7 Days In Dumaluan Beach, Panglao Philippines

Before I explain the how, let me tell about the why. It began two years ago, when my boyfriend at the time, Wayne, told me that we were going to visit the Philippines. I replied I had no interest and that there were other countries way higher on my ‘must see’ list. But Wayne persisted, explaining that I should give the Philippines a chance, and that this country was one of his favourite locations in the whole world.

I relented, and together we visited Manila, Puerto Princesa, El Nido, Mt. Mayon and surrounding towns of Legaspi. I fell in love. Not just with the locations, but also with the people and culture. Wayne has since passed away, but one of the legacies he left me was a general love for the Philippines.

During the recent Korean national holiday of Chuseok, I bought a ticket, and as a solo traveler, I flew direct to Cebu, another island of the Philippines with the intention of splitting my time between neighbouring Bohol island and Cebu itself.

***Full disclosure: This blog contains affiliate links, which means that when you book using the links provided, I receive a small commission which goes toward the maintenance of this site.

My hope is that by writing this article, first time travellers to Bohol will have a good idea of what to expect, and have useful information including available transportation, accommodation options, tours and other fun activities which I enjoyed while there.

TRANSPORTATION

Ferries

Several ferry companies ferry travellers from Cebu city to Tagbilaran, Bohol. I had heard of 2Go ferries prior to my trip, but on arrival at the Cebu terminal, I discovered that Ocean Jet had a ferry departure that was more convenient, so I purchased a ticket with them instead. I paid 500 pesos (around $10) for a one way trip in a regular air conditioned room, as well as a 25 pesos (50 cents) terminal fee. There were options to upgrade my ticket to a luxury seating area, and also to sit in the non-air-conditioned area. I could have checked my luggage if I wanted to.

The seating area was tight and left little room for baggage. My ticket was checked a million times before I could board, and a band of blind musicians played music for tips while passengers waited to board. The journey itself was about two hours long, and fairly pleasant but I wished I had sat on the open air deck!

Shared Vans
I used a shared van when I disembarked at the Tagbilaran ferry terminal. A tout met tourists at the exit area. After she gathered enough clients who were largely headed to Alona beach, we all hopped in, and split the overall fee between us. It worked out to approximately 100 pesos each. Hiring a taxi from the terminal to my destination at Dumaluan would usually have cost around 250 pesos by taxi. Everyone in our van was super excited to start their holiday, so the atmosphere was electric in there.

Habal Habal
Habal Habal, or hopping on the back of a motorbike with the driver, is great for the solo traveler who wants to travel a shorter distance and doesn’t rent out their own motorbike. I used Habal Habal to commute between Dumaluan, Alona and Poblacion. I earlier used Habal Habal in Cebu to get from Mactan island to the ferry terminal because traffic was atrocious, and motorbikes weave through traffic far quicker than a taxi. I would wrap a scarf around my hair, occasionally wear a helmet, and prices ranged anywhere from 50 pesos to 100.

ACCOMODATION

I initially booked one night at Adriana’s Place, in Panglao. My first impression of Adriana’s Place was hopping off my shared van, and being greeted by a happy, welcoming voice calling, “Natasha!” Andrew, the owner and manager came over and invited me to rest in the gorgeous common area, order some lunch, and then proceed to my little hut.

I found Adriana’s Place to be a little backpacker haven with a western flavor. While there, several local expats and western travelers as well as English speaking Koreans liked to frequent Adriana’s for meals and enjoy evening drinks hanging out at the bar and chatting with husband-wife owners, Andrew and Chona.

 

Ilearned that Andrew constructed the resort himself, since he’s a builder by trade. The resort is a family business, and between Andrew’s western passion for cooking, and Chona’s local Filipino dishes, the resort catered to different pallets.

I was quite taken with the beautiful bamboo construction, the garden beds, the local wildlife, hens, chicks, neighbouring pigs, and the family dog. See my little tour using the link provided below.

travelandtash at Adriana’s Place

The short walk to the beach was the icing on the cake. Dumaluan beach is a seven-minute walk away, and many of the local holiday-makers are Philippinos staying at the nearby Dumaluan Beach Resort which offers quick access to the beach. I also noticed several Koreans holidaying in style at the neighbouring Bohol Beach Club (BBC) and South Palm Resort.

I extended my stay from one night to a week! I couldn’t bring myself to leave. Find Adriana’s Place on Booking.com.

 

 

Other fancy-schmancy Panglao accommodation options
Bohol Bee Farm
South Palms Resort, Dumaluan Beach
Bohol Beach Club, Dumaluan Beach
Hennann Resort, Alona Beach

WHAT TO DO IN PANGLAO AND BOHOL

Dumaluan beach
Many tourists bypass Dumaluan and go instead to Alona beach. It seems that the informed tourists or backpackers who don’t want the developed, touristy locations stay at Dumaluan. The beachfront is nicely maintained by the beachfront resorts.

From Adriana’s Place, I would walk down to Dumaluan Beach Resort I and pay a nominal fee (around 25 pesos or 50 cents) for entry to their beach. I could relax on the beach, enjoy fresh shakes at their restaurant (although meals are way better at Adriana’s), and had access to walk along the whole beach. Some resorts reserve beach sections for their clients.

 

 

 

 

 

On the beach, I chatted with Filipino families curious about my solo travel, found star fish in the water, purchased genuine pearl jewellery from canvassers, and took incredible photos of sunsets. See my video below to see how pretty and clean this beach is.

travelandtash visits Dumaluan beach, Panglao

Alona beach
By comparison, Alona beach is loud, dirty and very touristy. It’s a mecca for largely Chinese and Korean tourists who want to go diving. Air tanks and black wet-suits are everywhere. The beach is busy with boats taking tourists out to sea.

Tours, including the island hopping tour, depart from Alona. This beach strip is great for people who want to have many restaurant and café options, have a short stay and need quick access to the available tours. Although I didn’t visit at night, Alona is supposed to have a good nightlife scene so tourists staying elsewhere travel into Alona to party.

I changed up money with a professional, friendly Filippino business owner, Liza Mae, who offered the best American-Philippino exchange rate. I walked into her establishment, and after realizing I had left my dollars back at my resort, she offered to have her employee drive me out there to collect my currency. Find her at Alona Tourist Services, Alona Beach, Tel: +63-927.855.9632.

Pearls
While the best Philippino pearls, I hear, come from Palawan, pearl canvassers on Panglao sell pearls from another island, and these are pretty too. I purchased several pairs of earrings, including white, pink, grey and purple pearls, as well as a pink pearl necklace. I’m no professional purchaser, however the usual tests for genuine pearls are to bite on the pearl and if there is no indentation left, you can presume that the pearl is genuine.

Others include putting a flame against the pearl surface, and if it creases, you know that it is a fake. I always look for imperfections, small indentations, ring markings, and lack of symmetry and these often indicate that the pearl is natural. Canvassers frequent the beaches, and prices are negotiable, especially when you buy more than one item. Overall, they make adorable gifts for friends back home.

Poblacion
One weekday morning, I asked Andrew to join him on his errands to a local market. We hopped on his motorbike and a few minutes later, he dropped me off in the town of Poblacion. I ventured off looking at the fruits, vegetables, fish and meat. Next, I wandered around a colonial church that Andrew pointed out earlier, and wandered up to the adjacent school to say ‘hello’ to the children.

I then headed to Doljo beach as I heard that you can find star fish there, and en route, I stopped at a local bar, Doljo Delights, to have a refreshing beverage. I ended up chatting with owner for a while about her business and the local tourism. After exchanging contact information, I headed to Doljo, but disappointingly, I discovered that private hotels had a monopoly on the beach, and as a “walk in,” I wasn’t allowed to walk along it.

Before returning to Poblacion, a crazy man on the beach began following me and declaring that he loved me, and I had to use my stern teacher voice to tell him to back off. I’m usually quite patient in these situations, but I wasn’t in this case.

Back at Poblacion, I enjoyed a Bicol Express meal at La Familia restaurant. The bamboo construction and open, spacious dining area made this location esthetically pleasing. My meal was good too.

Outside, habal habal guys were waiting, and for 60 pesos, a popular and friendly driver called Roal drove me to Adriana’s at Dumaluan. Contact Roal by cellphone on 7923.933.8256. He was the only honest motorbike driver I found there that quoted me the real transportation price.

Bohol Bee Farm
Although I didn’t visit Bohol Bee Farm, the Bee Farm owner visited Adriana’s Place so I met him briefly. That prompted a later discussion with Andrew about the Bee Farm. The property includes a hotel, restaurant, and presumably a lot more. I heard that the views at the location as well as the ice cream is very good. I intend to visit this place when I next return.

Island Hopping Tour
Most people visit Bohol for Panglao’s Island Hopping Tour. Andrew booked my tour, which came to around 400 pesos and I brought extra cash (around 500 pesos) to cover rental of the snorkelling gear and entry to the various locations. The overall price was around 900 pesos (about $20), started at 6am, and finished around noon.

Andrew kindly drove me up to my rendezvous point on the Alona main strip, and there, two Korean girls and I hopped into the back of a truck, sat on patio seats, and perhaps with the exception of past rides on elephants and camels, I had the craziest short ride of my life. Both girls were squealing with nerves on our precarious seats as we drove down to the beach.

After boat captains and guides organized themselves, we departed in search of dolphins. After forty minutes, we slowed to a stop beside other boats, and to our amazement, we saw about four dolphins rise and scoop into the water. After lingering a little, we headed to an island where any outstanding payments were requested, and we received snorkel gear and life jackets.

Next, we boarded smaller boats, squished in close and tight with all our new sea friends, and headed out to sea. On arrival at our snorkel spot, we slipped into the water, one at a time, and to my amazement, despite not having 20/20 vision, through the clear, green water about 15 meters deep, I saw massive turtles swimming along the bottom of the ocean.

The captain and assistant pointed out turtles to make sure we didn’t miss them. I saw at least five, and judging from their size, I suspect they were mature ones. This was my first time seeing wild sea turtles in their natural environment, so for me, this half hour of snorkelling with turtles beneath us was incredibly special.

Next, we travelled to another spot, and settled back into the water to snorkel with thousands of fish. There were different varieties of various sizes, and some would swim right up to my fingertips. I’d reach out to see if I could touch them, but they were fast and evaded me every time. The captain was incredibly helpful and took photos for the tourists who brought underwater cameras.

Later in our adventures, we visited Paradise Island where the tide was out, and after swift approaches by pearl merchants, we waded into the shallow water toward food vendors to purchase snacks. Oysters and coconuts were available, and pearl canvassers meandered among the tourists with their lustrous sea treasures. I relented and purchased a beautiful pair of purple pearl earrings, and later enjoyed fresh coconut juice. I scoped out the flesh afterwards with a coconut spoon. After half hour, we headed back for Alona and our resorts.

Chocolate Hills and Tarsier Land Tour
Visiting the Chocolate hills and seeing the little tarsier monkeys was the main reason why I visited Bohol in the first place. In fact, I have wanted to visit these destinations for over two years.

I purchased a package directly from Valeroso Ralle on Tour, Alona beach (Tel: 0916.543.1702/ 0908.760.0680) for around 400 pesos, and this essentially covered transportation to the sites. There was no real ‘guide’ as such, but some sites provided guides. The overall cost, including 400 pesos for the driver and entrance fees to the locations (not including the zip line activity) totalled around 900 pesos per person.

I met my group around 9am at a rendezvous point by my resort. The tour would end around 5pm. As I boarded our tour van, I immediately started chatting with friendly Chinese tourists, Chen and his wife, and Grace, who like me, was traveling solo on this tour.

We started out at the Butterfly Garden and Python Sanctuary. This was my first time visiting a butterfly garden, and after a short tour by a representative, our tour group entered a small garden filled with fluttering butterflies. The guide tried to place butterflies in my hand and photograph them flying away, but we were unsuccessful as they butterflies flew away too quickly. I found it fascinating to be around so many, and while there, I took a short video. See the link below.

travelandtash visits Bohol’s butterfly farm

To reach the Chocoloate Hills lookout point, our van meandered past rivers, and followed winding roads. Through my window, I saw local bamboo homes of various designs, and I wondered how residents made a living.

On arrival, my new friends and I wandered up steep steps to observe our surroundings. The views were spectacular. No photo really captures what my eyes drank in that morning. As far as I could see, we were surrounded by thousands of green and brown hills of different heights and shapes. Some hills were clusters of small green hills, and elsewhere, I saw large brown hills situated in more isolated spots. We snapped many photos and I took a short video before leaving.

travelandtash visits the Chocolate Hills

A very nice surprise was The Hanging Bridge. We wandered onto a swinging bridge, and I immediately began playfully swinging the bridge to make tall Chen (who was walking ahead of me) nervous about falling over the side! I recorded a funny video (see link below) before stopping to purchase a cute tank top at the little tourist market.

travelandtash visits Bohol’s Hanging Bridge

We later arrived at the Bohol Tarsier Sanctuary and were ushered into what I would describe as a wild garden that resembled an eco-system sanctuary. The area was pretty small, with up and downhill paths that visitors followed. We were reminded that we had to maintain silence as these primates, the smallest monkeys in the world, sleep during the day. I also learned prior to my visit that they cannot endure prison-like confines of a zoo environment as they smash their heads into solid objects to commit suicide due to anxiety.

I meandered the paths, wondering how I would spot these well-camouflaged creatures, but soon discovered that workers kept vigils over each one, it seemed, and pointed them out to enthusiastic visitors.

After reading a couple of blogs which mentioned the Loboc River Cruise, I had high expectations that this might be the most enjoyable activity of this tour. We were brought to Loboc river, shown to a large table, ditched our stuff, and quickly went to the unlimited buffet table which featured chicken, crab, salads, and other dishes. We felt ravenous after visiting many locations.

A local band began playing largely popular English, Chinese and Philippino songs. But the real gem for me on this cruise was when moving along Loboc river which was surrounded by tropical bamboo trees, we suddenly pulled up to a platform where locals awaited our arrival.

At that moment, I happened to be standing right against the platform and had a fantastic view. The local women began singing and dancing to songs. They were soon joined by men, and began performing a hopping dance where two assistants open and close two long pieces of bamboo, threatening to trap the feet of a delightful couple lightly hopping between them. This experience left me beaming from ear to ear. I hadn’t expected this treat, and since I love dance and music, for me, this surprise was the icing on the cake. I recorded a couple of videos and have attached them below.

travelandtash at the Loboc river dance performance

The last location that I enjoyed was the visit to the Baclayon Church dating to the colonial period. Not because we actually entered it, but because Chen, his wife, Grace, and myself decided to wander to the nearby breakwater and view the plentiful starfish below! There, I touched and held a starfish for the first time in my life.

 

 

Overall, my week in Panglao, Bohol was just what the doctor ordered. A break from my daily routine, a lot of rest, and some play (with a little sunburn). My descriptions here do no justice to my overall experience. There are many things I’ve left out, like my long conversations with locals, hours smiling at messages received from Korea, and the playful banter I enjoyed with Andrew and his family at Adriana’s Place. To appreciate what this place has to offer, you simply need to arrive and create your own experience here.

 

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