A 90-minute flight from the capital, Manila, Bohol is one of many islands in the Philippines. This oval-shaped island is a picturesque isle home to stunning coral reefs, quaint stone churches, breathtaking waterfalls, and thousands of brown-hued limestone formations known collectively as the Chocolate Hills. It’s also home to the smallest primates in the world, the Tarsiers.
Bohol has become a popular tourist destination and it’s no wonder why. There is so much to do on Bohol that you will be spoiled for choice, especially if you only visit for a short time.
The main tourist hub of Bohol is the small island of Panglao, which is connected by a bridge to the bigger island of Bohol. That is where you will be landing. Most people recommend staying there if you are visiting the island for the first time.
However, we decided to stay in the less touristy areas of the Loboc River for 3 nights and then moved on to the quieter Anda Beach for 4 nights, on the other side of the island. If you like more dining and nightlife options, then Panglao is for you. We were looking for peace and quiet. Choosing where to stay will depend on what you are looking for.
What to do in Bohol?
The list of things to do in Bohol is extensive and even in a week we didn’t get to see everything. The activities below best matched our interests and our style of travel. They gave us a good variety of experiences.
Visit the Philippine Tarsier and Wildlife Sanctuary in Corella
This sanctuary is located deep in the secondary growth forest foothill of Corella town, in the interior of Bohol. This institution is dedicated to the preservation and scientific research on the endemic tarsier of Bohol.
The Tarsiers are the smallest primates in the world and are only found in some islands of the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia. No larger than a man’s hand, they have giant round eyes and a tail that is longer than their body.
These nocturnal cuties survive in rain forests with thick vegetation and can leap as far as 10 feet from tree to tree. Like owls, they can turn their heads 180 degrees! Unfortunately, habitat destruction via logging and mining threatens the Philippine Tarsier with extinction.
There are two places to see the Tarsier in Bohol, but the Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary in Corella, is a non-profit responsible tourism operation that cares about the conservation of Tarsiers. When you visit the Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary, a guide takes you on a short walk around the sanctuary to point out the Tarsiers. Their tiny size makes them very hard to spot. The guide will also keep an eye on you, making sure that you don’t touch the Tarsiers or use your camera’s flash.
Avoid visiting the Loboc Tarsier Conservation Area which is over touristy and unethical.
Visit Chocolate Hills
Other than the Tarsiers, the second most visited site in Bohol is the Chocolate Hills near Carmen. The Chocolate Hills are named this way because at a certain time of the year (during the dry season), they are a chocolatey brown colour. We visited at the end of the rainy season, so they were green for us, but were still an amazing sight to see.
These unique geological formations are comprised of unique cone-shaped hills that all look very similar. There are at least 1,200 of them, spanning an area of more than 50 square kilometres.
These hills are an iconic part of Bohol, making a visit to Bohol incomplete without seeing them. There are 214 steps to get to the top of the observation deck, but it is totally worth the effort for the views!
Our advice is to visit Chocolate Hills as early as possible. We arrived at 8am and it was relatively quiet at that time. However, by the time we finished exploring the site, the place was already packed. It was also incredibly hot, even early in the morning, and climbing the stairs was hard work in the heat. We wouldn’t recommend doing it during the peak of the day for that reason alone!
Note: If you have time, take an ATV tour around Bohol Island’s iconic Chocolate Hills. The tour normally lasts an hour, and it is a lot of fun! It was particularly muddy after recent heavy rains, but Simon loved navigating his way around the mud and I tried my best to stay clean; rather unsuccessfully!
Spend time on the Loboc River
The Loboc River is another popular attraction in Bohol. Most tour groups end up on one of the Loboc river cruises for a lunch buffet cruise. You can also hire a boat from a few different operators to have your own private cruise.
We decided to do something a little bit different and signed up for a standup paddle boarding tour to the local waterfall, starting from our hotel, the Fox & Firefly Cottages.
Our hotel organised the SUP for us and our tour guide was very professional. He took it slowly and gave us tips on how to use our SUPs better. Starting early, we had the river to ourselves for the first couple of hours which was very nice.
The Loboc River is a beautiful setting and doing a SUP tour is a great way to see it. We ended up paddling for over 4 hours!
Go swimming in waterfalls
There are so many waterfalls in Bohol that you will need to pick and choose and that’s not easy! We visited four of them during our time on Bohol, but we easily could have seen more. The ones we visited were all beautiful and we never regretted the hikes to them, even though we’ve seen many waterfalls before in our home state of Queensland.
Here are the four we visited:
Pahangog Falls (Twin Falls)
The Pahangog Falls is not the easiest waterfall to get to, but it’s certainly worth it! Our driver dropped us at the payment booth and a local guide took us down to the falls. When we visited, it wasn’t advisable to take a motorbike to the top of the steps, due to incredibly bad sections of road after heavy rainfalls.
So, we walked about 15 mins to the top of the steps and then down the 300+ steps. The waterfalls looked amazing, so it certainly was worth it. It was so nice to cool down with a dip after the walk.
The walk back up was gruelling in the heat but we’d do it again in a heartbeat! Pahangog can be quite popular, so visit early. There were probably 20 or more people at the falls when we visited.
Can-Umantad Falls
The Can-umantad falls is a must visit when in Bohol. It is the tallest waterfall on the island and arguably the prettiest. Take a refreshing dip by the falls and enjoy the incredible scenic views.
Access: If you come by car, you will need to park your car or leave your driver at the payment booth. Then you’ll take a ride down the access road on the back of a motorcycle (which costs PHP 100 back and forth). Cars are not allowed to drive down to the falls due to a landslide brought about by typhoon Odette.
Once the motorcycle drops you off, it’s a 5-to-10-minute walk before reaching the falls. There is a paved walkway for tourists which makes access to the falls a lot easier than other waterfalls we visited.
Ingkumhan Falls
When we arrived at Ingkumhan Falls, there was not a soul in sight, so we had the place to ourselves! This large pool of stunning, turquoise water is not as popular as other waterfalls, so it’s great for avoiding the crowds. There are stalactites hanging dramatically on the side, dripping water into the warm pool below. It’s well worth the visit to take pretty pictures, swim and do some cliff jumping.
Camugao Waterfall
It’s a 10 to 15 minutes’ walk to get to Camugao Falls. It’s a bit of a steep and slippery path, so wear good shoes and take care. Once at the bottom, enjoy a refreshing dip in the turquoise water or do some cliff jumping on the right side of the waterfalls.
The Bilar Man-made Forest
The Bilar Man-made Forest is such a beautiful place that you don’t want to miss on the island. The man-made forest is located between the towns of Bilar and Loboc and is on the way to the Chocolate Hills. Most tour operators will stop on the way but if you are going by yourself make sure to include this as a stop.
This beautiful man-made forest is made of mahogany trees and was planted as part of a reforestation project in the area. The mahogany forest stretches for more than two kilometres and when you enter this tunnel of trees, you’ll feel like you’ve entered another world. You will also notice the sudden drop in temperature which is very welcome on a hot and humid day!
Visit the Cadapdapan Rice Terraces
The Cadapdapan Rice Terraces are one of the most beautiful locations on the island and should not be missed, especially if you are already in the Anda region.
The Cadapdapan Rice Terraces are basically right next to Can-umantad falls, so you should combine them together.
We had a local guide take us for a walk amongst the rice terraces. She then took us to the top of a hill, where we could get amazing photos of the terraces and the surrounding views.
If you are unsure where to go, just ask the lovely locals at the payment booth of the Can-umantad falls, as the terraces are basically next door.
Being there reminded me so much of the rice terraces of Bali. Except, there were barely any tourists here, unlike in Bali!
Take a dip in the Cabagnow Cave Pool
The Cabagnow Cave Pool is in Anda. This limestone cave is similar to the cenotes found in Mexico and it’s the perfect place to go for a dip on a hot day.
The Cabagnow Cave Pool was made when the limestone bedrock dissolved and collapsed due to erosion from water. The water in the limestone cave is a mixture of freshwater from the mountains and saltwater from the ocean.
There are 5 cave pools in the area and the Cabagnow Cave is the deepest and largest of them all.
You can access the cave pool by cliff jumping into it or, if that’s not your thing, you can use the ladder, which is also your only way out afterwards. The water is so clear, it’s stunning.
Note: This cave is closed for swimming on Mondays and Fridays.
Carry on to the Combento Cave Pool
The Combento Cave Pool is not as big as the Cabagnow but it’s still a nice cave to visit. There is no ladder and it’s not deep enough to jump in or even really swim in there but it’s still worth a stop if you are in the area. It is also a lot quieter than the Cabagnow Cave Pool.
Quinale White Beach Anda
Quinale Beach has been named the best beach on Bohol and for a good reason.
This Beach is most loved for its long stretch of white sand, crystal clear waters, palm tree fringed shores, beach bars, and open-style huts that are dotted along the coastline.
The beach is best visited at high tide to really make the most of it. It can look a bit dirty at low tide due all the seaweed along the shoreline.
Grab a drink at the Old Castle Beach Bar where you can have a beer with your feet in the sand!
Watch an incredible sunset at White Beach Anda
Watching the sunset from White Beach in Anda was incredible every night we were there. Staying at the Anda White Beach Resort, we had a prime position every night. What made it so special was the cluster of palm trees that grow out of the soft sands of the beach. Sunset was always a special time when the sky would turn into different shades of blue and purple. Spectacular!
Take an island-hopping tour to Balicasag Island and Virgin Island
The Bohol Island Hopping tour package normally includes dolphin watching from the boat, snorkelling with sea turtles on Balicasag Island Bohol, and a visit to the unique sand bar on Virgin Island Bohol.
It is one of the most popular things to do on Bohol. Full disclosure, we didn’t take this tour, so we don’t really have an opinion on it. We had done a couple of similar tours in Coron so we decided to do different types of activity on Bohol.
Where to stay on Bohol?
Loboc River
Fox & The Firefly Cottages
Fox & The Firefly Cottages is in the forest areas of Loboc, next to Loboc River. Offering affordable accommodation, the guesthouse also features free WiFi access at all areas. Free parking facilities are offered to guests who drive. Check their latest prices here.
Anda
Anda White Beach Resort
Situated directly on Anda Beach, Anda White Beach Resort is an hour and 45 minutes’ drive from Tagbilaran City. It features an outdoor pool and free Wi-Fi in public areas. This is the best place to watch the sunset. Check their latest prices here.
Island View Beachfront Resort
Island View Beachfront Resort has an outdoor swimming pool, garden, a private beach area and restaurant in Anda. Boasting room service, this property also provides guests with a sun terrace. The air-conditioned rooms provide a garden view and come with a wardrobe and free WiFi. Check their latest prices here.
Panglao
Bohol Beach Club
Featuring an outdoor pool, lush green gardens, Bohol Beach Club is a beachfront resort that offers peaceful and comfortable accommodation with free WiFi access in the entire property. It operates a 24-hour front desk and boasts a private beach area where activities such as canoeing and windsurfing can be enjoyed. Check their latest prices here.
Pyramid resort
Situated on the shores of Alona Beach, Pyramid Resort features an outdoor swimming pool, barbecue area and a terrace. Guests can enjoy drinks at the on-site bar. Check their latest prices here.
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