Bohol is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region. Its capital is Tagbilaran City. It is the 10th largest island in the country, located in the heart of the Visayas. [1] To the west of Bohol is Cebu, to the northeast is the island of Leyte and to the south, across the Bohol Sea is Mindanao.
Bohol is a popular tourist destination with its beaches and resorts. The Chocolate Hills, numerous mounds of limestone formation, is the most popular attraction. The island of Panglao, located just southwest of Tagbilaran City, is home to some of the finest beaches in the country. The Philippine Tarsier, considered by some to be the smallest primate, is indigenous to the island.
Boholanos refer to their island homeland as the ‘Republic of Bohol’ with both conviction and pride. A narrow strait separates the island of Cebu and Bohol and both share a common language, but the Boholanos retain a conscious distinction from the Cebuanos.
Hills dominate the island of Bohol. Two ranges run roughly parallel on the northwest and the southeast. An interior plateau is dominated by limestone hills. In Carmen, Batuan and Sagbayan, these hills form near perfect cones in great numbers and are collectively referred to as the Chocolate Hills.
Bohol’s climate is generally dry, with maximum rainfall between the months of June and October. The interior is cooler than the coast.
Bohol is the home province of Carlos P. Garcia, the fourth president of the Republic of the Philippines (1957-1960) who was born in Talibon, Bohol.
Getting to Bohol
Bohol is located in the middle of the Philippines, and can be conveniently reached by air and boat.
Coming from abroad, you have two options: you can fly to Manila or Cebu. Cebu is the most convenient, but only a limited number of international flights will arrive there. Coming from Europe, you’ll need to have a stop-over in either Singapore, Kuala Lumpur or Hong Kong, however, it will save you the hassle of going through Manila. Among others, the following airlines fly international routes to Cebu: Silk Air, Malaysia Airlines, and Cathay Pacific.
If you come via Manila, you’ll probably want to take a connecting flight to Tagbilaran, which takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes. It is also possible to take a boat to Bohol, but will take 25 hours, and is only advisable if you have plenty of time and enjoy a trip on sea, or have to travel on a rock-bottom budget. If you come from Manila, you can also go to Cebu by air, and then continue by boat. There are numerous daily flights from Manila to Cebu. The flying time is about 50 minutes. The transfer by taxi from the airport to the pier takes about 30 minutes in normal traffic conditions, and should cost 165 pesos. The following airlines fly on the from Manila to Cebu: PAL, Cebu Pacific, Air Philippines, Asian Spirit, Astro Air, and Grand Air.
It is always worthwhile to look for a promotional fare if you fly. You can save a considerable amount of money by asking around a little.
If you come via Cebu, you can also take a short 25 minute flight, but you’ll probably want to take the one and a half hour trip with a fast boat to Tagbilaran. The regular boat to Tagbilaran will take about four hours. It is also possible to take a boat to Tubigon and Talibon, which may be more convenient if you want to be on the west or north coast of the island.
The most economical way to get from Cebu to Tagbilaran by boat is to catch a ferry to Tubigon, and continue by bus from Tubigon to Tagbilaran. This is sometimes both faster and cheaper than taking a boat directly to Tagbilaran.
Note that security regulations on domestic flights in the Philippines no longer allow bringing liquids (such as perfumes and bottles of wine) as carry-on items into the cabin. Even if you had those liquids sealed by duty-free shops on the airport of origin, you may be forced to throw them away if you are not able to place them in your checked-in luggage.
