🇵🇭 Philippines · Central Visayas
The Ultimate Guide to
Bohol
Home of the iconic Chocolate Hills, the world’s smallest primate, pristine dive sites at Balicasag Island, and some of the Philippines’ most beautiful beaches on Panglao Island.
Section 01
Best Time to Visit Bohol
Bohol is a year-round destination, but the dry season offers the clearest conditions for diving, dolphin watching, and countryside tours.
🌞 Dry Season
November – May
Best conditions for Panglao Beach, diving at Balicasag Island, and countryside tours. The Chocolate Hills are most dramatic when dry grass turns golden-brown — March to May is best.
✓ Best Time🍫 Chocolate Hills Peak
March – May
The 1,268 hills turn their signature chocolate-brown as the dry season’s peak parches the grass. The iconic view is most photogenic during these months.
✓ For Chocolate Hills🌧 Wet Season
June – October
Typhoons possible August–October. Diving is still excellent as water clarity isn’t much affected. Chocolate Hills are green. Fewer tourists and lower prices.
↗ Budget Window🐬 Dolphin Season
Year-Round
Spinner dolphins are present year-round near Balicasag Island. Best sightings at dawn — join a sunrise boat tour and watch them leaping in formation.
✓ Always AvailableSection 02
How to Get to Bohol
✈️ By Air — Bohol-Panglao International Airport (TAG)
| Route | Budget | Mid | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manila → Bohol (Cebu Pacific, PAL, AirAsia) ~1.5hr | ₱700–₱2,500 | ₱3,000–₱6,000 | ₱7,000+ |
| Cebu → Bohol (Cebu Pacific) ~30 min | ₱500–₱1,500 | ₱2,000–₱4,000 | ₱5,000+ |
| Airport to Panglao Beach (20–30 min) | ₱200–₱400 | ₱400–₱700 | ₱800–₱1,500 |
🚢 By Fast Craft from Cebu City
Oceanjet, SuperCat, and Weesam Express operate fast craft from Cebu City Pier 1 to Tagbilaran Port (~2 hours). Budget: ₱350–₱700. Multiple departures daily 6 AM–8 PM. The most popular route for tourists and locals.
Section 03
Where to Stay in Bohol
Most tourists stay on Panglao Island (best beaches and dive access) or in Tagbilaran City (transport hub, cheaper). Alona Beach on Panglao is the main backpacker hub.
Budget Picks (₱500–₱2,000/night)
🏠 Alona Coral Beach Resort
Classic budget resort right on Alona Beach with fan and A/C rooms, a dive shop, and direct beachfront access. Lively social atmosphere — the hub of backpacker Bohol.
₱600–₱1,800/night · Alona Beach, Panglao
🏠 Peter’s House
Beloved long-stay guesthouse near Alona Beach with fan rooms, a garden, and one of the best communal atmospheres in the Philippines. Popular with solo and long-term travelers.
₱500–₱1,200/night
🏠 Oasis Resort Alona
Well-maintained cottages and rooms just 2 minutes walk from Alona Beach. Clean, quiet, and excellent value with dive shop and small pool.
₱700–₱1,800/night · Alona, Panglao
Mid-Range Picks (₱2,500–₱8,000/night)
🏨 Amorita Resort
Stunning clifftop resort on Bohol Beach Club headland with infinity pool overlooking the Bohol Sea, elegant rooms, and a superb restaurant. One of Bohol’s most scenic properties.
₱5,000–₱12,000/night · Panglao
🏨 Bohol Beach Club
Iconic beachfront resort on a private stretch of white sand with a large pool, multiple restaurants, water sports, and well-appointed rooms. A classic Bohol institution.
₱4,000–₱9,000/night · Panglao
🏨 South Palms Resort
Beachfront resort with excellent facilities, multiple pools, a dive center, and comfortable rooms with sea views. Great family resort on Panglao’s quieter coast.
₱3,500–₱8,000/night
Luxury Picks (₱10,000–₱30,000/night)
✨ Henann Resort Alona Beach
Bohol’s largest luxury resort complex on Alona Beach — multiple pools, a full-service spa, diverse dining options, and professionally managed amenities. Top-tier comfort on the beach.
₱10,000–₱22,000/night
✨ Eskaya Beach Resort & Spa
Boutique eco-luxury resort with 25 private villas perched on a cliff above a pristine beach. Cultural heritage-inspired design, exceptional restaurant, spa, and sea views from every villa.
₱15,000–₱30,000/night
Section 04
Where to Eat in Bohol
🍛 Alona Beach Food Strips
Multiple local restaurants and carinderias along Alona Beach serve Filipino breakfast sets, grilled fish, and rice meals at very affordable prices. Best for casual daytime meals.
🦞 Bohol Bee Farm Café
Organic farm-to-table restaurant growing all their own produce — bee products, organic vegetables, and fresh seafood. An Alona Beach institution and a must-visit for its honey products.
🌊 Pyramid Restaurant
Popular seafood restaurant in Tagbilaran serving large portions of fresh Bohol seafood — grilled fish, shrimp, crabs, and squid in a casual open-air setting with harbor views.
🚢 Loboc River Cruise
A 2-hour floating restaurant cruise along the Loboc River — live folk music, scenic jungle views, and a buffet of Filipino dishes. A famous Bohol tradition not to be missed.
🏝 Alona Vida Beach Bar
Lively beach bar and restaurant on Alona with great cocktails, a full menu, regular barbecue nights, and a social atmosphere — the Alona night scene’s heartbeat.
✨ Amorita Resort Restaurant
Fine dining with panoramic sea views, locally-sourced seafood and produce, and an innovative Filipino-European menu. Best sunset dining in Bohol.
Section 05
Things to Do in Bohol
🍫 Chocolate Hills
Bohol’s iconic wonder — 1,268 perfectly conical limestone hills that turn chocolate-brown in the dry season. The viewing complex at Carmen (2 hours from Tagbilaran) offers panoramic views over this geological masterpiece. UNESCO Tentative List.
₱50 entrance · Day tour from Alona: ₱1,500–₱2,500
🐒 Tarsier Sanctuary
Visit the world’s smallest primate — the Philippine tarsier — in a protected sanctuary at Corella. These enormous-eyed nocturnal primates are critically endangered. Observe quietly and don’t use flash photography.
₱60 entrance · 30 min from Tagbilaran
🤿 Balicasag Island Diving & Snorkel
One of the Philippines’ best dive sites — a dramatic wall dive with abundant marine life including sea turtles, reef sharks, Napoleon wrasse, and vibrant coral. Also excellent for snorkeling on the shallower reef flat.
₱2,500–₱4,000/dive · ₱800–₱1,200 snorkel trip
🐬 Spinner Dolphin Watching
Pods of spinner dolphins are regularly sighted in the waters near Balicasag Island. Join an early morning boat tour (5–7 AM) for the best chance of seeing them leap alongside the vessel.
₱500–₱1,000/person · Early departure recommended
🚢 Loboc River Cruise
Float along the lush Loboc River on a floating restaurant — 2 hours of Filipino folk music, a buffet lunch, and jungle scenery. Departs from Loboc town, 45 min inland. A beloved Bohol tradition.
₱400–₱600/person all-in
🏖 Alona Beach
Panglao Island’s main beach hub — white sand, calm turquoise water, beachfront restaurants, dive shops, and a lively nightlife scene. The best swimming and snorkeling is accessible by a short boat ride.
Free beach access
🏛 Baclayon Church (1595)
One of the oldest stone churches in the Philippines — built by Jesuit missionaries in 1595 from coral stones. The adjacent museum has a remarkable collection of Spanish colonial artifacts.
₱30 entrance to museum
🌊 Hinagdanan Cave
A stunning underground cave with a subterranean lagoon lit by natural stalactites and a hole in the ceiling. Cool, refreshing swim in crystal-clear underground water.
₱50 entrance · 20 min from Alona
Section 06
Getting Around Bohol
🛺 Tricycle
Main local transport on Panglao and in Tagbilaran. Short trips ₱15–₱50 shared. Hire for the day: ₱500–₱1,000.
🏍 Habal-Habal
Motorcycle taxi for flexibility. ₱50–₱200/trip. Useful for getting between Alona Beach and nearby beaches.
🛵 Motorbike Rental
₱400–₱700/day. Ideal for self-guided island exploration. Roads on Panglao are good.
🚗 Countryside Van Tour
Organized tours to Chocolate Hills, Tarsier Sanctuary, Loboc River, and heritage churches. ₱1,500–₱3,000/person or ₱4,000–₱7,000 private van.
⛵ Bangka Boat
For Balicasag Island, dolphin watching, and island hopping. Charter from Alona Beach pier: ₱2,000–₱4,000/day.
🚌 Jeepney/Bus
To Tagbilaran from Panglao: ₱30–₱50. To inland Bohol from Tagbilaran: ₱40–₱100 depending on distance.
Section 07
Sample Itineraries
Day 1
Arrive, check in Alona Beach. Afternoon snorkel. Beachside seafood dinner.
Day 2
Countryside tour: Chocolate Hills, Tarsier Sanctuary, Baclayon Church, Loboc River Cruise.
Day 3
Morning: Balicasag Island dive or snorkel + dolphin watching. Afternoon: Alona Beach relax. Depart.
₱4,000–₱15,000/person
Day 1
Arrive, Alona Beach orientation, snorkel, fresh seafood dinner.
Day 2
Full countryside tour: Chocolate Hills, Tarsier, Baclayon, Loboc River.
Day 3
Balicasag Island: 2 dives + dolphin watching. Rest at Alona.
Day 4
Hinagdanan Cave, Bohol Bee Farm lunch, Panglao island circuit by motorbike.
Day 5
Lazy beach morning. Depart.
₱7,000–₱25,000/person
Days 1–2
Settle into Alona, 3+ dives at Balicasag Wall, Cervera Shoal, and Alona House Reef.
Day 3
Dolphin watching at sunrise + Loboc River Cruise afternoon.
Day 4
Chocolate Hills + Tarsier full day.
Day 5
3 more dives — Arco Point, Snake Island, Napaling.
Days 6–7
Day trip to Siquijor (ferry) or island hop Panglao. Depart.
₱12,000–₱40,000/person
Section 08
Complete Budget Overview
Budget Traveler
₱1,500
estimated per day
Alona guesthouse · local meals · 1 dive or countryside tour
Mid-Range
₱5,000
estimated per day
Beach resort · restaurant meals · 2 dives · Balicasag tour
Luxury
₱18,000+
estimated per day
Eskaya / Henann · fine dining · private boat · spa
📊 Daily Expense Breakdown
| Category | Budget | Mid-Range | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation | ₱500–₱1,800 | ₱3,500–₱8,000 | ₱10,000–₱30,000 |
| Food & Drinks | ₱250–₱600 | ₱800–₱2,000 | ₱2,500–₱6,000 |
| Activities | ₱500–₱1,500 | ₱1,500–₱4,000 | ₱4,000–₱10,000 |
| Transport | ₱100–₱400 | ₱400–₱1,000 | ₱1,000–₱3,000 |
| Total Per Day | ₱1,350–₱4,300 | ₱6,200–₱15,000 | ₱17,500–₱49,000 |