own kayak and explore the neighboring sites around Bohol. It is an eye-opening experience to explore the warm, open waters and discover surreal caves and pristine sandy beaches, without the time constraint of being under a boat-tour schedule.  The Department of Tourism is boosting this sport and had set their goal to make Kayaking as a premier activity on the island and all over the country, and mainly to become the top Kayaking capital of Southeast Asia.  The Philippines being an archipelago of 7,107 islands the possibilities of kayaking adventures are endless.  Kayaking is an eco-sport and is perfect for our natural assets being surrounded by oceans, seas, rivers, marshes, mangroves and 30,000 wonderful coastlines. That being said, Bohol has hosted a Tour Event, the Cebu-Bohol Island Crossing. It is held during December. One does not need to be in tour participant to witness this magical adventure of this raw sport and be bombarded by a unique sensual experience welcoming the secrets of nature that can only be enjoyed as one cruise along leisurely on the shorelines, and while watching the changing seascapes as it slowly uncovers the different personalities of the islands.

Here are some of the adventures they have tackled in the tour but can be enjoyed on day trips, too. First choice for your Kayaking trip could be kayaking along the Olango’s shoreline, watching all the dotting migratory birds and cruise down to Banacon’s lush mangrove forest. This tour ends at the two-faced Pandanon Island, which shows both the tranquility of a secluded haven and excitement of an overpopulated community. Your second trip of choice could be kayaking under the moonlit sky and with the moon’s reflection smoothly spread on the calm surface, marvel at the living lights that jump from tree to tree, invoking the warmth of the season. Even on a moonless sky, you can kayak around the island of Jau, Talibon and be guided by the natural glow made by the disturbed planktons, a light source that local fishermen have been using ever since. Or lastly, just cruise along the magnificent coastline of Panglao Island.

Hinagdanan Cave

The island province of Bohol may aptly be called “Cave Country.” Some 1,400 caves have been counted, and probably many more have escaped notice. Some claim that Bohol even got its name from the word “buho”, meaning “hole”, although that term is actually applied to a hole from which spring water leaves the ground — something you can find quite often in the coastal towns of the island. Bohol, like the surrounding islands, emerged from the sea during the mid Tertiary, some 20-30 million years ago. The island is made of extensive karst (limestone) formations, such as sinkholes, ravines, the curious Chocolate Hills, and a large number of caves, many of them still unexplored. You may also come across streams that pop up from the ground at one place, to disappear again into a cave a few kilometers further on, and reappear again after running some distance underground. If you enter this underground world, you will encounter the many unusual and even bizarre invertebrates, such as albino crabs, that have evolved here and are especially adapted to this life in darkness. All these caves of course are an ideal hideout, and have played an important role in Bohol’s history.

One of the famous caves is the Hinagdanan Cave. It is located 2.5 Kilometers from center of Dauis of Panglao Island, specifically in the town of Bingag. And it is about 15 Kilometers from west of Tagbilaran City. The cave is sunlit through the holes of its limestone ceilings and has the eerie feel of nature. This cave was discovered by the land owner in the 16^th century while clearing some decaying branches on the property and accidentally coming across two adjacent holes on the ground. Apparently, the owner threw a stone and was surprised to hear a splash. From then on a ladder was built to get into the cave for further exploration and thus, the name Hinagdanan Cave meaning “laddered.” The cave is about 100 meters long of beautiful rock formations. The stalactites and stalagmites stick out from the ceiling and floor of the cave as though trying to meet each other. The entrance of the cave is a narrow and steep way and only one person at a time can enter, but over the years it had developed and  the once wooden rickety handle of the stairs have been replaced with rounded steel bars and now have a bit wider stairs. Inside at the bottom, a lagoon with a greenish surface produced by the green limestone  used to be a swimming area for the locals, but has now been known to have karst pollutants and having a dip on this cool water is not permitted.

This would be an exciting addition to your adventure in Bohol. There are friendly guides that will accompany you and a lot of amazing photo ops to look forward to.

Dolphin Watching

For decades, dolphins and whales that breed in Bohol Sea are hunted down to extinction by locals. Thankfully an innovative program was introduced to get the same hunters to make their living is by using the same skills for hunting and spot these beautiful creatures for tourists to enjoy watching nearby. These gentle giants are known to be spotted either at Panglao Island or Pamilacan Island, but can also be spotted everywhere else in Bohol Sea. That is where the ex-hunters come to play; they will gear the bancas where all these beautiful creatures will be. The expedition starts in the morning after breakfast and head out to Alona beach where a boat will be waiting. Spotters can just look at splashes on the water and they can tell that dolphins are there feeding, a sight that normal tourists would not automatically see. And within few minutes as the boat gears toward the area, pods and pods of long-snouted spinner dolphins would appear splashing and playing. Most of them are used to these tour bancas and they actually swim near or do acrobatic entertainments for the tourists.

Dolphin watching is an exciting experience for tourists and it is important to know that a century old dolphin and whale hunting tradition has been abandoned for the sake of these beautiful sea beings; and that the same hunters become the stewards of the sea.

The Chocolate Hills in Bohol

The little children and people with sweet tooth alike will be disappointed to know that the Chocolate Hills is not actually made of chocolates. Your Bohol destination will not be complete without visiting this world renowned wonder, The Chocolate Hills.

This unique natural wonder is an unusual geological formation that can’t be found anywhere else in the world. The most recent accurate survey says that there are 1,776 perfectly cone-shaped hills, all about the same size and spread over an area of more than 50 square kilometers covering 3 towns; Carmen, Batuan, and Sagbayan. The hills are mostly uniform in shape and have varied heights, between 30 and 50 meters. The hills are covered in green grass that turns brown during the dry season, giving them the name “Chocolate” Hills. The hills are made of limestone which has then been covered with topsoil on which grass then has grown. Philippine legend made up a couple of stories to explain them: In one, some giants get into a rock fight (and the rocks are the hills). In another, the hills are the tears of a forlorn giant. These hills are deemed most beautiful to behold at dusk and dawn. Book with a hotel now and explore this breathtaking experience.

Alona Beach is only thirty or forty minutes away from Tagbiliran by taxi or trike, and well worth the trip. Even if you only intend to go out for an afternoon, you can walk the kilometer long, white sandy beach and enjoy some of the best seafood available anywhere. For those of you intending to stay longer in one of the Alona beach hotels or resorts, you can look forward to fully enjoying every facet of this tropical dreamland.

Alona Beach is a world-class dive destination. Day or night, beginner or advanced – This is a great place to submerge your soul. There are several different dive sites to become familiar with, such as Pamilacan, Balicasa, Dolio Beach, Tawala Sanctuary, Arco Point, or the Housereef directly in front of Alona Beach.

You should know in advance that Alona Beach doesn’t have a lot on the way of nightlife. This is not the type of place where Rihana or Lady Gaga music from the disco downstairs vibrates you to sleep every night. Most bars are quiet affairs, and generally close when the last customer swaggers out the door. If you love the peace and quiet of Alona Beach but still need to get your party on, check out Oops! Bar on the weekends.

When I’m relaxing in the evenings on Alona Beach, I try to follow the three B’s.

Barbecue – Beer – Beach massage

Life is good, see you on the beach!

Click on this map of Alona Beach to see it's excellent hotels and resorts!

It’s not overdeveloped, nor is it completely lacking in infrastructure.  Simply put, Panglao is in a golden age!

Panglao is an island, in the island province of Bohol.   Panglao is most famous for its world class diving locations and pristine Alona Beach.  It’s also home to many resorts that specialize in making your vacation a memorable one.

Once you get here, there’s plenty of activity and adventure to keep you busy in the daytime.  The most popular activities include diving, dolphin watching, and island hopping.  Panglao diving offers you the chance to see a plethora of creatures. I could rave on for quite some time about the diving in Panglao, but you really should see it for yourself.

If you’re into dolphins, this is a good place to start looking. It’s great family fun, just like a treasure hunt!  I would strongly recommend going before 8:00am.  After morning playtime, they are more difficult to track down, and you may wind up wasting your time and money.

Much like Boracay, the sunrise and sunset on Panglao is a phenomenal sight not to be missed, it’s very much a natural wonder.

When you plan your trip to Panglao, check out our list of hotels and resorts for one that truly matches your style.

Enjoy, and see you on the beach!

Getting to Bohol from Cebu

The most popular option is to book seats on a fast ferry.  Many depart from Cebu each day and you won’t have a problem fitting one of them to your schedule. The fast ferry will only take about an hour and a half to reach Tagbilaran city in Bohol.

It’s important to note that the Tagbilaran airport is domestic. If you’re trying to get to Bohol from outside the Philippines, you must go to either Manila, or Cebu first.

If your rock bottom budget traveling, you can look into catching a ferry to Tubigon, and then continue by bus from Tubigon to Tagbilaran.  However, most people will choose one of the three major fast ferry companies working the Cebu to Tagbiliran route. You can view a list of fantastic hotels throughout Bohol here, and find one that fits your price range.

You can book fast ferry tickets by following any of the below links:

Ocean Jet
Supercat
Weesam

Enjoy the ride, and see you soon!

Making Bohol hotel reservations has never been easier.  We at My Bohol Guide have developed a reservations engine which makes the whole process simple and fast.

You can select a Bohol location here:

http://www.myboholguide.com/beaches-resorts-rooms-accommodations-bohol-hotels.html

Then select a hotel in your chosen location.  Here is an example of the Bohol Alona beach listing:

http://www.myboholguide.com/beacheshotels/resortslist/AlonaBeach.html

Choose any hotel, get information about it, and once you’ve decided use our simple three step process at the bottom and you are finished!

One thing to remember about making your Bohol hotel reservation, is that accommodation can fill up quickly.  If you plan to make a Bohol hotel reservation in peak season we suggest you do it early!

But…. how in the world do I get there?!

If it’s your first time planing a trip somewhere, I know it can get a little daunting – The good news is, it’s actually very easy to get to Bohol.   Below is everything you need to know to get out and explore Bohol!

Getting to Bohol from Manila

Since your already in Manila, your best option is by airplane.  Although there is a ferry that can take you from Manila to Tagbilaran (Tagbilaran is the capital city of the province of Bohol) I would only recommend attempting this if you are:

a) On a tight budget
b) A hardy adventurer

From Manila, simply fly into Tagbilaran Airport.

Cebu Pacific Air using Airbus A319 has two flights daily, Philippine Airlines using  Airbus A320 has three flights daily, Zest Airways using  Airbus A320 has one flight daily plus an additional flight every Tue/Wed/Sat.

Keep in mind the number of flights, and the flight schedules do often change. It’s also worth mentioning that If you are in Manila, you can also go to Cebu by air, and then continue by boat. For more information on this, check my “how to get from Cebu to Bohol” blogpost.

Finally, I’d like to add that the air travel industry has been offering great seat sales these last few years.  It’s always worth checking now and again for seat sales even if you don’t have any plans to travel.

Mabuhay, and see you in Bohol!

Bohol is considered  a prime Philippines tourist destination, attracting visitors from all over the world to its beautiful natural and cultural wonders.  Among its many tourist attractions are the world-famous Chocolate Hills — a collection of over a thousand dome-shaped hillocks; the endangered tarsiers — one of the world’s smallest primates; and the white-sand beaches of Panglao Island.

To go with these gems, Bohol is a diving experience which will simply blow you away.  Bohol is also home to various historical and cultural riches dating back to the Spanish colonial era. Limestone churches, museums and monuments such as the Blood Compact Shrine are all worth visiting.

Take a look at Bohol’s best diving spots.  Explore all of the exciting activities which Bohol has on offer.  Find detailed information about all the best Bohol hotels.  Combine all this with the “Heroic” My Guides customer support and you are sure to have a wonderful hotel booking experience!