Bohol-Cebu: Not So So Super Cat

Day 7: Bohol - Cebu

We were fetched by our rented van in the morning and brought to Tagbilaran pier for our onward journey to Cebu City. At the dock, we first had to fill out forms again even though we already bought our tickets for 600 pesos/each the day before and we had to pay some kind of port fee. We had to check in our pieces of luggage which the porters immediately took from us for another charge. Then (not so) surprisingly, our baggage weighed 10 kilos more each, more than the 16 and 17 kilos respectively that what we've checked-in in Berlin and in Manila. (btw, on our onward flight this 20 kl. magically disappeared). But I was too tired to argue and paid the excess which cost an additional 65 pesos.

Finally, we were let to go through without much ado and waited inside the waiting area while being serenaded by three singing blind men.

The sea was a bit rough as there was a typhoon coming within the Philippine area of responsibility, but the ride with the Supercat was excellent, even though it feels like riding a rollercoaster at times. The boat was quite safe and really fast, and we were in Cebu City in no time.  

The City of Cebu (Tagalog: Lungsod ng Cebu; Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Sugbo) is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.

The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was the first Spanish settlement in the Philippines. Cebu is the Philippines' main domestic shipping port and is home to about 80% of the country's domestic shipping companies. Cebu also holds the second largest international flights in the Philippines and is a significant centre of commerce, trade and industry in the Visayas and Mindanao regions. According to the 2009 LGPMS census, the city has a population of about 822,628 people.

Cebu City is the centre of a metropolitan area called Metro Cebu, which includes the cities of Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu and Talisay. Metro Cebu has a total population of about 2 million people. The Mactan-Cebu International Airport, located in Lapu-Lapu City is only a twenty-minute drive away from Cebu City. To the northeast of the city are Mandaue City and the town of Consolacion, to the west are Toledo City, the towns of Balamban and Asturias, to the south are Talisay City and the town of Minglanilla. Across Mactan Strait to the east is Mactan Island where Lapu-Lapu City and an aquarium attraction are located.

Upon arrival in Cebu City, we decided to walk to our hotel at "Hotel Pier Cuatro". We've read that it was not so far from the pier so after a quick look at the map and some orientation we were off on our feet, which btw, didn't hinder some taxi drivers to want to take us with them and follow us for a minute. Worst is that some were already trying to take our suitcases to put into the taxi even though we've already said loud and clear no.

The area was not particularly pleasant - a bit like Manila: smog, noisy and chaotic, and it was no fun crossing the main road in spite of the traffic light. Then we saw the sign of our hotel. The place is where it is as described on their website. Directly opposite is a kind of seedy-looking strip club and another small street going inside some short-time getaway.

It was a huge relief knowing that the hotel has 24-hour security. Naturally, our mood became lighter. The entrance was very clean and looks quite modern. I've even seen the cleaners almost always at work trying to keep it tip-top. Our mood sank again when we saw our room. It was a cheaper (24 €), tinier Deluxe Room with no windows. I suddenly become claustrophobic. Actually, it has a window, but it opens into some kind of dark ventilation shaft or something. There was a TV but no fridge, a very loud air-conditioner that made watching tv or talking or even sleeping impossible. I probably would have not really minded at all since we were both tired and sleep would come so easy, but at least a small window would have made a big difference.

That's why we had a room upgrade to Superior Room which is, by the way, only 3-4 euros more expensive than Deluxe. Unfortunately, the Deluxe rooms were already occupied when we got there late from Bohol, but the friendly people from the reception assured us that we will be getting the superior room the next day, and we did. But first, we had to spend the night in the windowless and loud room. It must be good advice to fellow travellers to take the Superior Room which also has a fridge, a big window and a modern (digital) aircon.

Bohol: Panglao Island Hopping

Bohol: I Wanna Take You To The Island

Day 6: Bohol

We woke up quite early to go dolphin watching and island hopping. Our boatman fetched us at 5:45 a.m. from our resort, and before we knew what was happening, the three of us were already sitting on a motorcycle and drove off to Panglao (town). The boat that was supposed to take us was docked in Panglao which is about 20 minutes-ride from Alona beach. It was low tide when we got to the docks, but the boatmen managed to get the boat near so we didn't have to walk on shallow waters.

There were already several boats rushing in where the dolphins are sighted. It was nice, but it wasn't really for the dolphins but for the islands that we come to see. So we drove off quickly to the first island Balicasag, which was really lovely - sandy beach and palm trees. The locals were apparently happy when tourists arrive. There are huts of the local folks where they offer drinks and snacks and tasty home-cooked meals. I've immediately ordered coffee and breakfast (rice with large fresh fried prawns) So delicious.  There are also the vendors who tried hard to charm us with souvenir items and some shell handicrafts.

A local fisherman brought us to the snorkelling area which is about 100 meters away from where we docked. And of course, we have to pay for it extra. What did I expect? The corals were probably not the best, lots are dead and lifeless, and there were just too many people around that you have to be careful not to be run over by another paddle boat.

When we eventually had enough, we drove onto the next uninhabited smaller island, Pungtud island or as known to tourists, the Virgin island. The island is really a dream. You can go around in less than ten minutes, and it has two sandbanks. On one side was the lone mangrove tree that must have been 150 meters away from the island where I ventured alone. On the opposite side of the island was the strip which even goes out far to the sea which during low tide will ultimately come out. We were there during high tide, so we walked and swam on shallow waters. That was really fantastic.

We went to eat when we got back that late afternoon. The next day, my friend got a terrible sunburn.

Bohol-Panglao: Dili Mapanglaw Sa Panglao

 Day 5: Bohol

In early history, Panglao was known to Chinese, Malay, Siamese and Indonesian traders. In 1803, Spanish explorers came to the shores of Panglao in search of fresh water. At the time a couple of natives on the seashore were making fishing devices called "panggaw". One of the Spaniards asked what the name of the island was. The natives--who thought the visitors were asking what they were making--then replied "panggaw". Hence, from that term, was derived the name Panglao.

The main attraction in Panglao is the white sandy beaches along the coast. Here you will find many hotels and beach resorts such as Alona Beach, Bohol Beach Club, Danao Beach, Dumaluan Beach, and others. The beaches of Panglao are also used as a jump-off point for boat tours for dolphin watching, island hopping to Balicasag and Pungtud/Pontod Islands (more popularly known to tourist as Virgin Island), and are also popular with divers.

Alona beach is about 250 meters (ca 10 minutes on foot) from where we stayed. The resort actually lies just about on the second row away from the beach, but the new "Hennan Resort" already closed the pathway to the beach, so the guest from flower garden resort and others have to go around to the main street and walk past the village centre onto the beach.

A bit annoying is the neverending call "Do you want a ride?" from the tricycle drivers or the people who haggle you with their "Do you want a tour?"  dialogue. Before we reached the beach, we have made a stop at a restaurant, right between the ATM and the Tourist Information where we booked a "Bohol tour". Everyone was friendly and very helpful. The bank (BPI) is almost always online, so one can always use the ATM. In this shopping street, there are actually pretty much everything you need - in addition to numerous restaurants at the beach, there were bakeries and grocery stores and stores where you can buy postcards, t-shirts, bathing needs etc.  On the way to the beach just at the end of the road is also the booking office for the ferries going to Dumaguete, Dapitan, Siquijor and Cebu.


During high tide, the beach area is limited since the cafes are already on the beach. You cannot walk without bumping into the chairs and tables. During low tide, swimming could be a little tricky since you have to walk far on the tidal flats until you can reach the shallow waters with seagrasses. On the beach, there's a lot of vendors selling all kinds of items, and masseurs walking around to find customers.  

Bohol: Chocolate Kisses and Yoda

Day 4: Bohol

We started quite early at 6:00 a.m. with our day tour where the van fetched us directly from our hotel in Panglao. We had the van for ourselves (two pax) which we booked for 1900 pesos, so we are quite flexible as for how long we would like to stay at one place.

Our first destination was the town of Carmen where the famous "Chocolate Hills" are located. It took us around 1.5 hours to reach the place. We travelled with an air-conditioned van that went through the green and beautiful landscape. Upon entering the area, we then had to pay first some 60 pesos per person before proceeding to the parking area. There are ca. 214 steps to reach the view-deck where unfortunately the view was hampered by a chain-link fence so there is only one good spot left where you can get a good photo of the hills.

The Chocolate Hills are an unusual geological formation in Bohol province, Philippines.^[1] According to the latest accurate survey done, there are 1,776 hills spread over an area of more than 50 square kilometres (20 sq mi). They are covered in green grass that turns brown during the dry season, hence the name.

The Chocolate Hills are a famous tourist attraction of Bohol. They are featured in the provincial flag and seal to symbolize the abundance of natural attractions in the province.^[2] They are in the Philippine Tourism Authority's list of tourist destinations in the Philippines;^[3] they have been declared the country's third National Geological Monument and proposed for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List.^[3]

Not far away then was our next stop, the butterfly garden in Bilar. There was also not much going on still. We were given a guided tour with some information about the butterflies and many photo opportunities in the garden with lots of many beautiful butterflies. After taking lots of pictures, I had a snack of "turon" (a banana sprinkled with sugar and wrapped in rice paper then fried) at their cute little cafe.

Then we went to check the "man-made forest" in Bilar but were just there very brief to take some photos of the reforested mahogany trees. It was quite chilly in the forest since there is not much sun penetrating its thick foliage.

We went next to the "Hanging Bridge" hanging over Loboc river. I was curious enough to see this "attraction", but I had a feeling that this was another marketing ploy. On the other side of the bridge are vendors selling souvenir items and delicacies like peanut kisses. Not so bad. There is the Loboc River Cruise in a floating restaurant, but we let it off our list. We heard that it's touristy and the food wasn't really much my companion's concern. Our driver told us that we can actually rent a boat and ride out up to the sea.

Our next stop was to the tarsier enclosure in Corella. It was awe-inspiring to see these tiny tarsiers in their natural environment. We were alone with the guide who led us through a rather large wooded enclosure and knows where exactly these little Yoda's are hiding. What was lacking is probably the information about tarsiers and everything about it. That could still be expanded. But if you're in Bohol, you definitely should go to Corella.

Next was the Blood Compact Monument, right at the seaside with the view of Panglao island. The monument was erected in commemoration of the blood compact done as a pact of friendship by the Spanish explorer, Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and Datu Sikatuna of Bohol.

The last stop was at the somewhat run-down but still impressive Baclayon Church. It is the oldest church in Bohol and one of the oldest in the Philippines. The church is made of corals and said to have used millions of egg whites to cement the corals together.

Back in Panglao, we went after a short rest again to the beach for swimming and eating and later dipped in the pool.