Panglao, Bohol, The Philippines – What to do when you live in a country dotted with more than 7,000 pristine islands, islets, and sandbars?

Answer: you beach and island hop.

I have been to the island province of Bohol in more than 5 occasions. Some with friends, with family, and at times, alone.

And of my fondest memories were those moments spent basking under the Bohol sun while island-hopping. A popular tour offered in the island is the Balicasag Island – Virgin Island tour.

BALICASAG ISLAND:

Seemingly floating in the Bohol Sea, is a small island called Balicasag. It is regarded as one of the best dive sites in the island province of Bohol. This marine sanctuary is home to various fishes and corals.

In one of my previous Bohol jaunts, it gave me a chance to explore the wonders of this island. Recalling my experience then, we were asked to start our day early for our sea tour. My friend and I were staying at the Dumaluan Beach Resort in Panglao. Our habal-habal driver-slash-boatman fetched us early. Because of the early wake up call, we were able to witness sunrise at this side of Bohol.

Our first stop that day was the much anticipated dolphin-watching near Balicasag Island. I like boat rides in the morning as the sea breeze is cool and not yet sweat-inducing. At around 7 AM, we were already in the middle of the sea, waiting for the dolphins. According to our boatman, it is best to do this activity early morning as the number of dolphins decreases between 8:00-10:00 AM. There were several boats waiting for the dolphins when suddenly one boat started to chase a group of dolphins. The other boats followed and it was like I was watching a regatta.

It was my first time to see these loveable mammals. And I love the fact that I saw them in their natural habitat, instead of seeing them at a theme-park making the entire experience surreal, raw, and really gratifying. Despite being elusive, the thought of seeing them with my own eyes is something I was happy about then. After chasing the dolphins, we proceeded to Balicasag Island to snorkel and have our late breakfast.

Upon docking, I have noticed that the shores of the island is washed up with pebbles and coral pieces (some, pretty sharp, hence it is best to have a footwear). I decided first to walk along the coastline to take some photos before eating my packed breakfast under a tree. At this point, more and more boats were docking bringing in more people.

So, I decided to go swimming and snorkelling after donning a vest. I must say that the underwater scenery of Balicasag is teeming with marine life – multi-hued corals, vibrant starfishes, diverse fishes, sea grasses and many more. Too bad I didn’t have an underwater camera then. Nonetheless, the memories of that experience are still intact whenever i visit memory lane.

Right before noon time, we decided to leave the island and proceeded to our next stop, Pungtud Island or more popularly known as Virgin Island – for more aun basking and nature photography.

VIRGIN ISLAND (A sandbar)

Virgin island isn’t really an island, but a long stretch of sandbar, a beautiful one with crystal clear turquoise sea water with some mangroves. It is obviously uninhabited and is only frequented by people – both local and foreign, during the day. During my first Bohol visit this place is not crowded however nowadays, this sandbar can be really crowded as more tourists flock their way during the low tide.

If you ask me, the best time to come here is during sunset as there will be less people and the view of the sundown is just spectacular.

Doing this island hopping activity in Bohol is a must gor first time visitors in the island province. While it was an exhausting thi g to do, it was nevertheless a fun-filled day. I told myself that I should return sometime in the future (with an underwater camera at hand) and maybe do some SCUBA diving.

Doing this activity will cost you to spend on the boat ride, a small paddle boat to snorkeling site around Balicasag since the motorized boat isn’t allowed (since it can disturb the marine life in the area. If you don’t bring with you your own snorkeling set, inform your boatmen so you can avail snorkeling gears with life vest, and aqua shoes.

How to Reach to Bohol;

From Manila, one can fly their way to the new Panglao International Airport in the island of Panglao, Bohol. (Previous years, the airport in Tagbilaran – Bohol’s capital, serves as the main entry point by air). From the airport hire a van, ride a habal-habal or even a tryke to your next destination or where your resort is located (usually around Panglao). Alternative route is from Manila to Cebu, then once in Cebu, ride a fast-craft to Bohol.

Should you wish to do the Balicasag and Virgin Island tour, a nu ber of tour operators are readily available. From Panglao Beach, they can arrange your dolphin watching, island hopping and sandbar experience.

Don’t be a wasted soul, be ‘juan’derlust. Take it easy ebri’juan’.