Top Things You Need to do on your Panglao Vacation on Bohol island. If you ever find yourself lucky enough to be in Panglao Island in the Philippines’ very own Bohol province, listen up.
It’s very easy to spend your time bouncing around from beach to beach. After all, Panglao has no shortage of great beaches with amazing sand quality and tropical coastlines. But there’s more to Panglao than its ⇒ Gorgeous Beaches.
Also check out this great short video about Bohol.
Bohol & Panglao Vacation Guide
Exploring Panglao Island, Bohol. What you shouldn’t miss. Here are things you absolutely need to do when you’re vacationing in Panglao.
Top 8 Things You Need to do on your Panglao Vacation
8 Take a Loboc River Cruise
Loboc River is technically not in Panglao Island. Still, any trip to Panglao simply won’t be complete unless you take a river cruise that cuts through a significant part of Bohol Island. The river is less than half an hour away from Panglao so a cruise makes for a convenient trip. Tours to Loboc River Cruise are offered throughout Panglao.
Also, the food is offered on the floating restaurants at the package price. Lined on both sides by thick lush tropical vegetation like wild bananas and trees, your Loboc cruise is sure to be a good time as you take in the sights and get entertained by singers while you eat.
There is also a nice hotel right on the river, the Loboc River Resort & Hotel.
7 Enjoy a great tasting ice cream at the Bohol Bee Farm
Built on top of a bluff at Panglao, the Bohol Bee Farm makes for a great day trip. Not only do you get to dive at the bottom of the bluffs but its top gives visitors amazing views of the sea.
After you’re done diving and taking in the sights and cool sea breeze, you can treat yourself to some of the best tasting ice cream in all of Bohol. Made from fresh milk, Bohol Bee Farm’s ice cream draws crowds who specifically trek to this part of Panglao just for lush scoopfuls.
For an added bonus, order any of the organic salads offered in the Bohol Bee Farm’s menu. In addition to the edible flowers and organic lettuce, the dressing is definitely worth writing home about.
6 Island hop over to Balicasag Island
Located a boat ride away from Panglao (about 6 miles from Alona beach), Balicasag Island is definitely worth island hopping too. Its offerings can easily take up your day. From turtle sightings to beach lounging to snorkeling, this island’s fairly pristine shape gives visitors of all stripes something to like.
Daily boat trips to Balicasag or Pamilacan can be found at Alona beach and surroundings. Departure is at the free provider’s mostly from Alona Beach. Many hotels and resorts offer these tours with the hotel’s own Banca boat.
Not only can you dive to the Black Forest and marvel at the amazingly colored dense schools of fish, but you can also venture deeper inland for some cave diving. Well-known accommodation on the island is the Balicasag Island Dive Resort.
5 Watch Whales and Dolphins at Pamilacan Island
Located over 15 miles from Balicasag Island and about 10 miles from Alona beach, Pamilacan hosts a community of former whale hunters. After their livelihood was banned nationally in 1992, the town switched over to eco-tourism and never turned back.
Whether you charter your own boat or go with a package tour group, you can get up close and personal with whales and dolphins on your next trip to Bohol by visiting Pamilacan Island. However, nobody will give you a whale or dolphin guarantee.
If you want to stay overnight on the island, you can book the Pamilacan Island Paradise Hotel.
4 Go on a cave adventure in Hinagdanan Cave
If you want to take a quick break from beachcombing, mix things up a bit by checking out Panglao’s very own Hinagdanan Cave. Located in Dauis town, this cave is quite popular with visitors because it is so accessible. In fact, it doesn’t matter where you’re staying in Panglao, Hinagdanan cave is only a tricycle ride away.
What makes this limestone cave so memorable is the awesome light effects it has when sunlight enters the caves through small holes on the cave’s roof. You can follow the cave to its internal lagoon.
The next accommodation near Hinagdanan Cave is the exclusive Mithi Resort & Spa
3 See the world’s smallest monkey – The Tarsier
Tarsier Photo by Julian Paolo Dayag. The Philippine primate, an evening & night active animal and also the world’s smallest monkey (Primate) with a weight of 80-150 gram. As huge as a man’s hand. Head and body part along ar concerning nine to sixteen centimeters. The tail is up to twenty-eight centimeters virtually double as long because of the trunk. The tail is employed to regulate and balance once jumping and for supporting once clinging to a trunk.
Throughout Panglao and near Alona beach, tours to the tarsiers are offered. Often in combination with a chocolate hills tour.
Bohol is that the referred to as a first-rate primate traveler destination hosting an outsized population with their own forest sanctuary, regarding some square measure. The Bohol primate Foundation, ⇒ Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary based few years past, guarantees the survival of those rare animals.
2 Enjoy the Chocolate Hills
Made up of coral deposits which give them their amazing shape, the over 1,000 chocolate hills dotting Bohol Island have been drawing visitors for many decades. It’s easy to see why. The smooth shape of these numerous hills is nothing short of special… otherworldly even! No trip to Bohol and Panglao would be complete without a trip to the Chocolate Hills.
You can book your Chocolate hills tours online. Explore the best Bohol Tours & Activities.
1 See the ever-shifting Virgin Island (Isola di Francesco)
Panglao Vacation, Bohol Guide’s No. 1 – VIRGIN ISLAND
Made up of a few sandbars that disappear and reappear with the tides along with more permanent mangrove stands, Virgin Island is quite a sight to behold. Wait a few hours and you can see the island ‘disappear’ with the incoming tide.
Isola di Francesco is thought to travelers in Panglao, Bohol as Virgin Island. A beautiful sandbank and at the same time a mystical, religious place. The Island municipal name is Pontod Island, they are solely known as its Virgin Island to draw in a lot of tourists.
So shallow that you can comfortably walk around the waters surrounding the sand bars, Virgin Island is also home to lots of starfishes and other sea creatures. Top things off by enjoying a nighttime beach barbecue here.
If you’re feeling adventurous, you can kayak over or rent a boat. Whatever you do in Panglao, make it a point to include this amazing ‘disappearing’ island on your itinerary. You’ll thank yourself for it later.
Fruit of Pandanus utilis. The screw trees (Pandanus), also called screw palms or Pandane, are a plant genus of the family of the tree plants (Pandanaceae).
Isola di Francesco also offers an extensive and beautifully designed shell & nature art museum.
How to get to Isola di Francesco?
There are different paths, but we’ll show you the simple and cheapest way. Take a tricycle, motorcycle or jeepney and drive to Panglao Town. Close to the Panglao Watchtower is the departure point of the shuttle boats to Isola di Francesco. (See map below)
The boats commute almost every hour and the best – the rides are free!
But a donation is expected and you should do that please!
Click on the map and navigate directly to the departure point:
End of Panglao Vacation – Top Things
With these Panglao vacation ideas in mind, you’ll be sure to enjoy more than just beach memories the next time you visit Bohol.
