The Backpacking Ballerina

Bohol was a hidden gem to me, home to one of my favourite Filipino actors Cesar Montano, The last time I came to Bohol i never did any of the snorkelling and dolphin watching that I was just so surprised to see the beauty of this island. We stayed at Panglao island which is what our driver said is the place where all the tourists are at. They are currently builing an international airport here to provide more jobs to the locals of the area.

Bohol was very very clean and their people are one of the nicest I have met. Their seas are very clean as well and the sights very beautiful. Here are some of the things I will suggest you do, skip the party places and learn to see the beauty of Bohol.

1. Man made forest

This forest is called the man made forest because each graduate of Bohol is required to plant 5 trees after they graduate. Now that the forest is big they are required to plant those 5 trees anywhere around Bohol or even in their backyard.

2. Balicasag Island

I never went on the island itself but we passed by this island to snorkel on the way back to our resort after dolphin watching. The reef was great and the waters were crystal clear! Its something you’d want to do while you are in Bohol. I never expected Bohol to have some place as beautiful as this. It was almost as if we were in Palawan or Apo island and we even got to swim with 3 sea turtles. It was wonderful.

3. Chocolate Hills

Im not sure if it was as Beautiful as the last time I was here, and the tourists are AWFUL just horrible. Most especially the Korean tourists who would smoke and spit on the viewing deck. Still worth the 214 steps to climb up and see the view but nothing more than just a few moments to appreciate the hills. They turn brown during the summer when its hot and green when its the rainy season.

4. Dolphin watching

Something you should not miss! It was worth waking up at 5am to see the dolphins, even if we waited 2 hours before actually finding these dolphins it was magical and I almost wanted to jump in the sea myself to swim with the dolphins.

5. Tarsier Conservation

I didn’t like this place which was filled with Tourists, but I guess it should be your list if you would like to see a tarsier and of course each contribution helps the tarsiers and the efforts to keep them from endangerment. There is a Php 60 entrance fee for this attraction. 

I never expected Bohol to be this beautiful and it is now one of my favourite places in the Philippines next to Palawan. With a reef that beautiful in Balicasag, I was really impressed.  I was able to swim with 3 sea turtles and thats more than what I was in Dumaguete while we were at Apo Island. Also it is not as congested as Dumaguete, Bohol is really still like a province. Very quiet and a very easy going place.