Panglao Island Tour

Apart from the famous Chocolate Hills and tarsiers, Bohol is also popular for its white sandy beaches, caves, waterfalls and bee farm - most of which can be found in the island of Panglao. Panglao Island is one of the islands in the province of Bohol that offers various amazing attractions for different types of tourists and travelers. Recently, Panglao Island made it to the international scene after being recognized as one of the "15 Best Secret Beaches on Earth" by the New York City-based travel magazine Travel+Leisure.
 



Bohol has a lot to offer but we only had two full days to spend for the tours. Aside from the Bohol Countryside Tour, we chose to do the Panglao Tour since we were interested to see most of the attractions included in the package as compared to other day tours.

On our third day, we were picked up by the same driver that we hired from BoholDayTour.com. We paid PhP1,000 per head based on two people for this tour. We checked out from Bohol Coconut Palms Resort where we spent our first two nights before heading out on the tour. The last destination of our Panglao Tour was in Alona Beach where we will be checking in for our last night in Bohol.


1. Mag-aso Falls

Mag-aso Falls was our first stop. I had prior knowledge about this falls before our Bohol trip, but it was something negative. There was an incident of drowning in Mag-aso Falls due to a flash flood that happened in 2009 where it claimed two lives. That was the first time I heard about this tourist spot so seeing it in person felt freakish but amazing at the same time. Mag-aso falls is such a beauty. I couldn't believe this tourist spot turned into a monster for a day.

Nevertheless, Mag-aso Falls is something not to miss when you're in Bohol. Nature lovers will definitely be struck by its awe-inspiring beauty. Mag-aso Falls is still part of the island of Bohol, specifically in Antequera, but it was included in the Panglao tour package.


2. Dauis Church

Dauis Church, or known as the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption, is located in the municipality of Dauis. Growing up in Iloilo where old churches hold visual magnificence through their amazing architectural designs and historical background, I couldn't help but be astonished by this church. Dauis church has a mixture of styles influenced by both Byzantine and Romanesque architecture. The painting and design on its ceiling above the altar has some similarity to St. Anne Church of Molo in Iloilo City where I grew up.


3. Hinagdanan Cave

Hinagdanan Cave is another major attraction in Bohol and one of the many caves found in the province. The cave got its name from the word "laddered" or hinagdanan in Cebuano because there is a ladder that leads to it. It is said that Hinagdanan Cave was accidentally discovered by the owner of the land where he found the hole. The cave has a large number of stalactites and stalagmites and has a deep lagoon of about 12 feet deep. The experience was exciting since this was the first cave I've ever visited.


4. Bohol Bee Farm

Bohol Bee Farm is a fun and relaxing place to visit in Panglao Island. I admit I was excited to see this spot as I haven't been to a bee farm before. If you're into healthy living, you will love their organic restaurant and farm produce. Everything they serve is 100% natural and organic. We took our lunch here and having had a taste of their organic food was a unique experience. They also offer overnight accommodations.

The tour inside Bohol Bee Farm includes a visit to their organic farm and a glimpse to their decorating and crafting, and basket weaving areas and of course, the bee culture. Don't miss to try their organic ice cream that comes in unique flavors such as malunggay and spicy ginger, too! The road to Bohol Bee Farm was quite bad but the trip was worth it nonetheless.


5. Panglao Church and Old Bell Tower

Panglao Church or St. Augustine Parish is another old church in Panglao that was built in 1972 by Spanish priests. Its facade and architectural details indicate that it has a Baroque design. A few meters behind the back of the church stands a 5-storey bell tower, which is said to be the tallest of its kind in the Philippines.


6. Shell Museum

The Shell Museum is another interesting spot in Panglao where you get to see a large collection of sea shells and other marine species. It's probably of one the biggest shell collections in the world, some of which was collected by Mr. Quirino Hora for more than 30 years of sea exploration. It's perfect for nature and sea lovers who have fascination with sea shells and other marine creatures. They also sell various souvenir items and handicrafts made from sea shells and other sea elements.


7. Alona Beach

Alona Beach is probably one of the best beaches I've seen. I was only starting my traveling life and haven't been to places known for beautiful beaches such as Palawan and Caramoan when I visited Alona Beach so it was a big factor of my appreciation of the beach. We had no expectation prior to coming here and Alona Beach just surprised us. Upon seeing Alona Beach, we seriously wished we had spent more time here than in other places in our tour. That's how impressed we were. Some areas of the beach has sand that is more powdery, I think, than that of Boracay.

We also later learned that Panglao is famous for world-class diving, the reason why we saw more foreign than local tourists around Alona Beach. It is considered as a tropical paradise of Panglao Island.


We spent our last night in Bohol in this beautiful beach of Alona. We checked in at Lost Horizon Resort where we had a wonderful experience except for the poor customer service at their restaurant. I hope to write a separate blog entry for that.

Knowing that we would be flying back to Manila in the morning the next day, we promised to return to Bohol to experience dolphin watching and visit Balicasag Island and Virgin Island, known for their wonderful beach and white sand, which we missed.

Read more about my Bohol trip:

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54 comments:

Ivy Marie Ilagan said...

I'm bad with directions, but where exactly is Alona Beach? Malapit lang sa Bohol Beach Club?

Pinoy Travel Freak said...

Hi Ivy, I'm not really sure as I haven't been to Bohol Beach Club myself. But based on research, BBC is about 15 minutes drive from Alona Beach. BBC kasi parang exclusive while Alona Beach is a public beach with many resorts. :)

Riz said...

Bohol is Love! Too bad I've never been to Mag-aso Falls and Hinagdanan Cave when i visited bohol.. sna mpuntahan q din yan! :)

kurapengpeng said...

ay hindi ko alam na may shell museum dun. hihihi! Isa ang bohol sa mga lugar na hindi ako nagsasawang balik balikan. Thanks for taking me there once again. Great shots.

Pinoy Travel Freak said...

Hehe, thanks! :) Kelangan ko pa bumalik dun. Hindi ko pa napuntahan ang Balicasag at Virgin islands. :)

Untiedescape16 said...

Excited na ako makapagbohol, may package kayo for the entire trip?

Pinoy Travel Freak said...

Hi, we arranged everything on our own. We just booked two different day tours (including this Panglao Tour) from BoholDayTour.com - they have the best rates that time and so far I highly recommend them. :)

Cha Sy said...

Alona Beach is fifteen minutes away via a habal habal and it cost 40 pesos per person per way.

Cha Sy said...

I so love your photos Gabs! Did you use any special lens to attain that smooth falls effect of the Mag-aso Falls? Hats off ako hindi ka natakot sa Bee sting! Ganda! Amazing!

Pinoy Travel Freak said...

Thanks so much for the info Cha! :)

Pinoy Travel Freak said...

Thanks Cha! Wala naman, I just used very slow shutter speed to achieve that effect. Actually, didn't really know how to use my DSLR during that time and that pic is probably the best from the bunch. :D

Harmless naman yung bees doon kaya no worries. :)

Jade said...

Where suppose to go to bohol kaso wala na talagang oras... i want to experience going to those places too...

btw: new follower here.. hope you follow my blog too
http://lakwatseranginday.blogspot.com

unsugarcoatedreviews said...

We'll be going to Bohol late this year. I hope we'll have enough time to see Panglao as well.

AJ said...

I'm been to all places you enumerated with the exception of the shell museum. But your photos are far superior; they're so crisp! I don't think I can achieve that clarity with my point and shoot.

mhe-anne said...

wow! your post made me realized there are yet so many places i haven't been to in Bohol, my fave place over Bora bec of varied adventures.i haven't been to hinagdanan cave, mag-aso and shell museum. i will make sure i check them out when i'm in bohol next.

Mai_Flores said...

Hey! You gave me another reason to come back to Bohol. I've been there twice and have already experienced the Countryside tour. But from all the places that you've visited from the list, we were only able to go to Bohol Bee Farm (we actually stayed here throughout our trip).

Maria Estrella Ledesma said...

Dauis was built by the Agustinians while all other churches in Bohol were built by the Jesuits. I was fortunate enough to be part of the museum volunteers who were given a tour of most of their churches. I've been to Bohol 2x but was not able to see the shell museum...maybe next time.

joan | the backpack chronicles said...

bookmarking this for our Bohol trip sa august! Naexcite ako lalo dahil sa ganda ng mga pics mo!

Francis Balgos said...

Wew!
Panglao Island in a day!
Sure is a lot!
and more fun!
kaka miss!

Gay Emami said...

Wasn't able to see four of these :( Didn't know about the Shell Museum either. Your Hinagdanan Cave snapshot's beeeautiful!

Eigroj Stain said...

Seeing your post made me miss Bohol--- it's really fun in the Philippines hehehhe

outoftownmanila said...

Wow! Ive been to Bohol so many times already but I havent been to some places you posted... thanks a lot for sharing the info:)

docbien said...

amazing pictures of the island. My favorite is the picture with the bees. Nicely captured.

TripSiders said...

Bohol is one of my Dream Desti.. hehehe...

Like ko makita ang mag-aso falls at hinagdanan cave..:)

ralph said...

thanks for sharing us the other beautiful sites in bohol. you captured each nicely that made me want to travel now there... hahaha. Yahweh bless.

GilCamporazo said...

This is the first time that I heard about this place, Panglao Island in Bohol. And it is already gained an international fame as it is mentioned by the New York City-based travel magazine Travel+Leisure as one of the "15 Best Secret Beaches on Earth".

mark pogi said...

We've been to Panglao before though we haven't made a tour on the island itself. It might be more than enough reason why I should go back there aside from the beach. ^_^

marrimye said...

I super like the photo of
MAG-ASO falls. It's more like a painting
especially the technique used to capture the flowing water.

ian | going places said...

Hinagdangan Cave and Alona Beach is among the best sights in Panglao Island! Hinagdangan is my first caving experience while Alona is one of the best beach I have been in the country. I missed seeing Bohol Bee Farm and Mag-aso falls during my trip which look worthy to see. Truly, Panglao is one of the best of Bohol islands!

ian | going places said...

BBC is on the other side of Panglao. It's beach is named Bolod Beach

ian | going places said...

Stunning pictures of Mag-aso Falls, Hinagdangan Cave and Alona Beach! They're dragging me to return to Bohol!

Pinoy Travel Freak said...

All of these can be done in one day. Enjoy your trip! :)

Pinoy Travel Freak said...

Thanks! :-) Hope you get to see them when you return to Bohol. I would like to return too to visit Balicasag and Virgin islands. :)

Pinoy Travel Freak said...

Thanks! Hope you could visit Bohol anytime soon! :)

Pinoy Travel Freak said...

The Shell Museum is nice. It was my first time to visit a shell museum and their collections are really impressive. :)

Pinoy Travel Freak said...

I hope you get to see them next time! :)

Pinoy Travel Freak said...

I would like to stay overnight in Bohol Bee Farm. I thought the place is really relaxing and quiet. :)

Pinoy Travel Freak said...

Thanks! Nice to know! Yes, I hope you get to visit the Shell Museum next time. :)

Pinoy Travel Freak said...

Wow, happy trip! Thanks! :)

Pinoy Travel Freak said...

True. I missed Panglao Island too. Hehe. :)

Pinoy Travel Freak said...

Thanks Gay! :)

Pinoy Travel Freak said...

Really fun indeed. Balik na sa Bohol! :)

Pinoy Travel Freak said...

Thanks! :)

Pinoy Travel Freak said...

Make sure to check them out when you return to Bohol. :)

Pinoy Travel Freak said...

They're worth a visit! :)

Pinoy Travel Freak said...

Haha! Book your ticket to Bohol now. :)

Pinoy Travel Freak said...

That's true. Panglao Island is world-class. :)

Pinoy Travel Freak said...

I hope you get to see them on your next trip to Bohol. :)

Pinoy Travel Freak said...

Thanks! I had a bunch of bad shots before I got this one. :)

Pinoy Travel Freak said...

Thanks! I had a bunch of bad shots before I got this one. :)

Bonzenti | Con Tour Blog said...

Ang lapit lang Bohol sa amin. from CDO, by dawn, Bohol na. I miss Bohol. I've been to this place when I was in High School. :-). Alona Beach is really amazing just looking at your photo.

Pinoy Travel Freak said...

Great to hear na malapit lang pala Bohol sa inyo. :) And yes, I like Alona Beach. :)

Christian | Lakad Pilipinas said...

nice photos! parang i don't recall us visiting that shell museum ah.

Melo Villareal said...

will do sir:)

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