ACCESS: The nearest access point for the park is the small village of Bilar, which is located halfway between the small town of Lobok and the famous Chocolate Hills. There is a regular bus service between the two every 15 to 20 minutes during daylight hours.…Read More

ACCESS:

The nearest access point for the park is the small village of Bilar, which is located halfway between the small town of Lobok and the famous Chocolate Hills. There is a regular bus service between the two every 15 to 20 minutes during daylight hours.

The best advise is to be at Bilar no later than 9:30am, as, with a slow walking pace, you will need about 4 to 5 hours to complete your excursion. You should aim to be back at Bilar by 2:30 at the latest. If something happens to you while in the jungle, the penetration of sunlight through the high and thick vegetation and foliage is minimal, and any assistance team will struggle to get to you before dark.

The road to the park is very misleading. It is wide enough for two cars and covered with cement (see photo 1) almost up to the tourist information centre and reduced to a narrow slippery path once you enter the rain forest.

REQUIREMENTS AND PREPARATION:

1. A good map of the park is a sine qua non. This can be obtained by Rita or Chris at Nuts Huts (read my journal: Nuts Huts in Bohol). Without it, it is guaranteed you will get lost, as there are a lot of T junctions on the footpath once in the forest
2. A minimum level of physical fitness is also must. You should be able to walk for 4 to 5 hours in hot conditions and a couple of those miles on footpaths.
3. It is strongly advised to have another friend/companion with you, as, in case of an accident, he/she will summon help. Visitors are not all that common in the park, and sometimes it could be several days before another naturalist would pass you on the same footpath.
4. A back-up plan is also a good idea. Someone should know your whereabouts and check whether you returned at a prearranged point a certain time.
5. Wear trainers or boots and below-the-knee trousers. You are less exposed to insect bites, leaches, etc., and closed shoes will minimise the impact of reptile bites. Sandals and flip-flops are no-no’s. The ground in the park is very slippery, and regardless of weather conditions, there are always millions of wet leaves on the ground.
6. Make sure you have some first aid and 1 litre of water, and do NOT forget your camera.
7. When you walk on the footpaths, focus as much as possible on the ground to avoid stepping accidentally on a snake.
8. Do not get intimidated by the sounds of animals all around you. Nothing will attack you unless you attack first.

Just so you don't get in a fight with the taxis getting off the boat to Bohol...When we got to Bohol, we wanted to go to Alona Beach and every taxi lined up in front of the pier insisted on charging us two times the…Read More

Just so you don't get in a fight with the taxis getting off the boat to Bohol...

When we got to Bohol, we wanted to go to Alona Beach and every taxi lined up in front of the pier insisted on charging us two times the meter to go there for the return trip. Now, we got ripped off in nearly every taxi ride in the Philippines simply because we were foreigners and we thought this was another ludicrous ploy. So we took a cab into the city just to get away from the pier and the same rates applied...so I guess that's what they charge. It ended up costing about $40 just to get there...which in the Philippines is insane!

Leaving Alona Beach, however, we were able to work the system. We booked a day long tour in a private car for $100 for 2 people, but rather than simply taking us to the Chocolate Hills and other sites and then back to Alona Beach, we had them take us first to the boat pier to buy our tickets, had our luggage in the car the whole day, and at the end of the day deposited us at the ferry terminal at precisely the correct time. I'd highly recommend this approach to others! If you do book a private tour in your own car (and the locals seem to pressure foreigners with money to do this), know that you can create the route you want.Close

A storm is brewing, says a radio report. Small vessels were advised to cancel their trips. And there we were on the small island of Balicasag, off the shores of Bohol. We had no choice but to stay on the island. Apart from the drizzle,…Read More

A storm is brewing, says a radio report. Small vessels were advised to cancel their trips. And there we were on the small island of Balicasag, off the shores of Bohol. We had no choice but to stay on the island. Apart from the drizzle, everything was fine. We waded through the waters and did some snorkeling. Schools of fish were swimming through the seaweeds and corals. The beach was filled with shells and coral pieces. We stayed at their open-air restaurant, enjoying the food while watching cable TV. Necklaces and bracelets made of shells were sold by local vendors. When boats were finally allowed to travel, we boarded the pump boat that took us to Panglao. Raging waves met us on our way back. We looked back to the island that had been our refuge during the storm. If I get a chance to choose a place the next time I'm stranded, I wouldn't think twice of choosing Balicasag.Close

It was past four o'clock in the morning and the cold breeze and dark skies sent chills to our bones. We were up this early to prepare for our dawn boating adventure. We promised ourselves that we wouldn't leave the island without catching the dolphins…Read More

It was past four o'clock in the morning and the cold breeze and dark skies sent chills to our bones. We were up this early to prepare for our dawn boating adventure. We promised ourselves that we wouldn't leave the island without catching the dolphins on their morning swim. We were scouring Bohol's seas for about an hour without a dolphin in sight. The sun was slowly coming out, and all we saw were other tourists aboard hired pump boats, also hoping to see the dolphins.

A few minutes later, our guide was pointing on something. Schools of dolphins were swimming with us. Their heads bobbed up and down in a rhythm. They swam without any care of what was going on around them. It seemed that they were all smiling while they swam in the vast sea. They hooted and wailed as if calling on us excitedly. Watching them swim was a beautiful experience. It's so wonderful to breathe and be awed by the freedom enjoyed by these dolphins.

You can either fly from Manila to Tagbilaran or go by boat from Cebu City and all the way to Bohol-Tagbilaran. The company which offers the service is: SuperCat/SeaAngels. The boat sails between the two cities a few times a day and the trip lasts…Read More

You can either fly from Manila to Tagbilaran or go by boat from Cebu City and all the way to Bohol-Tagbilaran. The company which offers the service is: SuperCat/SeaAngels. The boat sails between the two cities a few times a day and the trip lasts 1 - 3 hours depending on whether it is the direct boat or the one who goes to Dumagete first. The price is about 300 P. Close