Wandering Flipflops Recommends: Panglao Island, Bohol PART 2

On Day 3 of our Bohol trip, my friends and I went on a sea tour. Our bangka (boat) picked us up from the resort at 6am. Apparently, the dolphins are out only until 8am so the earlier you head out, the better your chances are of spotting them. It was a bit of a long ride out to the dolphin spot. According to our boatman, Vito, you have to be lucky to be able to spot the dolphins since they aren't always there. I was ecstatic to see the dolphins, however, I was also a bit frustrated by the way some boatmen chased them just so their passengers can have a closer look. Good thing Vito had more respect for the animals and always kept a safe distance.

After this, we were off to the Balicasag Marine Sanctuary which is known for its diverse and exotic marine life. Bring some bread or biscuits so you can experience feeding the wild fishes from your hand. 

Just off the boat and waiting for a smaller
boat to take us out to the spot. 

Too bad we didn't have an underwater cam.
Photo from here

Last stop of the sea tour is Virgin Island. As you approach it, you'd see a sandbar which my friends and I call a "runway". It's an uninhabited island with an awesome stretch of powdery white sand beach. Going around the island takes less than 20 minutes. The best part of this stop was the fresh uni. Locals dive for sea urchins and sell it at P50 for 3 pieces.

The sandbar leading to the island. 

Freshly-caught sea urchins.

Me playing with the sea urchin Fear Factor-style. 

Fresh uni with a drop of vinegar. Yum!

We finished with the tour a little before lunch time. Since we were hungry and wanted to hang out somewhere else, we decided to head over to Bohol Beach Club which is a much nicer resort compared to ours. If not a guest, you have to pay P500 for using their facilities, however,  P350 of this is consumable at the restaurant so I think it's worth it.

Spent an hour napping on this comfy hammock. 

More hammocks lining up the path.

BBC's beach. 

I think heading over to BBC was a great idea. The food was good and we had a chance to relax by the beach (except during a wedding party's photo session!) since most of the other tourists opted to stay in the pool area.  

I would definitely love to go back to Panglao Island. Maybe next time, I'd stay on Alona Beach which is the livelier (read: noisier) part of the island just so I have more options when it comes to where to dine. 

Wandering Flipflops Recommends: Panglao Island, Bohol PART 1

If you're staying on Dumaluan Beach but don't want to spend $100/night at the Bohol Beach Club, then book a room at Dumaluan Beach Resort 2. We got a Deluxe room for half the price. The resort is not as swanky as BBC, but then, we had more money to spend on booze and food so, Yay!

Deluxe Room 

Garden Area where you can hang out 

For cheap, grilled food, head over to the DBR grill which is only a few steps away from the resort. 

Instead of getting stuck in a day-long happy hour, book a countryside tour with Tatsky (contact info below) and see the following:

Butterfly Farm - We almost skipped this one but thank goodness we changed our minds. This was the highlight of our trip that day mainly because of our guide, Marlon, who was recommended by Tatsky.

Butterflies in heat.

Man-made Mahogany Forest - Beautiful 2-kilometer stretch of Mahogany trees planted during President Garcia's time.

Philippine Tarsier - Smallest primate which is no bigger than my hand. They're nocturnal but I guess all the tourists milling about are keeping this guy up.

Chocolate Hills - According to our guide, there are around 1,300 of these hills. Going to Bohol and not visiting the hills is like going to Paris and not visiting the Eiffel Tower.

Loboc River Cruise - Buffet lunch is served on the boat while going on a cruise. Buy your ticket from River Watch Cruises as the food is better than the rest. Costs P400.

Prony the Python - Around 20-30 feet long. The main attraction on this trip was actually Marimar :)

Baclayon Church - One of the oldest churches in the Philippines. Our guide, Tatsky, pointed out this wall which they say has Padre Pio's likeness etched on it. Padre Pio became known for his stigmata.

Padre Pio on the church's wall. 

Padre Pio

There are around 12 sites included in the countryside tour, but, you can always tell your guide if you want to skip some.

Hinagdanan Cave - Nothing special about this and only good for photo ops. We were done in five minutes.

Hanging Bridge(s) - Again, you can totally skip this. You cross one bridge to go to the other side where locals sell you stuff then come back using the other bridge. Took us some time to cross since a lot of people stop in the middle to take photos.

The Real Blood Compact Site - According to our guide, the monument that overlooks the sea is not the real one. A few years back, the National Historical Society found documents describing where it really happened. According to what the NHS found, the blood compact happened near/at a well located between two rivers.

The REAL Blood Compact Site
Photo from Unsubcultured

Bohol Bee Farm sans the bees - This was the last stop of our tour. They sell stuff like flavored honey, dips, spreads, and ice cream with weird flavors like malunggay, spicy ginger, panda, etc.

Photo from Unsubcultured

We got back to our resort tired and sweaty around 6pm. First thing we did when we got back? Order drinks of course. It was a long and hard day after all.


P.S.
If you're looking for a tour operator in Bohol, contact Tatsky. I highly recommend him. Excellent service!

Tatsky Cubero
jessercubero@yahoo.com
0922-367 1051
0915-794 5556
0912-747 2737

Bohol Trip Check List

1. Plane Tickets - Printed by a friend and downloaded to my phone as well.
2. Travel Insurance - Check.
3. Resort Accommodations - Staying at Dumaluan Resort 2.  Reservations done through Philippine Hotel Reservations Service (PHRS). Fully paid.
4. Airport Transfers - Included in the package availed from PHRS.
5. Itinerary for Tours - Did some research on PinoyExchange.com and two tour operators come highly recommended: Tatsky Cubero and Paul Incon. Opted to book with Tatsky (+63915-7945556). 

Only thing left to do is pack. 

Panglao Island, Bohol

Only eight days until my friends and I fly to Panglao Island. Really excited as I've never been there. Bought our tickets four months in advance and have also paid for our rooms in full.

Out of all the things in our itinerary, this one is what I'm much excited about:

Philippine Tarsier
Photo from here