Bohol Itinerary and Overview

The island of Bohol is found in the southern Visayas, just north of Mindanao.  It is a diverse island with exotic beaches, dense rainforest, huge rivers, and rich wildlife.  We found Bohol to be our favorite island thus far.  Each day we stumbled upon something remarkable and were eager to explore some more.  We saw lizards, Tarsiers, and 4  new bird species along with beautiful views, delicious food and easy travel, make this island one not to miss.

Itinerary:

Sunday, April 5 (Easter) - Arrival and Panglao

Summary:  Our first day was mostly spent enjoying Bohol Bee Farm.  We ventured to Hinandagan Caves, but would not suggest it.  We didn't go to Alona Beach, and I'd like to check it out next time.  The Bee farm has amazing food, nice swimming pools, and peaceful grounds to lounge around in.  Very happpy with this stay.

Flight - Manila to Tagbiliran (arrival 8:35am) - $105 US round-trip
Transfer to Bohol Bee Farm via private van -300 pesos
Bohol Bee Farm to rooms - $145 for both
Hinandagan Caves - 20 pesos/ person
Taxi to Hinandagan - 800 pesos (not worth it, should be about 100)

Monday, April 6 - Tour of Interior and stay at Stefanie Grace on Loboc River

Summary:  This was our big sightseeing day.  We hired a driver and visited the Blood Compact Monument, Tarsier Sanctuary, and Choclate Hills en route to our next resort.  Each place was spectacular, but the Tarsier Sanctuary was the highlight.  Those fuzzy little guys are just amazing and we enjoyed their surrounding habitat.  Unfortunately, our van was full of sick people we weren't much in the mood to make unnecessary stops, so we missed the Hanging Bridge.  The Chocolate Hills were beautifully bizarre, but you don't need much time there.  I would suggest taking an interior road to drive through them.  Our resort, the Stefanie Grace, was situated on the Loboc River on the opposite side from San Pedro church.  A beautiful spot with good food and nice walking nearby.  The highlight had to have been the Firefly tour, a must for anyone staying on the river.

Private Driver for day(same driver as shuttle) - 2500 pesos
Blood Compact Monument - free
Tarsier Sanctuary - 20 php/ person
Chocolate Hills - 25 php/ person
Lunch at Chocolate Hills - 200 php for group of 4
Stefanie Grace Hotel - $43 per room
Firefly Night Tour - 800 php for private boat

Tuesday, April 7 - Travel to Anda about 2 hours

Summary:  The drive was much easier and shorter than expected. We probably should have only paid 2000 pesos, but oh well.  East Coast White Sand Resort is absolutely stunning.  With only 9 rooms, two infinite pools, and private beach access it is the perfect spot for a quite, secluded get away.  We did take a trike into Anda Town and Long Beach and we enjoyed both the ride and the walk along the beach.  However, we were convinced that our hotel away from the town was the right decision.  The beach does not have a lot to offer aside from shallow swimming areas.  There's a little market about a 100 meters from the ocean with everything that you need.

Private Driver to Anda (arranged through Stefanie Grace)- 2500 pesos
Arrive East Coast White Sand Resort at 1:00pm - $400 US 2 rooms for 4 nights
Tricycle into Anda Town (10 minutes) - 10 pesos/ person
Snack at Anda de Boracay (3 drinks, sandwich) - 200 pesos
Dinner at Resort

Wednesday, April 8 - East Coast White Sand Resort - Lounge Day

Summary:  of the day was finding a "local beach" and swimming in Caterer's Cave.  We just decided to take a stroll down the road and we ended up finding two hidden gems.  Neither cost a centavo and we enjoyed both thorougly.  The walk was pleasant as we passed through some private property and open farmland.

Walked down the road to beach and cave - 20 php Environmental Fee
San Miguel Grande - 90 pesos
Cave Swimming - free
Dinner at Resort

Thursday, April 9 - Date Day/ Exploration Anda Falls and Lagoon

Summary:  Absolutely Amazing Day!  Today was one of the few days that Anna, my wife, and I were able to explore sans our daughter and we made the most of it.  We hiked up to a "waterfall" which I think was the water supply for Anda Town and walked back to town.  Along the way, we saw countless birds including 4 new species for us.  It was beautiful country with rice paddies at the foot of a mountain range, and we just soaked up our time together.  We also spent an hour snorkeling together outside our hotel and were thoroughly impressed with the marine diversity, so much so that we went the next day.

Trike into town - 10 php/person
Trike to Anda Falls trailhead - 10 php/ person
Hike to waterfall and entrance(45 minutes) - 10 php/person
Trike home - 20 php/person


Friday, April 10 - Departure Day - Anda to Manila

Summary:  Although this was our day to leave, we were able to get in another hour of couple snorkeling and some quality pool time in.  The snorkeling outside the resort was pretty amazing despite most of the coral being dead.  We saw a number of local fisherman and got a tutorial on spear fishing with a wooden fin.  Really nice day to top off our trip.

Private Van to airport - 2000 pesos
Flight home leave at 3:45 arrive Manila at 5:10