My Bohol itinerary and Solo Adventure

After spending a few days in Siargao, I took a flight to Cebu, popped onto a ferry and embarked onto a brand new adventure and as per usual I wanted to share it with you. So here is my Bohol itinerary. I booked myself into a local guesthouse near Alona Beach and off I went to explore Bohol.

Whist researching what to do in Bohol I stumbled upon an abundance of things to do, I planned my Bohol itinerary around my interests with the environment in mind. Please don’t go and swim with whale sharks, let me just say this off the bat. The whale sharks can be found in Oslob which is offered as a day tour from Alona Beach. However Oslob is not their natural gathering spot and instead, the local fishermen are hand feed them to lure them in, to sell more tour packages. Whale sharks are globally endangered and we are not meant to take photos with them for the sake of Instagram. Please think twice about your impact on the planet and lets all collectively preserve our oceans one of our biggest treasures.

DAY 1

With that in mind, let me start with day one. Head down to Alona beach and just spend a day staring at the ocean whilst sipping on either fruit smoothy or fresh coconut. You can even get an hour massage for just over £10 at the local massage parlour which is conveniently located on the beach. You can’t come to Bohol and not take the full advantage of an entire day swimming in the ocean and basking in the sun on what must be the worlds finest sand. I’m all about self-love and nurturing my soul and nothing makes me happier than a good old beach day.

Bars and restaurants are abundant but I have to admit that my Philippines diet consisted mainly of fresh fruit and vegetables so I mainly stocked up at the local stands. I would quench my thirst with coconuts and smoothies and an occasional San Miguel light which by the way has only 90 calories. Needless to say, I lost at least 5lbs on this trip as a side effect but I truly wast a fan of Filipino food offerings. You may, however, feel differently.

DAY 2

I decided that on my second day of my Bohol itinerary and adventure, I’d rent a scooter and go to visit Chocolate Hills, Man-made a forest and a secret waterfall. I rode all day and enjoyed being out in the sun. It got really hot and I burnt on the scooter so make sure you apply that 50SPF moisturiser on more frequent basis. I love the freedom that comes from riding a scooter as you can feel the wind in your hair and stop wherever you please without constantly thinking about where to park.

Chocolate Hills are about 2-hour scooter ride but I decided to have it crossed off my Bohol itinerary since its a unique site and a must see. The Hills are all over Bohol but I decided to visit Chocolate Hills Complex as a viewing point. The entrance is about 50 peso which is approx 1 USD. The best time to visit is summer and Autumns so that the hilltops become brown and this is where the name comes from. It was an interesting experience however it won’t blow your mind.

On the way to Chocolate Hils, I passed through the man-made forest which makes you feel like you are in this massive tree tunnel. Again it was a nice experience to be so close to nature but it wasn’t mind-blowing. It made a lovely photo location and it was so nice to hear birds and crickets chipper in the process.

After visiting the Chocolate Hills, I decided to add a waterfall to my Bohol itinerary and even though I was looking for Tambuko Cave Pool, I somehow ended up at Ingkumhan Falls. Ingkumhan Falls
its somewhat secret and you need a local to take you down to the falls. As with most things expect to pay 20 pesos to visit and see any nature in the Philippines. The locals use this money to keep the environment clean and nice for tourists to visit. Two local guys were so kind as to show me around and they even took my photos. The falls were empty whilst I was there and only on my way out a couple of people arrived.

Ingkumhan Falls are surrounded by rice terraces and a couple of small villages which made it even more special to visit. I just loved the feeling of freedom and gratitude that travel gives you.

I decided to ride back around 4 pm as I wanted to catch the sunset on Alona Beach which was one of my favourite things to fo in Bohol.

DAY 3

My last full day on the island, sadly. I wish I stayed longer. The last day is dedicated to Island hopping tour where I visited Balicasag & Virgin Island with snorkelling in the Balicasag Marine Sanctuary and Dolphine watching. I don’t remember the price of the top of my head but it was something like £10. I can recommend you to book in person rather than online as online prices seem way more than what they charge you on the spot.

I had to be at the Alona Beach early morning to catch dolphines. The boat was full and it was such a great way to meet people. I would recommend doing a tour at the beginning of the trip, especially if you are travelling on your own. It’s a great way to meet people.

The first stop was Balicasag where we picked up our snorkelling gear. I found out that snorkelling is not my strength, it’s way harder than it looks and I just kept on floating with seaweed sticking in my hair. Regardless it was so fun to experience and maybe I will try to improve my skills next time .

After an hour or so here, we got back to our boat and headed towards the Virgin island. This was pretty much a patch of white sand in the ocean which provided a great backdrop for quite a few of my photos. There were quite a few vendors selling drinks and food and I decided to have a coconut because I love it so much.

We chilled here spotting few starfish whilst basking in the sun. We headed back around midday and I have to admit that the island hopping really made my Bohol trip special.

What do you think of my Bohol itinerary? Do you have any plans to visit this beautiful island yourself?

Tania xxx