In late January 2020, I hopped a plane to Cebu, Philippines. The plan had been to travel north from Cebu city to Bantayan island and spend 5 days there, but a friend coincidently visiting Cebu at the same time convinced me to accompany him and revisit Bohol.
I had visited Bohol two years prior, and had already seen major sites including the Chocolate Hills and experienced the Balicasag and Virgin island tours. So after partying together at the Sinulog celebrations in Cebu that weekend, I agreed to revisit Bohol, and soon, we were headed for Tagbilaran, Bohol and Alona beach. Once there, we visited the majestic Chocolate Hills and made brilliant memories, but the following experience was sadly one that he missed out on. He had to return home.
FINDING AN ISLAND-HOPPING TOUR
After my friend’s departure, I booked in at the Domus Native Guest House which was at the far end of Alona beach. There, I met locals enjoying San Miguel beer in a bamboo hut late one evening. They sold tour packages to tourists, and I agreed to join their tour that left the next day. The fellas explained that the tour was usually 1,350, but they were giving me a hefty discount since I booked last minute. I ended up paying 800 PHP (approximately $20).
LET’S DO THIS!
The following morning, I met one of the tour package locals, and he walked me to the boat to rendezvous with the tour group. The plan was to leave Alona Beach at 9am and return at 2pm. I was told that we wouldn’t see dolphins on this tour as that would require leaving around 6am. Our tour included visited Bantayan island for snorkeling with tropical fish, and from there, visit turtle hangouts, and eventually head to the famous Virgin Island to take in the views.
OUR TOUR GROUP
Our tour group was run by the captain and his assistant. On board, we were a melting pot of couples, families and solo travelers of varied ages and vigor. There was a 70-year-old fragile grandma who was travelling with her Filipino son. There was a 30-something mixed Korean-Filipino couple. An experienced diver from Poland who brought along her boyfriend. They were probably in their late 30s. A deaf middle-aged fella was also there. He was really attentive at helping anyone struggling wherever possible. He asked me to write down notes on his phone several times so he could understand the captain instructions for our group. He was possibly North American. And there was a solo Korean traveler, David. The atmosphere was friendly and caring, and I felt happy to be with this group of people.
IMPRESSIONS OF THE TOUR
The tour was a compilation of landing on islands, waiting around for organizers, speeding on the ocean, and fumbling with my GoPro. I was trying my best to avoid getting water inside the camera mechanism while changing up batteries and memory cards. Oh, and of course, the incredible encounters with at least three turtles, and more fish than I’ve witnessed on prior snorkeling adventures! I’ve only experienced a handful, including sites at Jordan, Thailand, and other locations in the Philippines.
SNORKELING AT BALICASAG ISLAND
Our first major stop was at Balicasag island which was home to a large, coral reef. From Balicasag, we boarded smaller boats under the care of Filipino diving teams who were familiar with the waters, and they brought our little team to possibly Black Forest dive site which was home to huge numbers of tropical fish. I plopped into the ocean with little grace to explore below. I chose to wear a life jacket, but the experienced divers swam freestyle. There were all kinds of fish, including angle fish, cardinals, parrot, trigger fish and sea anemones.
After approximately thirty minutes, our snorkel crew rounded us up, and we heaved ourselves back onto the boat. They took us to another nearby location, possibly Diver’s Heaven, where we could see turtles. Once again, I dropped myself into the ocean, excited to see nature’s living gems. What was surprising about this tour was just how many turtles I saw! I saw three turtles feeding in the shallow waters, and all were just a little shorter than me.
TAKE ME TO VIRGIN ISLAND!
After returning to Balicasag for a little rest, myself and the rest of our island-hopping team once again climbed aboard our large boat and made a beeline for Virgin Island. It took approximately forty minutes, and we had to slow down several times to carefully navigate the shallow water. The assistant used a bamboo stick to measure depth, and when we eventually bounded off, we found ourselves on a stunning sandbar.
Venders were set up with chilled coconuts, beer, and all kinds of local seafood sizzling on barbecues. Some stalls were set up in the shallow, peaceful ocean itself. I joined David and the Korean-Filipino couple to sit and enjoy squid. The memory card in my GoPro was full and I wanted to remedy the situation so I could keep recording, but taking in the serene panoramas delayed attempts!
After thirty minutes or so, we were rounded up, said goodbye to this stunning setting, and begun our return journey home.
Someday, I hope to return. Balicasag and Virgin Islands are insanely striking locations, and I want to see them again.
Are there any details I missed, or is there some information you can clarify? Please drop some love in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you.
~Tasha
*Note that the island-hopping/snorkeling tour I joined has many variations. The previous time that I did this tour included a lunch buffet, and some tours include dolphin watching. All tours start early in the morning.
Location where I stayed: Domus Native Guest House
Where to book a tour: Snorkle Adventures from Alona Beach Alona Divers
SEE BALICASAG & VIRGIN ISLAND CAPTURED ON MY GoPro Hero 8 HERE
Tasha is author of Keto Brunches and Attract and Retain a Fulfilling Relationship.
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