Bohol Tour Part 2: Bohol Countryside Tour

We arrived at Tagbilaran airport around 11:50AM via Cebu Pacific Air from Manila. We were supposed to arrive 9:40AM then, but according to the flight crew due to some traffic congestion at Tagbilaran airport we were redirected to Mactan airport for refueling. Thus causing our delay of more than two hours.

At Tagbilaran airport, we were fetched by our local friends together with our contact driver Ramil Fostanes (09166209625) with his Isuzu Crosswind XUV. The Bohol countryside tour is originally worth PhP 3,500 but thanks to our local friend’s haggling skills we only paid PhP 2,500. And that includes fetching from Tagbilaran airport, the countryside tour, and transfer to our hotel after the tour.

The initial plan was to have our lunch at the floating restaurants at Loboc river. But because our flight was delayed we decided to just skip it and instead have a quick lunch at Island City Mall before proceeding with the tour.

Our first destination was at Sagbayan Peak. This is the solution for the lost time caused by the flight delay. At Sagbayan Peak, you can have a nice view of Chocolate Hills, visit their butterfly garden, and picture-taking with tarsiers. The entrance fee is PhP 30 per person. Children will love this place because of their Disney-inspired kiddie playground.

At Sagbayan Peak they also have their own butterfly garden. The entrance fee is PhP 10 each person. You can take pictures but video is not allowed. I really do not know the reason behind forbidding it.

Tarsiers can be also seen at Sagbayan Peak. There is no entrance fee to their tarsier sanctuary (it kinda looks like a cage to me than a sanctuary) but instead there is a donation box for those who want to give. Picture-taking is allowed but make sure to turn off your camera’s flash. You would not want to see a startled tarsier.

After spending about an hour or two at Sagbayan Peak, we resumed driving to our next destination, the man-made mahogany forest. You will see tall mahogany trees along the road and that’s it. The fun is during picture-taking wherein you need to hurry because vehicles are passing from time to time.

After having nice shots at the man-made forest, we went to the hanging bridge of Sevilla, Bohol. There is an entrance fee of PhP 20 each person. Only 10 persons at a time are allowed to cross the hanging bridge for safety purposes. You can also find there the Sevilla Souvenir Shop where you can buy your “pasalubong”. It is also the cheapest place where you can buy souvenirs and delicacies like peanut kisses and peanut fingers according to our local friends.

Along the way we stopped at Loboc River where we can see the floating restaurants. We were supposed to have our lunch there, but as I have said before, the delayed flight cost us much time to miss it. Anyway, as long as I am able to take a picture of it then I’m cool with it.

After seeing the bluish-green water of Loboc River, we headed to Xzootic Animal Park at Loay, Bohol. It is a small zoo wherein you can see animals like ostrich, python, squirrel, monkey, baby leopard, birds, and more. The entrance fee is PhP 20 each person. The main attraction of the mini zoo is the Burmese python wherein you can touch and take pictures with it.

One of the oldest church in the Philippines is the Baclayon Church which was built in 1596. Sad to say I was not able to take pictures of its front view. The church structure remains strong despite its age. There is also a remarkable image at one of its pillars which locals believe to be the face of Padre Pio.

The last place we visited was the Blood Compact site. We did not spend much time there because all we can see is the statue. We just took some photos of it and off we go to Panglao Island where we will stay most of our vacation days.

At Panglao Island, there are two famous beaches, Alona Beach and Dumaluan Beach. Each of them has there own pros and cons. Our friends made a reservation for our accommodation at Beach Rock Resort which is located at Alona Beach and it is around 50 meters away from the shore. Beach Rock Resort is not a classy type of hotel, but it is enough for budget conscious people like us. The rate for twin-sharing room is PhP 1,400 per night. It has a nice aircon, free breakfast, wi-fi, and hospitable crew. The only downside is their water supply. Maybe they are using a deep well for their water source and the fact that they are near the shore made it a little salty. But the water is still usable except for drinking of course.

Part 1: Bohol Tour – The Summary
Part 2: Bohol Tour – Bohol Countryside Tour
Part 3: Bohol Tour – Alona Beach
Part 4: Bohol Tour – Balicasag and Virgin Islands
Part 5: Bohol Tour – Scuba Diving Experience