Best of Bohol 3: Panglao Island Tour
- Admin
- Feb 10, 2018
- 6 min read
Hola Nookfinders!
Let me start off by saying, yes, this is my last post for Bohol then I’d be moving on from it for a bit. I have so much to love about the place that one blog post wasn’t enough. I also still have a lot of reasons to go back. So before we move on to newer places, with this entry, I plan to tour you to the island of Panglao.
Once again, this is part of my 4 Days 3 nights Cebu-Bohol tour with fam so you could check out the tour package and agency in my first link on the related blogs below:
Bohol’s Panglao island has reached immense popularity due to its tourist attractions. For a quick trivia, the name Panglao came to existence when Spanish explorers in the 1800s came to the island in search for fresh water. They inquired the name of the island to local fishermen who misunderstood and answered “Panggaw” which turned out to be the fishing device they were making at the time.
If you have read my recent post about our sea tour in this majestic place, I stated there that Robin and I finished the sea tour at 11 AM so we decided to do this tour by adding 1000 pesos per head. We went back to the hotel to take a quick shower and were immediately fetched by our driver/tour-guide to kick-start the afternoon's tour.
BOHOL BEE FARM
Entrance fee: 20 Php
Perched on a cliff beside a beach, this heavenly place provides you two things if you are not a hotel guest; a tour of its organic farm, and food.
The last time we ate anything was at Virgin island during the sea tour so when we arrived here, we were very hungry. We had the whole afternoon to do the tours and the guide was not strict on the duration of each spot so we decided to eat first. We cross-paths with my family who were already concluding with the tour by that time <they began with the same tour early that morning>. We exchanged our goodbyes and instantly went on the lookout for the farm's well-known resto. I must tell you, the farm does not disappoint in terms of food!
The aura of the place is a bit rustic and there are a lot of tables to choose from but we chose a location that has the beach view. When you order food and before the main dish arrives, you are given a free complimentary dish that is just delish! Remember, all of the ingredients used here came from their organic farm so it’s pretty healthy.
Eating at this resto would cost you 450-550 Php a meal, quite pricey for the average Filipino traveller but it’s worth it. Besides, we travel not only for sight but also for food right?
Near the resto, there is a stair leading to this cute tanning spot which is exclusive for hotel guests only. It’s a perfect spot for an awesome photo-op like this stolen shot of my little niece. Isn’t she cute?
The farm offers so many hangout spots that it’s actually a tour within a tourist spot, I hope that makes sense. They even have a coffee nook if you’re feeling a little sleepy which I’m sure you won’t.
Ahh. The creativity of the place makes anyone feels so at home that even they’re restrooms are in line with their theme
After eating, we were lucky enough to immediately join a tour around the farm’s vicinity. The tour started off with their organic plants , the ice cream shop, the bakery and then to the weaving/production area of various products made entirely of dried sea weeds. Overall, I just am glad this farm is providing jobs to locals and is catering environmental stewardship.
The only sad thing I learned upon noticing an unfinished product on the weaving area. was that the weaver quit and that they are finding a hard time to hire a replacement. Weaving is a dying art. Millenials are no longer into learning the skill.
After seeing the facilities where honey is produced. We also got to learn about bees and I was able to hold one hive of bees. According to the tour guide, bees are actually not harmful if you are careful with them.You shouldn’t be aggressive towards them for them to leave you alone.
We also checked out the souvenir shop where the farm's vast variety of products are displayed.
Bohol bee farm is the perfect choice for lunch, that’s all I can say. This place has proven anyone who has set foot on it that indeed, life is better in the farm.
NOVA SHELL MUSEUM
Entrance fee: 30 Php
After the farm tour, we drove to Panglao town center near Alona beach to check out this shell museum owned by Mr. Quirino Hora. I was lucky to have met the guy during the tour. He has been studying mollusks half his life and is a passionate collector. We must be thankful he is sharing it to the world. Tour hours are from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. From common to unclassified shells, the huge collection of mollusks will leave you in awe.
This place i so overwhelming you would find yourself not knowing where to look or take a pic of first. They also have a souvenir shop where you could buy anything that is made of sea shell.
Aside from sea shells, I assume Mr Ora also has a thing for antiques because a lot of them were displayed in the museum. Well I don’t blame him. it is indeed intriguing to think that there are stories beyond each and every story. It is endless.
HINAGDANAN CAVE
Entrance fee: 15 Php
Ahh, this cave was surprisingly beautiful. It was already past 4 pm when we arrived so swimming was no longer allowed so I recommend you put this as your last stop on a morning tour unlike ours. We were quite disappointed that we couldn’t swim in it but oh well, maybe that was Bohol’s way of saying we’ve had enough swimming for the day from our sea tour.
Who would think that inside this small hole in the ground hides a marvelous gem beneath it. The stairs will comfortably lead you to a deep pool of water within a cave. We did some miracle pose inside the cave and just appreciated the blue water. We were so impressed with how clear the water was and dipped our feet to enjoy it. I gave my camera for my sister to use on their tour so theirs are a lot better than our pics so im posting her pic. Thanks for the pics sister!
DAUIS CHURCH
Dauis church, also known as Our Lady of Assumption church is located at a strip of land on the shore of Panglao island opposite Tagbiliran City. It has a well at the foot of its altar which miraculously came out when people once locked themselves in the said church as pirates invaded the island. It was considered a miracle since the well is just 200 meters away from salt water but gives out purely fresh water. Sadly, the church was under rebuilding due to the recent earthquake that caused destruction to it in the year 2013.
We were not able to enter the museum because it was already late but you could check it out when you visit. The funny thing is, I dreamt about this place weeks before we came and I was sure of it. It was like dejavu. We walked around, appreciated the view of the beach near the church, and of course took some pics.
The next morning, we bid our farewell to Bohol and took our scheduled flight back to Manila at 4pm. We checked out at the hotel 12 Pm and arrived at the airport past 1 Pm. Yes, we had to kill a couple of hours but it was not hard at all because massage services by the blind are offered on the second floor of Tagbilaran airport while musicians keep passengers well-entertained on the ground floor.
As hard as it is , I have to end my Bohol memories here but I am forever thankful I came to this wonderful place. Nookfinder, if you have enough savings, go treat yourself, get a flight and visit Bohol; I beg of you! <3
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