Bohol wasn’t originally part of my itinerary, but since I had some “spare time” I might as well use it to visit one of my most missed places since it’s just a two hour ferry trip from Cebu.  And this time my Bohol itinerary was clear: the beach!

Yes, it might seem like too early in the year to go to the beach, after all it’s still winter in the northern hemisphere.  But this is the Philippines where it’s practically summer the entire year!  Now, won’t you agree that winter is indeed more fun in the Philippines?

After arriving at the port of Tagbilaran, Bohol’s capital, we went to the supermarket to fetch some “pasalubong” and some supplies for our trip to the nearby island of Panglao where Alona (the beach) was waiting for us.

Travel Tip: If you’re willing to have some adventure and aren’t pressed for time, you may opt to commute as the locals do to get to Panglao.  Jeepneys and buses are available near Tagbilaran Museum (where the Kilometer Zero of the island is placed).  I strongly suggest the bus if you need some space as the jeepney can really get overloaded. 🙂

It was already the middle of the afternoon when we arrived in Panglao Island so naturally after satisfying our guts and checking in our hotel, we spent the rest of the day on the alluring beaches of Alona.

The following day I just had the urge to run, just for fun.  I just wanted to find out how long the beach was and get some tan so running on the beach even if it wasn’t that early was just perfect.

For what it’s worth, the beaches of Alona is about 800m long 🙂

Eventually it was time for Alona and I to part ways.  We were fortunate to stumble upon a bus returning to Tagbilaran so our commute back was more comfortable than the jeepney we took on the way here.  Unfortunately, travel time was still very slow, probably due to the laid back culture of the province.

This trip to Bohol gave me a chance to finally dip and enjoy the wonderful beaches of Alona.  I really loved how fine the sands are, pretty much like that of Boracay but much less crowd and with nature pretty much preserved.  I loved everything about Alona and Panglao, but I do wish that public transportation improves not just for the sake of tourists but also for the locals since the current ones are quite inconvenient and really slow.  Regardless, I still look forward to returning to the island!  Thank you Alona, Panglao, Tagbilaran, and Bohol!  Until we meet again!

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Bohol + Cebu Quickie:

• Background
• Alona’s Allure
• Roaming Around Cebu City