The city of Bohol

1. Its more fun in the
Philippines
Module 8
B o h o l
City of Friendship

2. It is the tenth largest island in the
Philippines region
Bohol is a tropical haven of natural
beauty
Bohol is well-known locally as a
paradise for divers and snorkelers
Dolphin watching and whale
watching tours are popular with
both residents and visiting tourists
About Bohol

3. About Bohol
‣ Bohol is an island province located in the Central Visayas
region
‣ Tagbilaran is the capital city of the island province
of Bohol
‣ The city is also known as the City of Friendship
Bohol
‣ Tagbilaran, the capital city, is the main point of entry to
Bohol, and serves as the province's political, social and
economic center
‣ Tagbilaranons (as local residents are called) seem to be
more relaxed than their counterparts in larger cities

5. Getting By
The most commonly used mode of
transport by the locals in Bohol is the
tricycle, a small cab powered by a
motorcycle that can accommodate
up to 3 passengers
However, as a tourist, you are advised
to take cabs
Air conidtioned cabs are not
expensive
Aside from tricycles, there are also
jeepneys and cabs plying their routes
within the city and outside

6. Exploring Bohol
As we discussed in Module 1, Philippines is a delight for tourists. We will now focus our attention on the
same elements. So let’s look at the main attractions that would appeal to the Indian tourists.
Shopping
Pubs,
Restaurants
and Eating Out
Beaches &
Natural Beauty
Casinos
Historical
Heritage
Amazing
Hotels

7. 7
Shopping

8. Island City Mall
Located at Dampas District, the
Island City Mall is one of the
grandest shopping centers in the
entire province of Bohol
It contains three floors featuring
cinemas, specialty stores, and a
department store
It also holds some of the top local
and international fast food chains,
plus a large supermarket

9. Plaza Marcela
Tourists to Bohol often shop at the
province’s second most beautiful
shopping mall, Plaza Marcela
The mall opened in 1997 and at that
time, Boholanos considered it as the
best shopping mall in town
Those who want a taste of sizzling
dishes can dine at Plaza Marcela
Food Court
Shoppers can also relax at the
gaming center of the mall where
several enticing arcade games are
available

10. Alturas Supermarket
This place features specialty
shops, food chains, and other
boutiques to meet the needs
of its varied customers and
guests.
At this huge supermarket,
people can easily find their
needs including food,
beverages, and other stuff

11. BQ Mall
Popularly known as Bohol Quality
Mall, BQ Mall is one of the most
visited shopping malls in the Visayan
province
Most tourists in Bohol visit this
shopping center because it
has many restaurants and boutiques
Aside from the high-class dining
places at this mall, people also
frequent the movie theaters
Children can enjoy and have fun at
Toyland.

12. Aproniana
Souvenir Shop
This gift shop is located in Taguihon,
Baclayon
It is about 10 minutes away from
Baclayon Church
It is regarded as Bohol’s ultimate
souvenir destination, as it sells
almost anything you want so you can
remember the memories of Bohol
The items range from stuffed Tarsiers
to shirts to bags, key chains and even
delicacies

13. Jubelle's Souvenir
Shop
This gift shop is located in
Alona Beach, Panglao
This shop has affordable items
to choose from local stuffed
tarsier, magnets made of
painted wood, unique
necklaces for girls and boys,
pearls, anklets and a lot more

14. Pubs, Restaurants &
Eating Out

15. Gerry's Grill
Gerry's Grill is located in the BQ Mall
and its location is facing the island of
Panglao providing a nice view of the
sea port
Service is fast and the staff is very
attentive
It serves delicious and affordable
meals
The presentation of the food alone
makes you want to grab a bite

16. Planet d
(Doy's Resto)
Planet d (Doy's Resto) is at J
Borja Street in Tagbilaran City
and serves good food, coupled
with reasonably priced drinks
and nice music
It has different bands playing
every day of the week, that
attracts all types of visitors here

17. Oops Bar
The tagline of the Oops Bar is No trip
to Bohol would be complete without
a visit to Oops Bar and this is true in
many respects
As compared to Manila and Boracay,
the nightspots in Bohol are fewer
The Oops Bar is situated on the
beach and draws a good crowd of
guests and beach enthusiasts
Great food and an extensive drinks
menu make it the drinking hole of
choice for many visitors

18. Gerarda’s
Gerarda's is a family restaurant
serving delicious Filipino cuisine
From table settings to cleanliness
and hygiene this restaurant has
been winning the Best Restaurant
Award for the past few years
Prices are affordable and servings
are huge
The food is good and they add new
delicious dishes in their menu
periodically

19. The Buzz Cafe
This place has the best salads
and organic food in Bohol
The good thing about the food
here is that it is organic and
fresh and their ice creams are
delicious

20. Black Forest Hut
Black Forest Hut is a place for healthy
and natural foodies
This snack bar strongly promotes
cooking without artificial ingredients
It is best known for its uniquely
flavored homemade ice cream
It has two branches, the downtown
branch in Tagbilaran City downtown
and in Baclayon
The Coconut with Rum Bacardi ice cream
is a popular item at Black Forest Hut

21. Bo’s Coffee Club
Bo’s Coffee Club is definitely one of
the best places in Bohol to drink
coffee
There are a lot of branches of the
club and infact its coffee has been
rated as better than Starbucks
It is also famous for its savories and
quick bites like Blueberry
Cheesecake, Fudges, Croissants and
a whole lot of varieties of sandwiches

22. Beaches & Natural Beauty

23. Alona Beach
Alona Beach is a gorgeous 1½
kilometer breadth of tropical
paradise on Panglao Island
It is Bohol's top beach
destination known for its
white sand beach, blue waters
and world class diving

24. Alona Beach
Many of Bohol's restaurants and
activities are centered on Alona
Beach
The beach is surrounded by palm
trees that seem to move towards
the crystal clear waters
When you swim about 100 meters
off the beach, you will reach the
edge of the 'house' reef, at a depth
of just 3 - 5 meters

25. Dumaluan Beach
Dumaluan Beach, also on the south
of the island, is about 2½ km east of
Alona Beach
Here you will find some of the more
exclusive beach resorts of Bohol,
such as the Bohol Beach Club

26. Loboc is known for its floating
restaurants along its scenic and
winding river
Each floating restaurant holds about
20-25 people
This fascinating boat ride starts from
Loay Bridge, which is the outlet of
the river, moves along the serene
waters and palm-fringed banks
inland, and ends near the Busay
Waterfalls
Loboc River Cruise

27. The boat takes about 45 minutes to
reach the end, where it will stop for a
while so guests can enjoy the view
Afterwards, the boat turns around
and makes its way back downstream
The river is clean and green during
summer, and turns brown during the
rainy season
Loboc River Cruise

28. Tarsiers
Tarsiers are nocturnal primates
measuring from 4 to 5 inches, and
have a tail which is longer than their
body
Considered the smallest primate they
can only be found in the Philippine
Archipelago
Locally known as Maumag, Boholanos
are usually protective of these small,
lovely creatures
If you are really interested in seeing
them, you should visit their natural
abode in the town of Corella, about 10
kilometers from Tagbilaran City

29. Dolphin Watching
Nestled right in the heart of Bohol
Sea, is a small island called
Pamilacan, which is famous for its
dolphins and big whales
The island is locally known as
Sangais
It's also known for beautiful
colored fish, both small and large
and the prized Gloria Maris sea
shells also abound in its
surrounding waters

30. Dolphin Watching
Pamilacan is only about an hour
ride by pump boat from
Baclayon.
One of the major attractions of
Bohol is dolphin and whale
watching in the Bohol Sea

31. Hinagdanan Cave
The whole island province of Bohol is
known as Cave Country, as it has
more than 1,000 caves at present
The most popular among them is the
Hinagdanan Cave, which means
laddered in local dialect
Situated in the town of Dauis, 6 km
from Tagbilaran City
Hinagdanan Cave is famous for its
naturally lit cavern and deep
underground lagoon
The cave is top lit by sunlight, which
filters through holes in the ceiling.

32. Coral Reefs
Bohol is surrounded by a large
number of coral reefs, which are
very rich in life, and a delight to
observe,
They are a prime tourist
attraction
Although for many of the reefs,
you will need a boat to get
there, and scuba equipment to
see them, some of them are also
easily accessible for snorkelers,
and at a small swimming
distance from the beach.

33. Balicasag Island
Balicasag is a flat island 4km
southwest off of Pangalo Reef, which
is about 30-45 minutes from Panglao
Island
Narrow reefs about 9 to 50 meters
wide, are one of the many reasons
why Balicasag Island has gained
popularity among many foreign and
local divers
Diver's Haven is a dive site that
features an impressive array of fish
and marine life

34. Another fascinating dive site is Turtle
Point, a haven for turtles
Turtle Point lies on the eastern side of
the island and features caves about 60
to 75 meters down
Located on the southwest side of the
Turtle Point is the Cathedral Wall, and
the north side is the Royal Garden
Balicasag Island

35. The Garden is covered with corals that
form a vibrant reef full of assorted
tropical fish
The Black Coral Forest provides a rare
opportunity to swim through black coral
Balicasag Island

36. Lamanoc Island
The town of Anda is as far from
civilization as you can get - it's so
distant, cellphone coverage only
sporadically touches a single point on
a local hilltop
This small village is the jumping-off
point for a tour of Lamanoc Island, an
uninhabited limestone outcrop that is
rumored to be haunted by spirits

37. Getting to Lamanoc Island involves
sailing aboard a small outrigger canoe
Getting through the tourist trail
around the island involves plenty of
climbing steep stairs and walking on
slippery limestone
As you proceed, the local guide will
tell you about the prehistoric relics
found in the island's caves and the
legends associated with the town
Lamanoc Island

38. Doljo Beach
Just 5 minutes from Alona Beach is an
excellent diving spot of Bohol, which
has a wealth of small fish,
nudibranches and anemone
Doljo Beach gives you an eyeful of
huge gorgonians and sponges, and
the Balicasag marine sanctuary
presents a variety of sea life, all year
round

39. Chocolate Hills
The Chocolate Hills are probably
Bohol's most famous tourist
attraction
They look like giant mole hills, and
remind us of the hills in a small child's
drawing
Most people who first see pictures of
this landscape can hardly believe that
these hills are not a man-made
artifact
It would take more labour than the
construction of the pyramids in Egypt
to make something like this

40. The Chocolate Hills consist of no less
than 1,268 hills (some claim this to be
the exact number)
They are very uniform in shape and
mostly between 30 and 50 meters
high
They are covered with grass, which, at
the end of the dry season, turns
chocolate brown. From this color, the
hills derive their name
At other times, the hills are green, and
the association may be a bit difficult
to make
Chocolate Hills

41. Amazing Hotels

42. Sherwood Bay
Resort
The Sherwood Bay Resort & Dive
School offers good accommodation
and spectacular sea views off Panglao
Rooms present comfortable
furnishings in essential settings with
most having a private veranda.
The cliff front restaurant serves
international cuisine while the resort
itself is an ideal setting for weddings,
seminars, social events and water
enthusiasts

43. Bellevue Resort
The Bellevue Resort is popular with
travelers visiting Bohol Island and
looking specifically for an Panglao
Island hotel
The grounds and 159 rooms are of 4-
star quality, located near the Panglao
Island sites
The Bellevue Hotel is 16 km from the
Tagbilaran Airport

44. Alona Vida
Beach Resort
Alona Vida Beach Resort is located in
the center of the Alona Beach,
popular for its powdery white sand
and crystal clear waters
Situated in a tropical garden with 8
Deluxe Rooms in two two-storey
buildings
The resort prides itself on its
sumptuous European and Filipino
dishes along with a variety of
cocktails at their in-house bar and
restaurant, Coco Vida

45. The Peacock
Garden
The Peacock Garden is a sprawling
mountain property with spectacular
views, a luxurious atmosphere, and fine
dining
This 5-star luxury boutique hotel is
Bohol's hidden gem, reflecting a unique
Old-World, East-meets-West style in its
character and interiors
The resort features a restaurant and wine
cellar, Roman Spa, music & dance club
and cigar lounge
Eco-cultural tours, beach, and outdoor
activities are offered nearby

46. Alona Palm Beach
Resort
Home to one of the island's most
impressive wine lists, this popular joint
delivers live entertainment in luxurious
surroundings
The infinity pool that fringes the bar
gives guests the option of splashing
up to get their drinks, which is
something of a novelty

47. Bohol Bee Farm
The Bohol Bee Farm is an
agricultural haven situated on
top of a cliff on Panglao
dedicated to bee cultivation,
organic farming, and healthy
eating
It is a very homely and relaxing
place on Panglao island
The owner, who is also a chef,
prepares delicious meals from
organically-grown vegetables
on her farm

48. Bohol
Bee Farm
From squash muffins,
vegetable lasagna, to her
specially-brewed coffee from
roasted corn and wild berries
are all available here
Bohol Bee Farm also houses a
resort, where visitors can take
time off from the city and find
relaxation while providing
livelihood to the local residents

49. Bohol Beach Club
Hotel
Bohol Beach Club Hotel is
nestled on the island paradise
of Panglao and is the perfect
haven for romantic getaways
or a seaside sanctuary for
beach lovers and scuba diving
enthusiasts
A few minutes away is
Balicasag Island, a popular dive
site for local and foreign divers
which offers world-class diving
and is internationally
renowned.

50. Dumaluan Beach
Resort
Situated in the southern part of
Panglao Island, this property is in
close proximity to a number of
attractions
Guests can dine at the restaurant that
serves international as well as Filipino
cuisine
Offering meeting rooms and facilities,
guests can organize their private or
public events at the hotel
Offering comfortable accommodation
with good service, this can be a good
place to stay in Bohol

51. Historical Heritage

52. Church of Our Lady
The Church of Our Lady of the
Immaculate Conception in Baclayon is
one of the oldest churches in
the Philippines
It was founded in 1596
It is one of the best
preserved churches in the region,
although in the 19th century, a
modern facade and a number of stone
buildings that now surround the
church were added
Next to the church is the old convent
The convent is now transformed into
the Baclayon Museum

53. Let’s Recap
‣ Bohol is the tenth largest island in the Philippines region and is an island province located in the Central Visayas region
‣ Tagbilaran is the capital city of the island province of Bohol and is also known as the City of Friendship
‣ Alona Beach is Bohol's top beach destination and many of Bohol's nice restaurants and fun activities are centered here
‣ The Loboc River Cruise is a fascinating river cruise
‣ Bohol is known as Cave Country, as it has more than 1,000 caves, the most popular among them is the Hinagdanan Cave
‣ The Bohol Bee Farm is an agricultural resort dedicated to bee cultivation, organic farming, and healthy eating