Bohol Land Tour

Bohol’s famous chocholate hills

Highlights 

Time of Visit: February 2025

Duration of Visit:  Day Trip

Description

The island of Bohol is famous for the Chocolate Hills and the Philippine Tarsier.  But those are not the only two land attractions.  We were only able to visit three additional attractions for a full day of guided explorations.

There is Bohol Enchanted which is a private nature theme park that is very enjoyable to visit.  Another popular stop is the Loboc River Floating Restaurant where you get a buffet lunch, musical and cultural entertainment and a river cruise in one package.  

Finally there is Baclayan Church which is one of the oldest coral rock churches in the Philippines.  The church dates back more than 500 years when Spain colonized the country.

So when you visit Bohol, make sure you set aside time to visit these attractions.  They are all unique and provide a good break from just being on the beach.

Land Tour

With the exception of Bohol Enchanted, the remaining four attractions can be visited by public transportation.  However, getting to these by bus is time consuming.  Best to hire a guided service so that you can use your time efficiently. Not included with the land tour are the  attraction entrance fees, food and water.

Chocolate Hills

The Chocolate Hills is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  The place got its name because the grass on the hills turn brown during the summer (normally March through May) when the rain stops.

We went in early February and the weather was unpredictable.  It was sunny in the morning, hot and humid by midday and rained like cats and dogs in the early afternoon.  The hills were green but nonetheless still beautiful.

Try to go early as possible.  The place opens around 8AM.  We arrived around 9:30 AM and the it was already buzzing with visitors.  However, at 10 AM, bus loads of tourists came and we were glad we were on our way out.  It took about 1.5 hours to reach the Chocolate Hills Complex from Panglao by private car.

It is worth mentioning that there are a series of steps that need to be tackled to get to the viewing platform.  Please take into account your physical capabilities in terms of climbing stairs before you head on out to this one of a kind place.

Bohol Enchanted 

From its entrance, you may not think much about the park.  But the place has some surprises.  Besides enjoying the butterfly enclosure, two albino water buffaloes and large Burmese pythons, we were pleasantly entertained with our encounter with two friendly sugar gliders.

Sugar gliders are cute small critters that are capable of great leaps relative to their size.  They were very tame and seemed like they knew what to do for picture taking.

The park also has a restaurant that serves a buffet lunch at a very reasonable price.

Tarsier Conservatory

The Tarsier Conservatory is another popular tourist attraction.  Here you will find the endangered Philippine tarsier which is a nocturnal marsupial that lives on a diet of forest insects.

These little critters remind us of Yoda from Star Wars. We found them clinging to branches under a man-made shelter made of leaves.  Some may be sleeping while others may have their large round eyes looking at you.  There were a total of nine tarsiers that can be viewed along the walking path.  Conservatory staff are stationed at each viewing area to ensure that these delicate creatures are observed safely and unobtrusively.

Loboc River Floating Restaurant (LRFR)

The LRFR should not be missed.  Except for Saigon, we do not know of any other place in our travels where a buffet, musical entertainment and a river cruise is combined.  The experience lasted more than an hour and the food was good and plentiful.

The place opens at 10:30AM and the last admission is at 2:30PM.  Depending on your luck, you may have a normal crowd with a normal waiting time of just a few minutes or you may be unfortunate like we were when multiple tourists buses descended on the place.  We had to wait about an hour and a half before we got on the floating restaurant.  If you see tourist buses at Chocolate Hills, chances are they will also head on over to LRFR.

Baclayan Church

Baclayan Church is one of the oldest churches in the Philippines.  The church was constructed shortly after the blood compact between the Filipinos and Spaniards.

The church is huge and free to enter.  Women should cover their legs before entering (in other words,  no shorts allowed).  The church’s last admittance is 4:30PM.

You will see a massive ornately decorated altar similar to those that can be seen in South American churches.  The building walls are at least a couple of feet thick and the ceilings have murals. Please take a moment to put away the cell phone and camera and just take in the serenity of the place.

Other Attractions

We did not have time to see the following attractions during our one day tour.  Thought we list it here in case you want to substitute one for another.

Blood Compact

The blood compact are statues that commemorate the short unification of Filipinos and Spaniards.  It is so called because the participants from each party made slits on their arms and pressed them together hence making a compact with their bloods.

Mirror of the World

Iconic structures from around the world are replicated in this theme park.  Structures like the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, the Sphinx of Egypt and the windmills of the Netherlands are showcased.  

These provide a glimpse of what to see in those countries without having to break the wallet.  Just make sure you allot time to enjoy the place and not be in a hurry.

Man Made Forest

The Man Made Forest is the culmination of a tree planting program that the government implemented in the sixties and seventies.  Students at the time were required to plant trees as part of their curriculum.

The result is a road lined with 40 feet and taller mahogany trees where the canopies touch in some places.  This gives the illusion that you are driving through a green tunnel.

It was raining when we drove through the man-made forest and forego stopping to take photos.

Sevilla Twin Hanging Bridge

We do not have any information about this attraction but thought we would include it so that those who like swinging bridges can include it in their itinerary.

How To Get There

If you are flying, you will fly to Panglao international airport, code TAG.  Then you will have to hire a tuk-tuk or private transportation to get to mainland Bohol if that is where you are staying.  However, since most tourists stay in Panglao, tour companies pick-up guests from the island for the Bohol mainland tour.

If you are coming from Cebu City, Dumaguete or Siquijor, you can take a ferry to Tagbilaran Port on the Bohol mainland.  You can then take a tuktuk to the jeepney station that would go to Panglao.  Some tuktuk may offer to take you to Panglao but would charge more than jeepneys. 

Where To Stay

The place to stay would be at the island’s Southwest corner near Alona Beach.  Most of the large hotels are located here and where most international tourists stay, particularly from South Korea.  Commercial establishments such as restaurants and shops line the main street.

We stayed at Maya’s Guesthouse by booking through Booking.com.  Maya’s Guesthouse is about five kilometers from Alona Beach.  The guesthouse is away from the hustle and bustle but we needed to rent a scooter to get around as there were not many restaurants nearby.

Expected Expenses

Ferry Mactan Port (Cebu) to Tagbilaran Port – 800

Scooter rental – 400/day

Bohol Land Tour – 3,000

Chocolate Hills Entry Fee – 100

Bohol Enchanted Entry Fee – 150

Tarsier Conservatory Entry Fee – 170

Loboc River Floating Restaurant – 1000

Summary

A Bohol land tour is memorable as it allows tourists to see unique and one of a kind experiences.  The Chocolate Hills complex, while not the only kind of conical hills in the world, stands out among the rest because of the sheer number of almost perfect cones and its uniformity and aesthetic appeal.  

Bohol Enchanted, though a private theme park, provides a glimpse of two rare albino water buffalos and fun interaction with sugar gliders.

The tarsiers found at the Tarsier Conservatory are endemic only to the Philippines.  Their large eyes compared to its body size and the ability to rotate its head 180 degrees is just mind boggling.

A dine-in experience on one of the Loboc River Floating Restaurant is a fun way to cap the land tour experience.  You get to eat to your heart’s content, be entertained and go on a river cruise all at the same time.

So if you get tired of laying on the beach, doing island hopping tours and swimming in the ocean as you explore the Philippines, head on over to Bohol and be a landlover for a day or two.  You’ll be glad you took a break.