Bohol Province After Pandemic – New normal Travel, Itinerary & Tips

It was great news for all Filipinos to hear that the borders of different provinces here are now opening. And with the new system in place, traveling from Manila to other parts of the Philippines are now much easier. 

(Disclaimer: The trip was held last December 2021)

After 2 long years of not being able to arrange a flight, I finally decided to book one and went back to Bohol. It was my second time visiting this place and I made sure to allocate a relaxing duration so I could be able to explore more of this beautiful place. 

In this blog, I will be sharing with you my experiences, the place I visited, and some ways for you to be able to save more when traveling here in Bohol.

Arranging the Flight and Accommodation

Air travel nowadays is becoming more affordable. For this flight, I was able to book a roundtrip ticket for only Php 3,000. That’s cheap, especially for someone booking it just for a few days before the flight. Also, before booking your flight, you should see this Philippines Safe Travel Resource from Traveloka to know more about health and safe travel requirements in our airports and local destinations.

For the accommodation, I decided to book It via Klook. I find the application very easy to use and navigate plus aside from accommodation, I could also book different activities within the app. 

On deciding which accommodation to pick, comments from other travelers play a big part in the process. On this trip, I decided to pick Bluewater Resort in Panglao.

To book Bluewater Panglao Beach Resort

New Documents to Acquire Before you Travel

The new traveling scheme would need you to acquire the following app/approvals:

• SPass (https://s-pass.ph)
• Traze App
• StaySafe PH

If you are a frequent traveler, you’ve probably installed or visited the following app listed. On the SPass website you can know if the provinces you would be visiting are under Restricted, Unrestricted, or Unrestricted passing through Restricted. You would need to acquire approved papers a few days before your travel. In our case, we called Bohol Tourism a day before just to follow up on the approval. 

Traze app is used when visiting different establishments while the StaySafe app is a government-created app that lets you know if you are exposed to people who are positive with Covid.  

Itinerary

Day 1 – Flight from Manila to Bohol

• 1:10 pm – Departure From Manila
• 2:35 pm – Arrival in Bohol
• 3:00 pm – Arrival in Bluewater Resort
• 5:00 pm – Sunset and Early Dinner at Alona Beach
• 8:00 pm – Back at Hotel

Day 2 – Going around Bohol

• 7:00 am – Breakfast
• 9:00 am – Departure from Hotel
• 10:30 am – Drop by at Loboc River Cruise to book
• 11:00 am – Man-Made Forest
• 11:30 am – Chocolate Hills
• 1:00 pm – Loboc River Cruise 
• 3:30 pm – To Hinagdanan Cave
• 4:30 pm – Hinagdanan Cave
• 5:00 pm – Dumaluan Beach
• 6:00 pm – Back at Hotel
• 7:30 pm – Dinner
• 10:00 pm – Lights out

Day 3 – Island Hoping

• 8:00 am – Departure from Hotel
• 9:30 am – Balicasag Island to change to a smaller boat 
• 9:40 am – Sea Turtle Watching
• 10:00 am – Snorkeling 
• 11:00 am – Lunch at Balicasag
• 11:30 am – Virgin Island
• 12:30 pm – Travel back to Hotel
• 2:00 pm – Arrival in Hotel
• 2:30 pm – Chillax at Bluewater Resort
• 6:00 pm – Dinner at Mist
• 8:00 pm – Back in Hotel

Day 4 – Flight Back to Manila

Day 1: Bluewater Resort in Bohol

From the airport, a service we booked via Klook brought us to our hotel. It was a short 15-minute ride and If you want to avail of the service I recommend you to do so especially if you are a group of friends who will share the fee. It’s an efficient and convenient way to travel here in Bohol. 

Bluewater Resort has this homey provincial vibe with huge pools in the middle and other amenities around the place. Our room is located at the newly built building in the middle of the property. It was a huge space for two people with a large bathroom and veranda to give us that garden view during the wee hours of the day. 

Upon check-in, I was asked to make a 2k deposit (which can be refunded upon checkout). The staff is very helpful and courteous. When we arrived, there were only a few guests who checked in. 

The resort got two huge pools located in the middle and the other one near the beach. The beachfront here at Bluewater Resort isn’t swimmable for it was low, rocky, and got a lot of seaweeds scattered around the place. 

The restaurant was a bit far from the rooms but got a nice view of the beach. The resort also provides a shuttle ride to and from Alona Beach (which is considered as the Boracay of Bohol) for only Php 50. 

On our first night, this is where we decided to have a late dinner. 

Different means of Travelling in Bohol 

Our day 2 was basically allocated for visiting different destinations around the province. For transportation, you have the option to rent a car, a trike, or a motorbike. If you are traveling in a group, it is best and more affordable (and convenient) to rent a car. You can do so via Klook as well. 

If you are traveling alone, I recommend you rent a motorbike instead so you could have the freedom to go from one place to another. The trike has become our option for our trip due to the fact that only two of us were sharing the fee. We rented the trike for the whole day for only Php 1,500. Our driver becomes our tour guide as well and we were able to talk to him about which places we would like to visit. 

If you want a trike service you can contact Kuya Ariel through this number +63966-384-3644.

The only drawback of renting a trike for me is comfort and noise, especially on roads that are hilly and bumpy. 

For the Countryside Tour via Sedan, the package starts at Php 2250 per head which includes a driver, fuel, and entrance fees for 6-8 hours. You can contact Kuya Jun Fajardo through this number +63906-454-6983.

If you decide to rent a motorcycle, the rental fee starts at Php 400 for the whole day. 

Day 2: Going around Bohol Island

Because we wanted a very relaxed itinerary, we decided to just visit 5-6 places on the island. One of the realizations that I’ve learned during the travel was that the tourist spots here on the island were far from each other. And if you are coming from Panglao, it will take you around 2-3 hours to travel to reach Chocolate Hills. 

At around 9 am (which is a bit late already) we left the hotel and went straight to Loboc River Cruise to book a slot for the buffet lunch. It is best for you to do this early so you could be able to get the best spot on the river cruise. The Buffet costs Php 850 per head. 

From Loboc, we went straight to Chocolate Hills, with a quick stop at the Man-made Forest. The ride from Loboc to Chocolate hills took around an hour. Here you would need to pay Php 100/head for the environmental and entrance fee. 

Just a tip, it is best to visit the Chocolate Hills early in the morning or late in the afternoon for you to be able to get a better photo of yourself in the place. 

Spend 30-45 minutes here to take photos and videos. Right after we went back to Loboc River Cruise to have our lunch buffet. Our schedule was at 1 in the afternoon, luckily, we were able to arrive on the dot, even though our ride has encountered problems on the road. 

Our seat at the river cruise was at the center giving us a nice view of the front and the backside of the boat. The River Cruise + Buffet lasted for two hours.

We really haven’t had enough time squeezing in more destinations for most of our time was spent on the ride. On our way back to Panglao, we decided to drop by at Hinagdanan Cave. It is a freshwater cave with crystal clear water. Unfortunately, we arrived around 4:30 and the lifeguards are already gone prohibiting us to swim in the waters. 

After taking some photos, we decided to drop by at the public Dumaluan Beach to swim capping our whole day’s journey for the day.

 Day 3: Island Hopping and Dinner at the Mist

I can say that the highlight of this trip for me was the Island Hopping. It was short but truly memorable. Through the recommendation of our trike driver, we book his friend Alan. We rented the boat for Php 2,000 and we were picked up straight at Bluewater Resorts shore. 

It was a private boat and the more you are in the group the bigger savings you can get. Aside from the boat rentals, you would need to allocate an extra amount for the following;

• Environmental Fee + Small Boat ride – 300/head
• Snorkeling Gears – Php 150 (optional)
• Swimming Shoes – Php 150 (optional)
• Go Pro rental – Php 1,500 (optional)

The ride from our hotel to Balicasag island took almost 1 ½ hours. Upon arrival, we were asked to pay the Environmental fee, and then we transferred to a smaller boat. We rented a Snorkeling Gears for Php 150 to be able to enjoy the activity better. 

If we arrived a bit earlier, we could have gone to see the dolphins, but sleep is life (lol). We first visited the spot where the sea turtles can be found and then head straight to the swallow area for the snorkeling activities. And because we rented the boat privately, we have the capacity to decide to spend a little longer or less in one place. 

After seeing and being amazed by the beautiful underwaters of Bohol, we went back to Balicasag Island to have lunch. 

Our final destination on that day before heading back to the hotel was at the Virgin Island, where one could be able to enjoy the site and some fresh catch to grill as well. Just beware and wear proper footwear for before you could be able to reach it you would need to walk a few meters with the possibility of stepping to some sea urchins. At around 2 pm we were back at the hotel to enjoy the pool and rest till dinner. 

A few meters away from the hotel, a tropical industrial-chic restaurant called Mist can be found. A lot of people have been raving about this restaurant. It’s aesthetically beautiful with a lot of spots to enjoy and take photos of. I also love the incorporation of plants all over the place. Food, well for me, it was a hit and miss depending on what you would order. Also, the service was a bit slow so make sure to be at least not super-duper hungry if you are planning to visit the place. Prepare at least Php 1,000 to 1,500 for two heads in this restaurant.

Our last day in Bohol was mostly spent at the hotel. I told you this is a relaxed itinerary. At around 11, we checked out and met a friend of mine who treat us for lunch and brought us to the airport. 

Random Tips on How to Save More in Bohol

1. Look out for the Airfare sale
2. Better to visit Bohol in groups of 3 or more to save on transportation fees.
3. Look for a hotel along Alona Beach or other places where the beach is within walking distance. You’ll save a lot of money from renting a trike from your hotel to the beach. 
4. If you’re traveling alone better to rent a motorbike and/or in a big group, I suggest you rent a car.
5. Bohol island is quite large so better start early so you could be able to visit more tourist spots in the province. 
6. Arrive at Hinagdanan Cave earlier than 4 so you could be able to still enjoy and dip in the fresh waters of the cave. 
7. Book via Klook, you can get loyalty points and discounts when you book via this app.