A trip to Philippines is incomplete without a visit to the picturesque and beautiful island of Bohol. Located just 2 hours from Cebu City by a fast ferryboat, this unique island is a must visit on your itinerary for Philippines.
There are many things to see and activities to do on this sublime island; this article will cover our tour in Bohol.
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| Must do in Bohol - Tarsier Sighting at Bohol Island |
To learn more about transport from Cebu to Bohol read this article.
Till the very last moment we were confused whether to book our own tour or go with a tour offered by our hotel or a private agent.
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| Bohol tour price offered by tour agents |
When we checked with our hotel concierge the price of a tour on a coach basis was PHP 4500 per person and on a private basis the same was PHP 4,900 per person. The price seemed very steep for a day tour so we decided to plan the tour on our own.
The transfer from Cebu to Bohol was pretty sorted and you can read more details on how to go about the same in my previous post.
There were several websites offering vehicles on full day rental in Bohol and many reviews stated that you could book one after reaching at the port as well for the whole day. Being the Chinese New Year and a weekend we decided to book a coach in advance to save time when we reach Tagbilaran. The company we chose was http://boholcarrental.com. Their prices seemed fair for full day car rental. PHP 2500 for a Toyota Hi-Ace that has 15 seats was a great deal for 8 of us. They replied quickly on Whatsapp and service was prompt, we booked the cab during our departure from Cebu and the driver was already waiting for us when we arrived at Bohol. The car was comfortable and Air-conditioning was working well. Though the website suggests a tour itinerary, customization was never a problem.
Where to see Tarsiers in Bohol?
Tarsiers were the first things we wanted to tick on our checklist in Bohol. We were super excited to see the magnificent tiny little primate with big eyes. Based on the reviews of fellow travellers we decided to avoid the Loboc Tarsier Conservation area which is more popular and promoted by tour operators. Instead we planned our way to the Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary managed by the Philippine Tarsier Foundation.
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| Philippines Tarsier Foundation |
Some interesting facts about Tarsiers:
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| Tarsier- rotating the neck a full 180 degrees |
- They are nocturnal animals with large eyes and ears and long tails. (Don’t get into a staring contest with them you will always loose!)
- They can reach up to 6 inches in length and a 100-150 gm. in weight
- Tarsiers can rotate their necks a full 180 degrees in either direction
- Tarsiers are the only entirely carnivorous primates.
- They can leap a distance of up to 16 feet. (I did see one tarsier leap from one branch to another and it was extremely quick)
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| Tarsier Skeleton- displayed at Tarsier Foundation |
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| Interesting Facts About Tarsiers |
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| Tarsier in their natural habitat at Tarsier Sanctuary |
Are chocolate hills made of chocolate?
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| Chocolate Hills are considered the 8th Wonder of the World |
The UNESCO World Heritage site, believed to be the 8th Wonder of the world, the chocolate hills is one of the most impressive landscapes I have ever seen in my life.
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| Chocolate Hills Bohol is one of the most impressive Landscapes I have seen in my life |
To best view the chocolate mountains there is a special area in Bohol called Chocolate hills complex with a viewing deck from where you get a 360-degree view of the more then 1250 Chocolate Mountains. The fees to access the complex and viewing deck are 50 PHP per person and there are restrooms and some small outlets selling food items, soft drinks, ice cream etc.
You have to walk over 200 steps to the viewing deck to experience the mesmerizing view of the chocolate hills. Summer is the best time to visit chocolate hills when the grass has dried and the hills look like chocolate kisses.
Sevilla Hanging Twin Bridge
I did feel like a hangman for a few seconds especially when the bridge shook!
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| Sevilla Hanging Twin Bridge |
It’s a nice 20 minutes activity wherein you go from one bridge and return from another. The left bridge felt more secured as compared to the right one. While walking on the bamboo slats you have to be careful that your foot does not get stuck into it. It is fun listening to the screeching sound of the bridge every time you put a foot ahead. At the end of the bridge there are vendors selling some really cheap souvenirs, after returning from the other bridge do enjoy the grilled bananas (PHP 10) and the sweet coconut water (PHP 30) from the stalls on the other side of the road. The access fee to the bridge is only 20 PHP and there are photographers on the bridge who offer a printed copy of your photos, each for PHP 100.
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| Beautiful surroundings at Twin Hanging Bridge Bohol |
There was other few tourist attractions like Baclayon Church, Butterfly Park and Python Park, which we skipped. We also skipped the lunch on the floating restaurant in Loboc River as we were full from the coconut water and bananas near hanging bridge and also our driver suggested there wouldn’t be vegetarian options available. Our driver did stop at couple of places during our return to the ferry terminal for us to get some nice views of the Loboc River.
Overall it was a great fun filled day in Bohol with memories to cherish for a lifetime and I again say that a visit to Philippines is incomplete without visiting the island of Bohol.
‘Now coming to the Maths, our costing per person including a private coach of 15 seats for 8 people, transfer from Cebu to Bohol and back, terminal fee and entrance fees approximated to PHP 1500 per person, this is less than 1/3rd the price we were offered by our concierge at the hotel.
If you have any queries or suggestions please leave a comment below, you can also email me on vegyatri@gmail.com.
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