Sabaidee Travel

I’ll be heading back to the Philippines again for the third time in December. On my last visit to the country in 2017, I explored a number of destinations for roughly three weeks, staying in a mix of less-visited and well-known tourist hotspots.

Before my upcoming trip, I’ll be writing about my previous three-week trip, what I did, and how long I think other people should spend in each place I went to. My intention is not for this to be the ultimate Philippines itinerary, as we all have different interests. But it does include a number of activities and locations that are certain to make anyone’s trip to the country a memorable one.

This is the first blog post in what will be a series of articles. I’ll start the series by covering my time spent in Bohol.

My three-week Philippines itinerary

• Day 1: from Australia to Bohol (via Cebu City)
• Day 2-4: Bohol
• Day 5: from Bohol to Dumaguete
• Day 6-8: Dumaguete
• Day 9: Dumaguete to Moalboal
• Day 10:  Moalboal
• Day 11: Moalboal to Cebu City
• Day 12: Cebu City to Boracay
• Day 13-16: Boracay
• Day 17: Boracay to Siargao
• Day 18-22: Siargao
• Day 23: from Siargao to Cebu City
• Day 24: from Cebu City to Manila
• Day 25: end of trip, back to Australia

Day 1: Getting from Australia to Bohol

I arrived in Bohol straight after a long night flight from Sydney to Cebu City (via Hong Kong). This was definitely not the smartest of ideas. I was exhausted, so I wouldn’t recommend this. Stay at least one night in Manila or Cebu City before making your way to Bohol. As I started my trip in Cebu City, I took one the Ocean Jet Fast Ferries to Tagbilaran City. The ferry journey took roughly two hours.

From there, I took a one-hour tricycle ride (or habal-habal) up to Nuts Huts resort, located in a relatively secluded spot along the Loboc River.

Day 2-4: Bohol

I explored Bohol for three days. The first morning I went kayaking up the river with two Germans who were staying at the resort. We reached a series of rapids where we stayed for around an hour before heading back to the resort. In the afternoon, we rented scooters to see the Sipatan Twin Hanging Bridge, the famous Bilar man-made forest, and Pangas Falls. The Germans were staying on another part of the island that evening, so I made my way back to Nuts Huts before sundown.

On my second day, I went to the Tarsier sanctuary and Chocolate Hills with three South Africans and a Frenchman I met at the resort the previous evening. When in Bohol, make sure you go to the Tarsier sanctuary and not the conservation area (tarsiers were in cages there back in 2017). We were able to see five tarsiers, which I believe are the world’s smallest primates. According to our guide, tarsiers commit suicide if they are under too much stress! Seeing tarsiers was a highlight of my trip, so I would highly recommend visiting the sanctuary during your stay in Bohol.

After the tarsiers we drove through Sikatuna, Corella, Balilihan, and Batuan, driving through the Boholano countryside to see the famous Chocolate Hills.

The weather on my third and last day in Bohol was stormy with heavy rain blanketing the island. I could have spent the whole day resting at the resort but I wanted to make the most of it. I had originally planned to explore Panglao island’s Hinagdadan cave and White beach, but this had to change because of the rain. After a quiet morning, I drove off towards Valencia, a small barangay on the southern side of Bohol. The worst of the weather had passed, but the weather was still far from ideal. Driving aimlessly along Bohol’s southern coast, I stopped at a random spot to look at google maps. There were no attractions that I knew about in the area, but google maps indicated that there was a waterfall nearby. I was keen to make the most of my trip in Bohol, so I made my way up to Pahangog Falls.

Getting to the falls requires driving through local villages, where you get an opportunity to see some of the Philippines’ most rural areas. Due to the heavy rain, the dirt roads were muddy and wet, which made it impossible to drive up to the stairs leading to the waterfall. I left my scooter at the local school, walking on a muddy path to a set of steep stairs. The descent to the waterfall was slippery and slightly dangerous. After about half an hour, I reached Pahangog Falls.

Due to the heavy rain coming down from the mountains, the colour of the water was no longer blue. Understandably, I had the place all to myself. I could tell mostly locals came here, as there were no facilities for tourists. Despite the rain, I could see that this place would be an ideal spot to go for a swim. Unfortunately for me, the weather conditions prevented me from doing this as the water level had increased significantly.

After spending around 15 minutes at the falls, I walked back up to the scooter.

I drove back to Nuts Huts, where I enjoyed my last night in Bohol.

Conclusion

My three days in Bohol felt like an appropriate amount of time to see most of the island’s attractions, so I would recommend spending three days there. However, the island has lots to offer, It would be easy to spend a full week here. It’s easy to underestimate how big this island is, so it’s worth taking the time to explore its less-visited North and Northeastern regions. Bohol is also known for its snorkelling and diving sites, so the island is definitely worth including on any Philippines itinerary.

Stay tuned for part 2, which will discuss the time I spent in Dumaguete!